The Azure Migration Program (AMP) is the most recent step in UW-IT’s cloud strategy. By transitioning customer workloads from on-premises datacenters to Microsoft Azure, UW-IT is delivering trusted, scalable solutions that support the University’s future.
This shift empowers UW-IT to quickly respond to evolving business needs, reduce operational complexity, and expand professional development opportunities. By reducing barriers to high-performance computing, AMP supports a more inclusive research environment and extends the University’s global research.
Read our AMP FAQ below for more information about this effort.
Start by joining the AMP Microsoft Teams channel, where you can access announcements, updates, and the following resources:
Shutdown of Azure VMware Solution (AVS): The Windows Engineering team successfully migrated resources off UW-IT’s AVS and shut it down, saving approximately $40,000 per month. This migration, completed without any failbacks, reflects lessons learned from previous efforts and demonstrates our commitment to trusted solutions and efficiency. Savings and scalability from efforts like this help redirect resources to support research computing needs and foster innovation.
Team Foundation Server (TFS) to Azure DevOps Services (ADO) Migration: During this transition, we applied a key security patch to the existing TFS instance. This approach reflects our dedication to proactive security and operational readiness. Modernizing developer environments like this one enhances UW’s ability to support collaborative, global research.
Workload Migrations Project
The Workload Migrations project supports the AMP by moving existing UW-IT-hosted resources into Azure. The migrations are designed around the unique needs of each customer, allowing UW scale its digital infrastructure to meet global research challenges and educational demands.
If you want to learn more, you can review the workload migration process document.
Current Migration Partners
- Administrative systems
- ASTRA
- Database Group (DBA)
- Data Integrations (EDW)
- EOWeb
- HR & Payroll Integrations (HRP)
- Computing and Productivity Platforms
- Student Systems (SIS)
- Windows Engineering
- Advancement
- CoMotion
- Continuum College
- Finance
- Graduate School
- Office of Research
Customer Engagement and Help
Each migration starts with a discovery process to fully understand the needs of each team and ensure these transitions strengthen UW’s capacity to innovate and collaborate across disciplines and borders. If you think your team may be affected, or you want to learn more, please reach out by using this form.
Engagement Timeline
We are currently building out the timeline for each engagement. Since the workload is unique for each team, we will design an adapt the process for each customer’s needs. You can view timeline details our customer roadmap.
Town Halls for 618 Shared Infrastructure
If your team works with the 618 Shared Infrastructure, watch for upcoming AMP Town Halls. These events are live, but they are recorded and posted in the AMP General MS Teams channel.
Get in Touch
Have questions or feedback? Let us know through the AMP contact form. Your input helps us plan effectively and ensure a smooth transition for everyone involved.
Azure FAQs
UW-IT is moving enterprise resources to Azure to improve performance, security, and scalability while reducing reliance on aging data centers. This transition supports the University’s global impact and expands access to world-class technology.
Benefits of migrating to Azure include:
- Cost savings: Lower spending on physical infrastructure, power, and hardware refreshes. The pay-for-use model allows better resource scaling.
- Built-in disaster recovery: Includes automatic failover and global data center redundancy.
- Improved security: Regular patches, advanced threat detection, FERPA and HIPAA compliance, and Azure AD integration.
- Remote access: Easier access for remote learning and working through Microsoft 365 tools.
- Reliable backups: Geographic redundancy and point-in-time recovery options.
- Scalability: Ability to scale quickly to support research demands, global collaboration, and changes in enrollment.
- Simplified management: Centralized monitoring and automation reduce manual work.
This shift supports UW-IT’s goal of enabling the University to focus on research, teaching, and service, while building the technological foundation needed to accelerate discovery and expand access to knowledge on a global scale.
Yes, most migrations will result in a short outage, similar to a server reboot. Any extended downtime would be unexpected. See the What happens if something goes wrong? section to learn more.
Yes, your server will stay on the UW Network, but its IP address will change. If your server’s IP address is hard-coded anywhere, that may cause issues. We will update DNS records and work with you to plan around any risks related to the IP address change.
We do not expect any performance issues. If needed, we can increase your server’s capacity after migration.
Connections between Azure and the UW campus network should perform well, with low latency and adequate bandwidth.
If your server relies on large data transfers from on-premises systems, we will evaluate potential impacts. For example, Azure Backup replaces TSM backups, which eliminates the need to transfer backup data over the network.
Note: Your server’s IP address will change. If that IP address is hard-coded elsewhere, it could cause problems. We will update DNS records and work with you to identify concerns.
We have not finalized the schedule, but we plan to:
- Group servers with dependencies or shared customers
- Align migrations with your current Windows Update schedule
We will contact you with more specific details around the time of your migration.
UW-IT will handle the server migration, but we will need your input to plan around your server’s specific needs. Please review the Workload Migration Process Overview and contact us using this form if you have concerns.
We will keep a copy of your VM on-premises in case of issues. If a problem arises, we can restore your server quickly.
We will hold a final call before migration to review any concerns. Email help@uw.edu with the subject “[Your server name] – Server Migration Issue” if:
- You experience a major issue at any point in the migration process
- You notice problems after the final call
We will schedule your migration based on:
- Your current Windows Updates and reboot schedule
- Dependencies on other servers
- Other customer needs
- Any times you identify as unavailable
We will confirm the exact date and time with you once we have gathered all input.
If you use Windows Firewall on your server, those settings will move with it.
If your server uses the UW-IT Managed Firewall (a network appliance), that configuration will not transfer. We are exploring options for customers who need this functionality. If your server relies on this and is scheduled for early migration, let us know.
If your server provides services to external partners with firewall rules based on your current IP, we will work with you to notify them of the IP change if needed. DNS-based configurations will not require updates.
Your data will be stored in one of these Azure regions:
- West US 2 (Washington)
- Central West US (Wyoming)
See Azure Global Infrastructure for more details on Azure regions and how they support resilient, worldwide operations.
No billing changes are planned through FY26. We will share updates as the Azure operations model evolves.