>>Can anyone share their experiences running virtual servers on Azure or AWS (with VFP apps or otherwise)?
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>>We have a physical 2008 R2 server which will "expire" January 14, 2020. This supports up to 5 simultaneous users via Remote Desktop/Remote Desktop Gateway. Most users already access it remotely through the public Internet.
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>>Everyone uses a VFP app with a SQL Server backend. Office 365 ProPlus is also installed, as the app requires Office automation. Usage is very "bursty", overall utilization is very low.
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>>The existing server is strong enough to give a good experience for the users. Its specs:
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>>- Intel Xeon E3-1240 (4C8T)
>>- 8 GB RAM
>>- 256 GB hard disk (2x magnetic drives in RAID1)
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>>We know we can replace the existing physical server with a new equivalent and get basically the same performance. However, there appear to be some technical advantages to using a virtual server on Azure or AWS instead. Not having done this before on those clouds I'm looking for feedback:
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>>- Are people generally seeing better results with Azure or with AWS?
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>>- Suggested virtual machine types. From some basic research I understand Azure, for one, offers a "bursty" instance
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>>- How to estimate the cost of running the VM - or real-world examples, if you're willing to share details
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>>- Is it recommended to use a virtual firewall appliance/VPN server? At this time we have a physical SonicWall but really it's just blocking everything incoming except port 443 for HTTPS/RDG
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>>- Strategies for backing up data from the cloud VM to local physical storage
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>>- Any "gotchas" or other things to know which might not be obvious?
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>>Any feedback or experiences appreciated.
>
>My latest report on the anticipated benefits moving from physical infrastructure to virtual has shown a return on investment to be considerable. This was done 5 years ago and it was already heading towards that direction. The ROI might take a year or two. But, once reached, it surely makes everyone happy.
>
>Recently, I saw a local entity investing into an update by upgrading their physical infrastructure with related updated components. I found it sad that they never considered using a data center, cloud and virtual concepts.
>
>Some items that people are looking for:
>
>Maintenance cost of hardware would be eliminated when switching to a virtual data center, either IAAS, PAAS or SAAS
>Learning curve applies, as usual, mostly in IAAS
>Licencing has proven to cost less, especially with Microsoft SQL Server under SPLA Vs purchasing a standalone licence for non-virtual environments
>Expandability and redundancy
>You pay for what you use, upgrade or downgrade
>Ability to manage your own firewall
>Mirroring to your local environment (for backup purposes and for other related business needs)
>Effect on other hosted clients usage Vs the usage you will be doing

Thanks. Yes, these are the things we're looking for. Can you offer any specifics, examples or details?