Overview

Moving data from AWS S3 to Azure Blob Storage enables organizations to leverage Microsoft's cloud ecosystem, including seamless integration with Azure services, Microsoft 365, and hybrid cloud capabilities. This guide walks you through the complete migration process using Cloney.

Why Azure Blob Storage?

Azure offers strong enterprise integration, comprehensive compliance certifications, and excellent hybrid cloud support with Azure Arc.

Prerequisites

  • A Cloney account with an active subscription
  • AWS S3 bucket with data to migrate
  • Azure Storage Account with a Blob container
  • Appropriate credentials for both services

Setup Access Credentials

Before proceeding, ensure you have configured least privilege access for both services:

AWS S3: Least Privilege Access SetupAzure: Least Privilege Access Setup

Step 1: Add Your AWS S3 Source

  1. Log in to your Cloney dashboard
  2. Navigate to Jobs → Create New Job
  3. Select AWS S3 as your source provider
  4. Enter your AWS credentials:
    • Access Key ID: Your IAM user access key
    • Secret Access Key: Your IAM user secret key
    • Region: The AWS region where your bucket is located
    • Bucket Name: The name of your source S3 bucket
  5. Click Validate Connection to verify access

Step 2: Configure Your Azure Destination

  1. Select Azure Blob Storage as your destination provider
  2. Enter your Azure credentials:
    • Storage Account Name: Your Azure storage account name
    • Access Key: The storage account access key (or SAS token)
    • Container Name: The name of your destination container
  3. Click Validate Connection to verify access
Using SAS Tokens

For enhanced security, consider using a SAS token with limited permissions instead of the full access key.

Step 3: Configure Migration Options

Customize your migration with these options:

OptionDescriptionRecommendation
Prefix/Path FilterMigrate only objects matching a specific prefixUse for partial migrations
Preserve MetadataCopy object metadata along with dataEnable for full fidelity
Access TierSet the Azure access tier for migrated blobsHot for frequent access
Overwrite ExistingReplace blobs that already exist in destinationEnable for sync operations

Step 4: Start the Migration

  1. Review your migration configuration
  2. Click Start Migration
  3. Monitor progress in the Jobs dashboard
  4. Cloney will provide real-time updates on:
    • Objects transferred
    • Data volume migrated
    • Transfer speed
    • Any errors encountered
Migration Complete

Once finished, verify your data in the Azure Portal and update your applications to use the new storage account.

Storage Class Mapping

AWS S3 storage classes map to Azure access tiers as follows:

AWS S3 ClassRecommended Azure Tier
S3 StandardHot
S3 Intelligent-TieringHot (with lifecycle management)
S3 Standard-IACool
S3 One Zone-IACool
S3 Glacier Instant RetrievalCool
S3 Glacier Flexible RetrievalCold
S3 Glacier Deep ArchiveArchive

Best Practices

  • Test with a subset first: Run a pilot migration with a small subset of data to validate your configuration.
  • Consider Azure regions: Choose an Azure region close to your users or other Azure resources for optimal performance.
  • Enable soft delete: Configure soft delete on your Azure container for additional data protection.
  • Plan access tier strategy: Use Azure lifecycle management to automatically tier data based on access patterns.
  • Verify data integrity: Compare object counts and sizes between source and destination after migration.