Question 1

How long does an Azure migration take?

Accepted Answer

A small estate of 5–20 servers typically migrates in 4–8 weeks; mid-size environments with SQL databases and interdependent applications run 3–6 months in waves. The 2–3 week assessment phase is what turns that range into a committed plan — we don't quote timelines before seeing dependency maps.

Question 2

Why choose Azure over AWS or Google Cloud?

Accepted Answer

If your estate is Windows Server, SQL Server, and Active Directory, Azure usually wins on integration and licensing: Hybrid Benefit reuses licenses you already own, and Entra ID extends the identity model you already run. For greenfield Linux or container-first workloads the case is less automatic — we'll tell you honestly when another cloud fits better.

Question 3

How does Azure Hybrid Benefit actually save money?

Accepted Answer

If you hold Windows Server or SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance, Hybrid Benefit lets you apply them to Azure VMs instead of paying for licensing inside the hourly rate — savings of up to 40% on Windows VMs and more on SQL. Combined with Reserved Instances, total compute savings often reach 60–70% versus pay-as-you-go. We model this per workload during assessment.

Question 4

Can we keep some systems on-premises?

Accepted Answer

Yes — hybrid is a design goal, not a compromise. ExpressRoute or site-to-site VPN keeps latency-sensitive links private, and Azure Arc brings on-prem servers under the same policy, monitoring, and update management as cloud resources. Many clients run hybrid for years by choice, not as a transitional state.

Question 5

How do you handle Active Directory during migration?

Accepted Answer

We extend, not replace: Entra ID Connect synchronizes your on-prem AD so users keep one identity across both worlds, and domain controllers can run as Azure VMs for cloud-local authentication. A full move to cloud-only Entra ID is possible later, but we never force it as a migration prerequisite.

Question 6

What downtime should we expect during cutover?

Accepted Answer

With Site Recovery and DMS replicating continuously, most cutovers complete in minutes — the switch is a DNS change, not a data copy. SQL migrations using DMS online mode see near-zero downtime. Where a legacy system genuinely needs a longer window, you'll know weeks in advance, not on cutover night.

Question 7

What happens if a cutover fails?

Accepted Answer

Every wave has a rehearsed rollback: the source environment stays running and in sync until validation completes, so falling back is a DNS change away. We define a point of no return per workload in advance — before it, rollback takes minutes; after it, we fix forward using the contingency steps in the runbook.

Question 8

Can you meet our compliance and data residency requirements?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The landing zone enforces encryption, least-privilege access, and audit logging through Azure Policy from day one, and workloads are pinned to regions that satisfy GDPR or Türkiye's KVKK rules — Germany West Central and the UAE regions are common choices. Because controls are code, auditors can trace every one of them.

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