To facilitate the replication and migration of data from APEX Cloud Platform for Azure running S2D only to a platform consuming PowerFlex block storage, Dell provides the APEX Cloud Platform for Microsoft Azure data mobility utility. Dell has created this utility to address scenarios where the requirements for a virtualized application that is running in a VM on an S2D CSV have evolved and could benefit from the performance, scalability, and resiliency delivered by a PowerFlex CSV. Another scenario could be to create a copy of data for use by other applications, such as those performing artificial intelligence training. This utility delivers the following functionality:
- Select one or many VMs to replicate the VHDs for or migrate from the source to the destination platform.
- If a VM has multiple Virtual Hard Disks (VHDs), you can choose which VHDs are in scope.
- You can request a differential copy of the VHD files after the initial full copy to keep the data synchronized.
- Leverages native Microsoft snapshots using SMB3.
- Provides regular point-in-time checkpoints and the ability to restore to individual checkpoints.
- Data does not require the VM metadata to be moved.
- Data can be restored without requiring the full VM to be rebuilt.