Cloud Architecture Recommendations for Enterprise 10.9.1 Move from On Premises

[MMJ]

Hello!

I am deep in the trenches of planning out the architecture for my organization to move from on-premises to a cloud-based deployment and looking for some help with the ideal structure and any recommendations for someone with a basic database architecture knowledge level. 

I am coming from a single-machine deployment of enterprise 10.9.1 with a Microsoft SQL Server all currently housed on one VM (I know, don't throw things at me). We utilize versioned databases and several users who need access to Pro. 

I am looking to go with Azure and know that I will need one VM for the deployment and one VM for the data. I was hoping to separate our data by utility type into individual databases that could be versioned for a cleaner house, but I am not seeing a server option and am concerned with the cost level individual databases will create. 

What are some architecture setups that ya'll have had success with or would recommend based on my needs?

What database type is recommended for versioned data in this environment? And has anyone had success with one database, or is the cost worth several databases?

Did you also move your Pro onto the cloud based deployment, and did you run into any accessibility issues by your users?

Any help is much appreciated! Thank you!

[TraeTimmerman · Accepted solution]

Hey @MMJ ,

Answers to your questions directly below based on my experience:

1. What are some architecture setups that ya'll have had success with or would recommend based on my needs?
   1. Architectures vary widely based on needs, and it sounds like you will probably have some more detailed IT-related questions that you need to answer surrounding DNS and networking.
   2. If you're trying to get the basics of the architecture locked down, it sounds like a single-machine ArcGIS Enterprise deployment, and a database service like Azure SQL would be the simplest solution to migrate your existing architecture. 
   3. You could deploy SQL Server on a VM instead, but you'll have to bring your own license and maintenance and backups will be a heavier lift. 
   4. You may want/need to consider splitting ArcGIS Enterprise components out onto separate VMs if you've had performance issues or if you expect that your deployment will continue to grow at a significant rate.
2. What database type is recommended for versioned data in this environment? And has anyone had success with one database, or is the cost worth several databases?
   1. Any supported database platform should work. If cost is a concern, migrating to PostgreSQL will save you a lot.
   2. You should be able to deploy multiple databases on a single instance whether you choose to leverage an Azure database service or deploy it on a VM.
3. Did you also move your Pro onto the cloud based deployment, and did you run into any accessibility issues by your users?
   1. ArcGIS Pro clients that will interact with the database directly will need to be in the cloud. You can have users leverage VMs or a VDI solution for interacting with the database. 
   2. Long-term, you may want to plan to transition to a service-based architecture where the majority of end users interact with your data via ArcGIS Server services rather than connecting to the database directly.

There's quite a bit more nuance that you'll have to work through, but I hope this is helpful as you get started.