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GlusterFS to Azure Files migration guide
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‎articles/storage/files/TOC.yml

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href: ../common/storage-use-azcopy-files.md?toc=/azure/storage/files/toc.json
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- name: Configure, optimize, and troubleshoot AzCopy
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href: ../common/storage-use-azcopy-configure.md?toc=/azure/storage/files/toc.json
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- name: Migrate GlusterFS to Azure Files
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href: glusterfs-migration-guide.md
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- name: Authentication and authorization
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items:
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- name: Overview of identity-based authentication

‎articles/storage/files/glusterfs-migration-guide.md

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---
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title: GlusterFS to Azure Files migration guide
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description: Red Hat Gluster Storage (based on GlusterFS) has reached the end of its support lifecycle. Use this guide to migrate GlusterFS volumes to Azure Files.
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author: khdownie
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ms.service: azure-file-storage
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ms.topic: how-to
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ms.date: 05/01/2025
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ms.author: kendownie
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---
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# Migrate GlusterFS volumes to Azure Files
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This article provides guidance on migrating data from GlusterFS volumes to Azure Files, Microsoft's fully managed file service in the cloud. Azure Files offers both SMB (Server Message Block) and NFS (Network File System) protocols, making it suitable for both Windows and Linux workloads.
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## GlusterFS end-of-life considerations
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Red Hat Gluster Storage (based on GlusterFS) has reached the end of its support lifecycle. Red Hat officially announced end of life for this product with the following schedule.
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- End of full support: November 2020
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- End of maintenance support: November 2021
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- End of extended life phase: June 2024
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Organizations using GlusterFS should migrate to supported alternatives, such as Azure Files, to ensure continued support and security updates.
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## Migration tools
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For Windows clients, use Robocopy. For Linux clients, use rsync.
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### For Windows clients: Robocopy
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Robocopy is a built-in Windows command-line tool designed for copying SMB file shares.
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#### Basic Robocopy syntax for migration
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```powershell
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robocopy <GlusterFS_Source> <AzureFiles_Destination> /MIR /Z /MT:8 /W:1 /R:3 /LOG:migration_log.txt
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```
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**Parameters:**
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- `/MIR`: Mirrors directory structure (includes subdirectories)
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- `/Z`: Enables restart mode for interrupted copies
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- `/MT:8`: Uses 8 threads for multi-threaded copying
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- `/W:1`: Wait time between retries (1 second)
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- `/R:3`: Number of retries on failed copies
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- `/LOG`: Creates a detailed log file
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### For Linux clients: rsync
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rsync is a fast, versatile file copy tool available on Linux systems.
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#### Basic rsync syntax for migration
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```bash
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rsync -avz --progress --stats --delete <GlusterFS_Source>/ <AzureFiles_Destination>/
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```
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**Parameters:**
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- `-a`: Archive mode (preserves permissions, timestamps, etc.)
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- `-v`: Verbose output
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- `-z`: Compresses data during transfer
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- `--progress`: Shows progress during transfer
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- `--stats`: Provides transfer statistics
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- `--delete`: Removes files from destination that don't exist in source
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## Step-by-step migration procedure
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### Step 1: Assessment and planning
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1. Inventory your GlusterFS volumes, noting:
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- Total data size
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- Number of files and directories
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- Access patterns and performance requirements
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- Client operating systems
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1. Select the appropriate protocol:
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- SMB for Windows environments
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- NFS for Linux environments
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1. Select HDD or SSD, and size your Azure file shares appropriately:
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- Standard (HDD): Up to 100 TiB
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- Premium (SSD): Up to 100 TiB with higher performance
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### Step 2: Prepare Azure environment
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1. Create a storage account in the appropriate Azure region.
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- Choose the right performance tier (Standard or Premium) based on your needs. Premium is required for NFS file shares.
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1. Configure networking. See [Azure Files networking considerations](storage-files-networking-overview.md).
