Do I Need to Move to Microsoft Azure?

pformag on 29/05/2019 - 17:32
Last edited 29/05/2019 - 18:09

Hello All.

We currently store all our data (MS Office files + EXO Database etc) on our work server (Windows Server 2008). This all gets backed up to the cloud VMWARE.

6-8 users at the moment.

We outsource all our IT work (brothers, brother-in-law) and they reckon, due to windows stopping support for Window Serve 2008, we should move to Azure?

A couple of questions.

Could we just upgrade to Windows Server 2019, since we have all the hardware already, and keep the on-premise server? 99% of work is done at work, only a small proportion is done remotely.

Which is a better long term solution?
Is there lag with files using Azure?

Thank for your advice.

Computing Microsoft Microsoft Azure

Comments

  • zathras on 29/05/2019 - 17:43

    Upgrading your on-premise Windows server will be cheaper than moving to the cloud if you only need a local server.

    • stirlo on 29/05/2019 - 18:03

      Depends if you're already paying for a decent internet connection for other reasons. If you are then only cost is the VM. Then you need to compare the cost of the on premise server 2019 license + the cost of eventual hardware replacement. Also consider what you think is more likely to experience downtime your internet connection or a hardware failure in the server and how long a repair would take.

      Azure might work out cheaper as all the hardware stuff is irrelevant and the only reliability concern is the internet. Keep in mind that the server 2008 stuff would be out of warranty by now and every year increases the risk of hardware failure.

      • pformag on 29/05/2019 - 18:06

        we have upgraded the hardware last year, just kept 2008, as they wanted around $3000 to upgrade to 2012, and then 2016. My thoughts, if we upgrade to 2012, then in 3 years, upgrade to 2016 and the move to Azure if all is discontinued by 2027

        • stirlo on 29/05/2019 - 18:10

          If you have new hardware it's difficult to argue for Azure. Essentially the monthly price you pay is software + hardware but at enterprise scale prices. Even with those price advantages you're not getting the hardware for free so on prem would be cheaper. Only issue is that Azure makes it trivial to have high availability with no downtime whereas on prem if your server breaks you have downtime.

          • pformag on 30/05/2019 - 10:09

            @stirlo: Would have an estimate for the monthly cost of Azure? Even the cheapest option per month, just to get a handle on possible cost?

  • The mikky on 29/05/2019 - 21:04

    If your outsourced IT support has Linux experience you could look at running centos. Basically the same as redhat, just without subscription (Or support)

    really easy to set up a fileshare.

    Would need to know more about your environment to really know what would be viable.

    Also look at AWS, and Google cloud as well as azure.

    If it's just a fileshare, and an EXO database, you could look at just using a cloud based fileshare, and cloud based accounting software, instead of a whole server in the cloud, might be cheaper that way.

  • POSITIVEVIBESONLY on 29/05/2019 - 21:06

    If you don't need 24/7 uptime, I don't think you need to move to the cloud. Cloud costs aren't cheap and backups are relatively fine if you're a small team.
    However if you do know how to do the full cloud migration, it isn't a bad idea to get ahead and make the jump to the cloud. Otherwise it can be expensive. Support for non-cloud server isn't going to stop, a lot of companies can't store their data in the cloud due to privacy.

  • Lurker on 09/07/2019 - 00:35

    If you are using Active Directory (AD) feature of Windows Server , please bear in mind that Azure Active Directory (AAD) is not a replacement for Active Directory feature of Windows Server.

    The 2 Active Directory are not interchangeable.

    Even Microsoft says there is no migration path for AD to AAD. They are different products that serve different purposes.

    Azure AD does not include all the services available with an on premises Active Directory solution that uses Windows Server.

    Azure AD does not support applications that are integrated with on-premises Active Directory. For applications to integrate with Azure AD, they must be Azure AD–specific.

    See here:

    https://www.reddit.com/r/AZURE/comments/atc55m/hep_me_unders…

    https://jumpcloud.com/blog/is-azure-ad-better-than-ad/

    Mastering Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V by John Savill December 19 2016
    Chapter 13 Bringing It All Together with a Best-of-Breed Cloud Solution
    Which Is the Right Technology to Choose?

    How to decide if Azure AD Domain Services is right for your use-case
    05/20/2019
    6 minutes to read
    Mike Stephens
    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory-doma…

  • Rockets84 on 09/07/2019 - 09:56

    What version of 2008 are you running? Is it Small Business Server? Also is it running in a VM or on the bare metal. You say it's backed up to the cloud VMWare so that sounds like a VM to me. If it's just Windows 2008 Std running Active Directory and File & Print ina VM then I'd run up a new VM rather than move to Azure. My dad's small business is in the same boat right now, similiar number of users. We have SBS 2011 running (08 & Exchange 2010) on a 5 year old bare metal server so we are going to migrate the email to Office 365 and replace the server with a 2019 Essentials server. They don't need offsite access to files, they just need email & MYOB which is already running in the MYOB cloud.

    • pformag on 09/07/2019 - 14:27

      Yes SBS 2008 with VMWare. We have upgraded to 365, which is fantastic, but we use MYOB EXO, which is what the server is now mainly used for a database. Also, all our office files are still on the server, as we have been reluctant to move the files onto one drive for full cloud storage. The cost to host the database in the cloud is the same price as Azure, so I have been told.

      It is really exo that is the issue. As our emails and files can be in the cloud for free with 365, but we can't get EXO into the cloud that easy. Unless I am missing something.

      • Rockets84 on 09/07/2019 - 16:22

        From my understanding EXO just uses a standard MS SQL Server database. You can move that to Azure or to a VM easily enough. You'd need to know whether you are using SQL Server Standard Edition or Express. Express is free but MYOB EXO would prefer Standard. Another question to ask would be is if MYOB support EXO on Azure. When I was doing SMB support we used to build terminal servers for MYOB Premier because it ran so slow over the network, a terminal server was much faster. Technically that wasn't supported by MYOB despite alot of MYOB tech support staff agreeing it was the best way to run it performance wise. If we ran into issues we'd always have to replicate them on a standalone PC install connected to the data file over the network. The first 100MB & GB LAN networks I installed were for running MYOB Premier over it was such a dog. I haven't ever worked with EXO but it's about time they had something that was a proper DB on the back end.

        Forgot, SBS 2008 is a little harder to migrate away from than just a regular 2008 server. A move to 2016 Essentials is supported but not sure if you can jump to 2019.

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