Microsoft Azure Tutorial
This guide describes overall a migration from an Azure classic virtual machine with Microsoft Server 2012 R2 and a local installed SQL Server instance to a Azure SQL based database connected to a new virtual machine with a Windows Server 2019. During this guide we will cover several pieces of using cloud hosted databases, on-premise database migrations and using this database on a new Silverback Instance. This guide covers not all parts of networking, access management, cost controls, backups and uses the easiest approach to generate a quick setup for this scenario, but anyway it will cover most technical parts.
Azure SQL
Create new Database
- Login to Azure Portal under portal.azure.com
- Login with your credentials
- Click Create a resource
- Search for SQL Database
- Select SQL Database
- Click Create
Basics
- Select your Subscription
- Select your Resource Group
- Enter your Database name, e.g. Silverback
- Select your Server
In case it will be your first server, review Create new Server
- Decide if you want to use SQL elastic pool
- Select your Elastic pool
In case it will be your SQL elastic pool, review Create new elastic pool
- Select and apply your desired Compute + storage
Please remind our current System Requirements
- Proceed with Next: Networking
Networking
- Select your desired connectivity method
- For this documentation scenario, we enable Public endpoint and enable both Firewall Rules
- You might need to change network access later on for production and security purposes
- Proceed with Next: Additional settings
Additional Settings
- Ensure None is selected for Data source
- Ensure your collation is set to Latin1_General_CI_AS
If you want to do a migration from On-Premise to Azure SQL, ensure that you select here the same collations as currently used.
- Enable Azure Defender for SQL (optional)
- Proceed with Next: Tags
Tags
- Add your SQL Database Tags (optional)
- Proceed with Next: Review + create
Review + create
- Review your settings
- Press Create
- Wait until the deployment process is finished
- Click Go to resource
- Proceed with Connect to Database
Create new Server
- Select Create New
- Add a server name, eg. Imagoverum
- Enter a Server admin login, e.g. superuser
- Enter a password, e.g. Pa$$w0rd
- Confirm your password
- Select your Location, e.g. (Europe) Germany West Central
- Click OK
- Proceed with Basics
Create new elastic pool
- Select Create new
- Enter a name, e.g. Silverback
- Click OK
- Proceed with Basics
Database Connection
After creation of our new cloud hosted database, we will check a connection through the Azure Portal and we will recognize our new server address, which we will need later on during the database setup of Silverback.
Check Connection
- Select Query editor (preview)
- Enter your SQL Server authentication credentials
- Click OK
- You should have now access
Connection String
- Navigate in the left panel to Overview
- Confirm you draft changes and Click OK
- Copy your Server Name into your clipboard and into any Text Editor
Next Steps
- Proceed with Database Migration if you want to use your current on premise database as a cloud hosted database
- Proceed with Create Virtual Machine if you want to want to Migrate e.g. from a Windows Server 2012 R2 to e.g. Windows Server 2019
- Proceed with Install Silverback if you want to already have a new Windows Server 2019 present or if you want to perform a fresh installation
Database Migration
This sections describes how to perform a database migration from an On-Premise scenario to an Azure SQL based database with the Data Migration Assistant. Please note that the database deployment may take a lot of time. During the creation of this guide, the migration took for a 6GB Database ~ 45 minutes with a 100 DTU sizing for the database. We will perform the migration from the current On-Premise SQL instance, which is in this current scenario the Silverback Server, too.
Microsoft Data Migration Assistant
The Data Migration Assistant (DMA) enables us to upgrade to a modern data platform. It allows us to not only move your schema and data, but also uncontained objects from our source server to the target server.
Download and Installation
- Download the Data Migration Assistant v3.3 or later.
- Run the executable
- Click Next
- Select I Accept the terms in the License Agreement
- Click Next
- Click Install
- Enable Launch Microsoft Data Migration Assistant
- Click Finish
New Project
- Click +
- Change Project type to Migration
- Enter a Project Name, e.g. Silverback Database Migration
- Select as Source server type SQL Server
- Select as Target server type Azure SQL Database
- Select as Migration scope Schema and data
- Click Create
Select Source
- Enter as Server Name your current On-Premise SQL server, e.g. sql.imagoverum.com or localhost
- Select your Authentication Type, e.g. SQL Authentication
- Enter your Username
- Enter your Password
- Click Connect
- Select your current Silverback Database
- Proceed with Next
In case your have trouble with connection, please take into account to pen your Windows Firewall to allow the Azure Database Migration Service to access the source SQL Server, which by default is TCP port 1433.
Select Target
- Enter as Server Name your current Azure SQL server, e.g. imagoverum.database.windows.net
- Select your Authentication Type, e.g. SQL Authentication
- Enter your Username
- Enter your Password
- Click Connect
- Select your target Silverback Database
- Proceed with Next
In case you have trouble with the connection to Azure SQL, adjust your Firewall and virtual networks settings for the Azure SQL Instance and add your Client IP
Select Objects
- Wait until the process is finished
- Click Generate SQL Script
Script & deploy schema
- Wait until the process is finished
- Press Deploy schema
- Wait until the process is finished
- Press Migrate Data
Select Tables
- Press Start data migration
- As the data migration takes some time:
- You can either wait until the migration process is finished
- Or proceed already with the upcoming chapters.
Create new Virtual Machine
In this section, we will create a new Virtual Machine for our new target Silverback Server. As the Database Migration takes some time, we can proceed here.
