Data Collection Methods
Dr Migrate supports two primary methods for collecting infrastructure data: DMC (Dr Migrate Collector) and Azure Migrate. Both enable comprehensive discovery and assessment, but each is suited to different scenarios.
DMC (Dr Migrate Collector) Overview
DMC is a secure, lightweight tool that runs locally within your environment, enabling agentless and secure data collection for Dr Migrate.
Key Features
- Runs locally from a jump box; no agents required
- Captures rich metadata from both hypervisor-level and guest VM environments
- In-memory credential handling for enhanced security
- Creates fully encrypted result sets
- Data collected locally; customer controls when to upload to Dr Migrate service or customer’s Azure tenant
Setup Process
Download and run DMC locally
Download the Dr Migrate Collector (DMC) tool and execute it on your local environment. This lightweight tool is designed for quick and secure data collection.
Collect infrastructure data
DMC will automatically scan your environment and gather the necessary infrastructure data required for migration assessment.
DMC captures point-in-time performance data during discovery.
Where available, limited historical metrics are included.
Figures like IOPS, CPU, and memory are estimated using short-term sampling and predictive modeling.
For critical workloads or sizing decisions, validate with long-term data and app team input.
Upload results to Dr Migrate for assessment and planning
Once data collection is complete, upload the results to the Dr Migrate platform. You’ll receive actionable insights and a tailored migration plan.
Best for
- Quick assessments with Dr Migrate’s purpose-built collector
- Organizations preferring streamlined deployment
- VMware, Hyper-V, and physical server environments
- Point-in-time infrastructure assessments
Resources
Azure Migrate Overview
Azure Migrate is Microsoft’s unified platform for discovery, assessment, and migration to Azure, deployed locally in your datacenter with data stored in your Azure tenant.
Both methods are fully supported by Dr Migrate and can be selected based on your organization’s needs, existing infrastructure, and migration goals. For a detailed comparison, see the appendices in the DMC section.
Key Features
- Local appliance deployment (OVA/VHD templates or ZIP file) in your datacenter
- Comprehensive platform for discovery, assessment, and migration
- Supports VMware, Hyper-V, physical servers, databases, and web apps
- Data stored in customer’s Azure tenant with Azure security baseline
- Integrates with Azure’s business case, assessment, and migration tools
Setup Process
Set up Azure Migrate appliance
Deploy and configure the Azure Migrate appliance in your environment to enable secure and automated data collection.
Collect configuration and performance data
The appliance gathers detailed configuration and performance metrics from your servers and workloads, ensuring a comprehensive assessment.
Use Azure Migrate tools for assessment and migration planning
Leverage Azure Migrate’s built-in tools to analyze collected data, generate migration assessments, and plan your migration strategy.
Best for
- Organizations already invested in Microsoft’s migration ecosystem
- Advanced discovery requirements (databases, web apps, dependencies)
- Long-term Azure migration programs with continuous performance monitoring
- Integration with broader Azure ecosystem and business case tools
Resources
Detailed Comparison
| DMC (Dr Migrate Collector) | Azure Migrate | |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Secure, agentless, local infrastructure discovery tool for Dr Migrate. | Microsoft’s unified platform for discovery, assessment, and migration with local appliance deployment. |
| When to use? | When you need streamlined deployment with Dr Migrate’s purpose-built collector for point-in-time assessments. | When you need advanced discovery capabilities (databases, web apps) and integration with Microsoft’s migration ecosystem. |
| How it works | Runs locally from a jump box; no agents required. Uses in-memory credential handling and produces fully encrypted result sets. Data uploaded to Dr Migrate service or customer’s Azure tenant. | Local appliance deployed in your datacenter (OVA/VHD/ZIP) collects configuration and performance data. Data stored in customer’s Azure tenant. |
| Supported targets | VMware, Hyper-V, physical servers. | VMware, Hyper-V, physical servers, databases, web apps, and more. |
| Integration | Data collected locally, customer controls when to upload to Dr Migrate service or Azure tenant for analysis and planning. | Integrates with Azure’s business case, assessment, and migration tools. Data remains in customer’s Azure tenant. |