AWS Migration Essentials
Please note that this is not a prep course for any AWS certification!
This document contains links mentioned in the “AWS Migration Essentials” course, and additional material on the same topics.
Several services in this course version have since closed to new customers or been renamed. Where the slides point to such a service, the list below links the current AWS service that solves the same problem and says what it replaces.
Module 0: Course Introduction
Full name: AWS Migration Essentials
Product code: 100-MTMGES-13
These links are based on the course version 1.3.2.
Online and classroom course options: AWS Migration Essentials on AWS Skill Builder, also offered as a Digital Classroom
The official course outline: AWS Migration Essentials (PDF)
The official course material: eVantage Bookshelf (VitalSource)
Lab environment: AWS Training classrooms
Labs in this version:
- Database Migration with AWS Database Migration Service
- Application Migration with AWS Application Migration Service (now called AWS Transform MGN, so the console may look different from the lab guide)
Recommended next course: Migrating to AWS
Additional material on AWS Skill Builder related to this course. Digital courses and the learning plans listed here are free with a Skill Builder account; Builder Labs need a Skill Builder subscription.
Service changes since this course version
- AWS Migration Hub availability change: closed to new customers on 7 November 2025, together with Migration Hub Orchestrator and Strategy Recommendations. Use AWS Transform instead.
- AWS Application Discovery Service availability change: closed to new customers on 7 November 2025. Use the discovery and migration assessments in AWS Transform instead.
- AWS Application Migration Service is now AWS Transform MGN: renamed in June 2026, same service. Agentless (vCenter) replication is no longer offered for new deployments; use the agent-based replication.
- AWS DMS Fleet Advisor end of support: closed to new customers in May 2025 and discontinued on 20 May 2026. Use Migration Evaluator or AWS Transform assessments instead.
- AWS Snowball Edge availability change: no new Snow Family orders. For offline transfers use AWS Data Transfer Terminal, for online transfers AWS DataSync.
- AWS Schema Conversion Tool: the desktop tool still exists, but DMS Schema Conversion is the managed version inside AWS DMS, with generative AI for objects the rules can’t convert.
- The AWS Cloud Adoption Readiness Tool (CART) is offline: its site no longer resolves. Use the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework and the migration readiness guidance (PDF), or ask your AWS account team or partner for a readiness assessment.
- The AWS TCO Calculator mentioned in a knowledge check was retired long ago. Use the AWS Pricing Calculator.
Skill Builder: Digital courses (free)
- Getting Started with AWS Transform
- Introduction to AWS Transform assessments
- AWS Transform MGN Getting Started
- AWS Transform for VMware Getting Started
- AWS Transform for .NET Getting Started
- AWS Migration Evaluator Getting Started
- Enterprise Migration Strategy: Successfully Moving Workloads to AWS
- Designing Landing Zone Architectures with AWS Control Tower
- Introduction to Database Migration
- AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) Getting Started
- Database Modernization Patterns: Migrating from Commercial Engines to Aurora
- Selecting your Data Migration Strategy with AWS
- AWS DataSync Getting Started
- A leader’s guide to accelerating large-scale migration - AWS re:Invent 2025
Skill Builder: Learning plans and knowledge badges (free)
- Migration Foundations Knowledge Badge Readiness Path (includes labs)
- Migration Foundations Knowledge Badge Assessment
- AWS Transform Fundamentals - Knowledge Badge Readiness Path
- Infrastructure Migration & Modernization on AWS
Skill Builder: Self-paced labs (subscription required)
- Lab - Migrate On-premises databases to AWS using AWS Database Migration Service (DMS)
- Introduction to AWS Database Migration Service
- Migrating On-Premises NFS Using AWS DataSync and AWS Storage Gateway
- Lab Tutorial - Modernize .NET Applications with AWS Transform (BETA) (free)
Module 1: Assess
Websites
- AWS Migration and Modernization partners
- AWS Prescriptive Guidance
- AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (the AWS Cloud Adoption Readiness Tool (CART) shown in the slides is offline: its site no longer resolves)
- Evaluating migration readiness (PDF) (the Migration Readiness Assessment model)
- Organizational readiness in the Migration Launch Guide (readiness and maturity assessments, ask your AWS account team or partner)
- AWS Accelerate tooling portal (Migration Portfolio Assessment)
- Migration Portfolio Assessment
- Migration Evaluator (not self-service: AWS Partners request it for a customer, or customers ask their AWS account team)
- Getting Started with Migration Evaluator
- AWS Prescriptive Guidance: Migration tools
- AWS Optimization and Licensing Assessment
- AWS Transform (where AWS points customers first for assessment and business cases now)
- AWS Transform: Migration assessments (business case and TCO from RVTools, CMDB or discovery exports)
- An Overview of the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework
- AWS Pricing Calculator (replaces the retired AWS TCO Calculator)
Blog posts
- Accelerate migration planning with assessments in AWS Transform
- New agentic migration assessment capabilities now available with AWS Transform
Videos
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - Reimagining large-scale migration planning with agentic AI (MAM226)
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - Migrate, modernize, and move your business into the AI era (INV212)
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - A leader’s guide to accelerating large-scale migration (SNR301)
Module 2: Mobilize
Websites
- AWS Transform (replaces AWS Application Discovery Service, closed to new customers on 7 November 2025: agent-based and agentless collectors, dependency mapping and wave planning)
- What is AWS Transform?
