Merge pull request #300481 from habibaum/28May-discovery-methods-new-articles

Discovery articles

Author: v-ccolin

articles/migrate/add-server-credentials.md

@@ -70,4 +70,4 @@ Feature | Windows credentials | Linux credentials
 
 - [Steps to add credentials in VMware appliance](./tutorial-discover-vmware.md#provide-server-credentials).
 - [Steps to add credentials in Hyper-V appliance](tutorial-discover-hyper-v.md#provide-server-credentials).
-- [Steps to add credentials in physical appliance](tutorial-discover-physical.md#start-continuous-discovery). 
+- [Steps to add credentials in physical appliance](tutorial-discover-physical.md#start-discovery). 

articles/migrate/discovery-methods-modes.md

@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+---
+title: Discovery methods in Azure Migrate 
+description: Azure Migrate offers modes for discovering resources
+ms.topic: conceptual
+author: habibaum
+ms.author: v-uhabiba
+ms.manager: molir
+ms.service: azure-migrate
+ms.date: 05/28/2025
+ms.custom: engagement-fy24
+---
+
+# Discovery methods in Azure Migrate 
+
+This article explains the different discovery methods in Azure Migrate and gives guidance to choose the most suitable approach based on your requirements.
+ 
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Before you begin, make sure you create an Azure Migrate project by following the steps in [Quickstart: Create an Azure Migrate project using portal](quickstart-create-project.md).
+
+## Appliance-based discovery
+
+The appliance-based discovery method involves deploying a virtual appliance that scans your environment to collect metadata about resources. This approach is ideal for scenarios where detailed, automated, and continuous discovery are required. 
+
+### Key features
+
+- Continuous collection of configuration and performance data.  
+- Supports discovering workloads such as SQL databases, webapps, and MySQL. 
+- Discover software inventory and enable dependency analysis.  
+
+## Guidance to choose the right appliance
+
+**VMware environments**: For VMware-based infrastructures, we recommend to [deploy VMware stack of Azure Migrate appliance](tutorial-discover-vmware.md). This appliance also supports agentless migrations.
+
+**Hyper-V environments**: For Hyper-V environments, we recommend to [deploy Hyper-V stack of Azure Migrate appliance](tutorial-discover-vmware.md). Also, download the [Hyper-V replication provider](tutorial-migrate-hyper-v.md) to migrate Hyper-V servers.  
+
+**Physical & public Cloud servers**: To discover and assess physical servers and servers running in any public cloud, we recommend setting up a [physical stack of appliance](tutorial-discover-physical.md). To migrate physical servers, install a secondary [replication appliance](tutorial-migrate-physical-virtual-machines.md).
+
+## Import-based discovery 
+
+Import-based discovery is a simpler and faster alternative, relying on manual upload of inventory data in a structured format.  
+
+### Key features
+
+- Manual data entry via CSV file uploads. 
+- Add output inventory from CMDB tools to CSV templates. 
+- Supports VMware inventory exported from RVTools XLSX file. 
+- Build a quick business case using the servers discovered via import. 
+
+
+## Supported workloads for discovery 
+
+Ensure that software inventory is enabled before initiating workload discovery. Azure Migrate supports the following workloads: 
+
+- Discovery of SQL Server instances and databases. 
+- Discovery of ASP.NET web apps. 
+- Discovery of MySQL database instances. 
+
+
+## Next steps
+
+- Learn more about [Appliance requirements](migrate-appliance.md).  
+- Learn more about creating a [business case using import](tutorial-discover-import.md).

articles/migrate/media/tutorial-discover-physical/add-discovery-source.png

@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ The following table summarizes the Azure Migrate appliance requirements for VMwa
 **Discovery limits** | An appliance can discover up to 1000 physical servers.
 **Supported deployment** | Deploy on an existing server running Windows Server 2022 using PowerShell installer script.
 **PowerShell script** | Download the script (AzureMigrateInstaller.ps1) in a zip file from the project or from [here](https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2140334). [Learn more](tutorial-discover-physical.md).<br><br> Download size is 85.8 MB.
-**Script verification** | [Verify](tutorial-discover-physical.md#verify-security) the PowerShell installer script downloaded from project by checking the hash values.
+**Script verification** | Verify the PowerShell installer script downloaded from project by checking the hash values.
 **Hardware and network requirements** |  The appliance should run on server with Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022, 16-GB RAM, 8 vCPUs, around 80 GB of disk storage.<br/> The appliance needs a static or dynamic IP address, and requires internet access, either directly or through a proxy.<br/><br/> If you run the appliance on an existing server, make sure that it is running Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022, and meets hardware requirements.
 