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- SMB: Configure firewall and private endpoints as needed. See [Configure Azure Storage firewalls](../common/storage-network-security.md) and [Configure network endpoints for accessing Azure file shares](storage-files-networking-endpoints.md).
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- NFS: Configure network security and private endpoints. See [Mount NFS Azure file shares on Linux](storage-files-how-to-mount-nfs-shares.md).
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1. Create Azure file shares with appropriate protocols.
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### Step 3: Mount Azure file share
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Before migrating the data, you must mount the Azure file share(s). This article shows how to mount the Azure file share using NTLMv2 authentication (storage account key). In non-administrative scenarios, using identity-based authentication is preferred for security reasons. You can find your storage account key in the [Azure portal](https://portal.azure.com/) by navigating to the storage account and selecting **Security + networking** > **Access keys**, or you can use the `Get-AzStorageAccountKey` PowerShell cmdlet.
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#### For Windows clients (SMB):
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Be sure to replace `<storage-account-name>`, `<share-name>`, and `<storage-account-key>` with your actual values.
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```powershell
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net use Z: \\<storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net\<share-name> /u:AZURE\<storage-account-name> <storage-account-key>
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```
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#### For Linux clients (NFS):
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Be sure to replace `<storage-account-name>`, `<share-name>`, and `<mount-point>` with your actual values.
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```bash
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sudo mount -t nfs <storage-account-name>.file.core.windows.net:/<storage-account-name>/<share-name> <mount-point> -o vers=4.1,sec=sys
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```
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### Step 4: Perform data migration
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#### For Windows workloads using Robocopy:
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1. Open a command prompt or PowerShell window with administrator privileges.
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1. Run the following Robocopy command:
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```powershell
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robocopy X:\GlusterFSData Z:\AzureFilesData /MIR /Z /MT:8 /W:1 /R:3 /LOG:C:\migration_log.txt
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```
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#### For Linux workloads using rsync:
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Execute the following rsync command:
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```bash
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rsync -avz --progress --stats --delete /mnt/glusterfs/ /mnt/azurefiles/
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```
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For large datasets, consider using the `--exclude` parameter to perform the migration in phases.
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### Step 5: Verify that migration succeeded
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1. Compare file counts and sizes:
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- On Windows: Use `Get-ChildItem -Recurse | Measure-Object`
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- On Linux: Use `find . -type f | wc -l` and `du -sh`
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1. Validate user/group permissions and access rights.
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1. Perform application-specific tests.
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### Step 6: Cutover
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1. Redirect applications to use Azure Files endpoints.
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1. Update mount points in fstab (Linux) or mapped drives (Windows).
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1. Update documentation and monitoring tools.
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1. Decommission GlusterFS volumes after successful validation.
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## Optimize performance
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- For SMB shares:
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- Enable [SMB Multichannel](smb-performance.md#smb-multichannel) for higher throughput.
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- Consider using SSD file shares for IO-intensive workloads.
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- For NFS shares:
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- Make sure you provision enough capacity to get the performance you need.
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- Configure appropriate read/write cache sizes on clients.
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## Troubleshooting
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Follow these instructions to troubleshoot common migration issues.
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### Common issues with Robocopy
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- **Error 5 (Access Denied)**: Verify permissions on source and destination.
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- **Error 67 (Network name not found)**: Check network connectivity and share name.
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- **Error 1314 (Not enough quota)**: Increase Azure Files quota or free space.
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### Common issues with rsync
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- **Permission denied**: Check file permissions and mount options.
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- **Connection timeout**: Verify network connectivity and firewall settings.
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- **Partial transfer**: Use `--partial` flag to resume interrupted transfers.
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## Migration support
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For issues related to Azure Files, contact Azure Support through the [Azure portal](https://portal.azure.com).
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For GlusterFS migration assistance, consider engaging Microsoft Consulting Services or a Microsoft partner.
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## See also
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- [Use RoboCopy to migrate to SMB Azure file shares](storage-files-migration-robocopy.md)
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- [Migrate to NFS Azure file shares](storage-files-migration-nfs.md)
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- [Robocopy documentation](/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/robocopy)
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- [rsync manual](https://linux.die.net/man/1/rsync)
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- [Azure Files scale targets](storage-files-scale-targets.md)

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