- AWS Application Discovery Service: Compare Agentless Collector and Discovery Agent (for existing customers only)
- AWS Transform: Migrations (including VMware) (replaces Migration Hub, Migration Hub Orchestrator and Strategy Recommendations for planning, orchestrating and tracking migrations)
- AWS Transform for VMware
- AWS Transform Migration Launch Guide
- Migration Acceleration Program (MAP) in the Migration Launch Guide
- MAP 2.0 tagging guide: the map-migrated tag (MAP credits are tracked with this tag, not with Migration Hub)
- What Is AWS Control Tower?
- Managing organization policies with AWS Organizations
- AWS App2Container
- AWS Transform for .NET (replaces the closed .NET modernization tools such as Porting Assistant for .NET)
Blog posts
- Simplify server migration to AWS with AWS Transform for VMware
- How AWS Is Using Agentic AI To Reinvent Infrastructure Modernization
- Migrate AWS Landing Zone solution to AWS Control Tower
Videos
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - Agentic AI for VMware migrations with AWS Transform for VMware (MAM202)
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - AWS for VMware migrations: Successes, roadmaps, & strategies (MAM203)
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - Accelerate Your Cloud Journey with AWS Transform (TNC208)
Module 3: Migrate and Modernize: Database and Data Migration
Websites
- Samsung case study: migrating from Oracle to Amazon Aurora with AWS DMS
- AWS Database Migration Service
- AWS DMS features (the deck’s Schema Conversion Tool link now ends here)
- Converting database schemas using DMS Schema Conversion
- Converting database objects with generative AI
- What is the AWS Schema Conversion Tool? (the desktop tool, still available)
- Migration Evaluator (replaces AWS DMS Fleet Advisor, discontinued on 20 May 2026)
- AWS Transform: Migration assessments (also covers database discovery)
- Working with AWS DMS Serverless
- AWS DataSync
- Estimating migration timelines with AWS DataSync
- AWS Transfer Family
- AWS Storage Gateway (Amazon FSx File Gateway is closed to new customers: S3 File, Tape and Volume Gateway remain)
- AWS Data Transfer Terminal (replaces AWS Snowball Edge for offline transfers: bring your own drives to an AWS site)
- Amazon S3 Glacier storage classes (the old Amazon Glacier vault service is closed to new customers)
Blog posts
- AWS Data Migration Service improves database schema conversion with generative AI
- Accelerate database modernization with agentic AI in AWS DMS Schema Conversion
- Provisioning DMS Schema Conversion via AWS CloudFormation
- New physical AWS Data Transfer Terminals let you upload to the cloud faster
- Accelerate storage migration planning with AWS Transform assessments
Videos
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - Using generative AI to accelerate database modernization with AWS DMS (DAT420)
- AWS re:Invent 2024 - Accelerate migrations using AWS DMS Schema Conversion with gen AI (DAT347-NEW)
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - Accelerate & automate secure data transfers at scale with AWS DataSync (STG340)
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - 3x faster data migration with AWS Data Transfer Terminal (MAM224)
Module 4: Migrate and Modernize: AWS Application Migration Service
Websites
- AWS Transform MGN (formerly AWS Application Migration Service, renamed in June 2026)
- Quick start guide for AWS Transform MGN
- Agentless replication with the vCenter Client (not available for new deployments: use the AWS Replication Agent)
- Strategy for modernizing applications in the AWS Cloud (PDF)
- AWS Well-Architected
- What are Microservices?
- What Is AWS Transform MGN?
- AWS Well-Architected Migration Lens
- Operational Excellence Pillar
- AWS Transform for mainframe
- AWS Transform custom
- Modernizing .NET with AWS Transform
Blog posts
- Accelerating VMware migrations with AWS Transform and MGN replication agent installation automation
- AWS Application Migration Service is now AWS Transform MGN
Videos
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - AI driven application modernization at scale (MAM103)
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - Breaking 25 years of tech debt using AWS Transform for .NET (MAM410)
- AWS re:Invent 2025 - Derisk your mainframe exit with agentic AI-powered refactoring ft BMW & Fiserv
Module 5: Course Summary
Websites
- AWS Prescriptive Guidance
- AWS Specializations (formerly AWS Competencies) (the migration competency is now the Migration and Modernization Competency)
- AWS Migration & Modernization
- AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP)
- AWS Managed Services: Service description
- AWS Transform Migration Launch Guide
- AWS Well-Architected Migration Lens
- AWS Skill Builder
- AWS Classroom training
- AWS Certification
- AWS Certification exam preparation
- AWS Certification exams
- AWS Recertification
- Schedule an Exam
- AWS Ramp-Up Guides
- AWS Workshops
- AWS Training and Certification contact form
Blog posts
Courses
- Migrating to AWS
- AWS Technical Essentials
- Architecting on AWS
- Advanced Architecting on AWS
- AWS Well-Architected Best Practices
- AWS Skill Builder courses
- AWS Builder Labs