 

articles/migrate/media/tutorial-discover-physical/continue-azure-login.png

@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ For Azure Migrate to work with Azure you need these permissions before you start
 
 **Task** | **Permissions** | **Details**
 --- | --- | ---
-Create a project | Your Azure account needs permissions to create a project. | Set up for [VMware](./tutorial-discover-vmware.md#prepare-an-azure-user-account), [Hyper-V](./tutorial-discover-hyper-v.md#prepare-an-azure-user-account), or [physical servers](./tutorial-discover-physical.md#prepare-an-azure-user-account).
-Register the Azure Migrate appliance| Azure Migrate uses a lightweight [Azure Migrate appliance](migrate-appliance.md) to discover and assess servers with Azure Migrate: Discovery and assessment, and to run [agentless migration](server-migrate-overview.md) of VMware VMs with the Migration and modernization tool. This appliance discovers servers, and sends metadata and performance data to Azure Migrate.<br><br> During registration, register providers (Microsoft.OffAzure, Microsoft.Migrate, and Microsoft.KeyVault) are registered with the subscription chosen in the appliance, so that the subscription works with the resource provider. To register, you need Contributor or Owner access on the subscription.<br><br> **VMware**-During onboarding, Azure Migrate creates two Microsoft Entra apps. The first app communicates between the appliance agents and the Azure Migrate service. The app doesn't have permissions to make Azure resource management calls or have Azure RBAC access for resources. The second app accesses an Azure Key Vault created in the user subscription for agentless VMware migration only. In agentless migration, Azure Migrate creates a Key Vault to manage access keys to the replication storage account in your subscription. It has Azure RBAC access on the Azure Key Vault (in the customer tenant) when discovery is initiated from the appliance.<br><br> **Hyper-V**-During onboarding, Azure Migrate creates one Microsoft Entra app. The app communicates between the appliance agents and the Azure Migrate service. The app doesn't have permissions to make Azure resource management calls or have Azure RBAC access for resources. | Set up for [VMware](./tutorial-discover-vmware.md#prepare-an-azure-user-account), [Hyper-V](./tutorial-discover-hyper-v.md#prepare-an-azure-user-account), or [physical servers](./tutorial-discover-physical.md#prepare-an-azure-user-account).
+Create a project | Your Azure account needs permissions to create a project. | Set up for [VMware](./tutorial-discover-vmware.md#prepare-an-azure-user-account), [Hyper-V](./tutorial-discover-hyper-v.md#prepare-an-azure-user-account), or [physical servers](create-project.md).
+Register the Azure Migrate appliance| Azure Migrate uses a lightweight [Azure Migrate appliance](migrate-appliance.md) to discover and assess servers with Azure Migrate: Discovery and assessment, and to run [agentless migration](server-migrate-overview.md) of VMware VMs with the Migration and modernization tool. This appliance discovers servers, and sends metadata and performance data to Azure Migrate.<br><br> During registration, register providers (Microsoft.OffAzure, Microsoft.Migrate, and Microsoft.KeyVault) are registered with the subscription chosen in the appliance, so that the subscription works with the resource provider. To register, you need Contributor or Owner access on the subscription.<br><br> **VMware**-During onboarding, Azure Migrate creates two Microsoft Entra apps. The first app communicates between the appliance agents and the Azure Migrate service. The app doesn't have permissions to make Azure resource management calls or have Azure RBAC access for resources. The second app accesses an Azure Key Vault created in the user subscription for agentless VMware migration only. In agentless migration, Azure Migrate creates a Key Vault to manage access keys to the replication storage account in your subscription. It has Azure RBAC access on the Azure Key Vault (in the customer tenant) when discovery is initiated from the appliance.<br><br> **Hyper-V**-During onboarding, Azure Migrate creates one Microsoft Entra app. The app communicates between the appliance agents and the Azure Migrate service. The app doesn't have permissions to make Azure resource management calls or have Azure RBAC access for resources. | Set up for [VMware](./tutorial-discover-vmware.md#prepare-an-azure-user-account), [Hyper-V](./tutorial-discover-hyper-v.md#prepare-an-azure-user-account), or [physical servers](create-project.md).
 Create a key vault for VMware agentless migration | To migrate VMware VMs with agentless Migration and modernization, Azure Migrate creates a Key Vault to manage access keys to the replication storage account in your subscription. To create the vault, you set permissions (Owner, or Contributor and User Access Administrator) on the resource group where the project resides. | [Set up](./tutorial-discover-vmware.md#prepare-an-azure-user-account) permissions.
 
 ::: moniker range="migrate-classic"