Create new Resource
- Navigate from your copied connection string back to the home section of Microsoft Azure
- https://portal.azure.com/
- Select Create a resource
- Search or Windows Server
- Select Windows Server
- Select as Plan Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
- Click Create
Basics
- Select your Subscription
- Select your Resource Group
- Enter a Virtual Machine Name, e.g. Silverback
- Select your Region, e.g. (Europe) West Europe
- Choose your Availability options
- Select your Size
Please remind our current System Requirements
- Enter your Administrator Account
- Enable Inbound ports HTTPS and RDP
- Proceed with Next: Disks
Disks
- Configure your disk options
- Proceed with Next: Networking
Networking
- Select your existing Virtual Network our Create a new one
- Proceed with Next: Management
Management
- Configure monitoring and management options for this VM (optional)
- Enable backup (optional)
- Enable Auto-shutdown (optional)
- Enable Manual patching (optional)
- Proceed with Next: Advanced
Advanced
- Add additional configuration, agents, scripts or applications via virtual machine extensions or cloud-init (optional)
- Select your VM generation (optional)
- Proceed with Next: Tags
Tags
- Add your Virtual Machine Tags (optional)
- Proceed with Next: Review + create
Review + create
- Review your settings
- Press Create
- Wait until the deployment process is finished
- Click Go to resource
Connect
- Note down your public IP Address and connect via RDP to your Virtual Machine
- Decide to Accept recommended Network Settings
- Proceed with Export and Import Certificates
Export and Import Certificates
This part describes an important piece when performing a Server to Server Migration. As this guide is intended to perform a migration from an Azure classic virtual machine running on to Windows Server 2012 R2 to a new virtual machine type with Windows Server 2019, an in-place migration isn't possible. In such scenarios it is the most important part to export the current used certificates and import them the new Server. In case you miss e.g. the Web Settings Certificate, you won't be able to read database data due to encryption settings.
Export APNS Certificate on your Management Console
Within the Silverback Management Console, we will first download the current APNS Certificate and review our current connection string. We will need to upload the APNS certificate to the new Server later.
The APNS certificate is only relevant for Apple Device Management. In case you don't manage any Apple devices, start with Review your Connection String.
- Open your current Silverback Management Console
- Login as Administrator
- Navigate to Admin
- Select Certificates
- Under Apple Push Notification Service note down your current Apple ID
- Click Download Copy
- Note down your Password
- Click Download
- Click OK
- Store the MDMCertificate.pfx, e.g. on an internal share
- Log out as Administrator
Export Certificates on your current Silverback Server
- Open certlm.msc
- Navigate to Personal > Certificates
- Export the following certificates with the private key, e.g on an internal share:
Export all your certificates step by step
| Purpose | Issued To | Issued By | Certificate Store | Exportable Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSL Certificate | e.g. *.imagoverum.com | e.g. Alpha SSL CA SHA256 - G2 | Local Computer > Personal | company specific |
| Silverback Root CA | Silverback Root CA | Silverback Root CA | Local Computer > Personal | yes |
| Web Settings Encryption | Silverback Web Settings Certificate | Silverback Web Settings Certificate | Local Computer > Personal | yes |
In this guide not all possible certificates are covered, please review Migration I: Server to Server Migration
Import your Certificates to your new Virtual Machine
- Import your previously exported certificates
- Open certlm.msc
- Navigate to Personal > Certificates
- Perform a right click in the right section
- Select All Tasks
- Choose Import
- Click Browse
- Select your certificate
Ensure that All Files is selected to see exported *.pfx files
- Proceed with Next, enter your Export Password and mark this key as exportable
- Ensure to place the Certificate in the right certificate store and click next and finish
- Repeat the steps for the following certificates and review the certificate stores:
- Silverback Root CA Certificate to Personal > Certificates and in Trusted Root Certification Authorities
- Silverback Web Settings Certificate to Personal > Certificates
- Add Network Service read permissions to the certificate private keys
- Perform a right click on each certificate
- Select All Tasks
- Choose Manage Private Keys
- Click Add
- Enter Network Service
- Press Check Names
- Click OK
- Ensure that only Read Access is granted
- Click OK
We will import and bind the SSL Certificate in the next chapter with the SSL Certificate Tool
Silverback Setup
Set DNS Entry to new Server
Install Prerequisites and download Silverback
- Open Server Manager
- Proceed with Installing required Roles and Features
- Download newest Release from Marketplace
- Run the executable and install Silverback
- Before pressing finish run the Silverback SSL Certificate Tool
SSL Certificate Tool
In case you perform a fresh installation without database migration, please create here first the Silverback Root CA Certificate
- Change Certificate Type to Website
- Enter your SSL Certificate Password
- Select Browse and Import Certificate
- Select your SSL Certificate
- Go back to the Silverback - Installation Wizard and press finish
- Accept or Ignore privacy information
Database Setup
Connection String
- Enable Use Azure SQL
- Enter your Enter your Data Server Address, e.g. imagoverum.database.windows.net
For the new database connection, we will use the previously generated SQL Server admin credentials.
- Enter your Database Name, e.g. Silverback
- Enter your SQL Username, e.g. superuser
- Enter your Password, e.g. Pa$$w0rd
- Select Pick and Select your imported Web Settings Certificate
In case you have troubles with the Connection String, just delete all entries under Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Matrix42, restart IIS and reopen localhost/admin
- Press Save
- Press OK
Database Upgrade
- In case your Silverback Version on your new Virtual Machine is newer as from the database migration, press Start Upgrade
- Wait until the upgrade process is finished
Import APNS Certificate
- Open your Silverback Management Console
- Login as Administrator
- Navigate to Certificates
- In the Apple Push Notification Service sections click Upload Existing Certificate
- Click Choose File and select your previously exported APNS Certificate
- Enter your previously noted password
- Re-enter your used Apple ID
- Click OK