Migrate MySQL from on-premises x64 to Arm-based Azure virtual machines
Introduction
Understand Azure Cobalt 100 VMs and MySQL migration strategy
Create an Azure x64 virtual machine as an on-premises simulator
Prepare the on-premises source instance
Perform the lift-and-shift migration into Azure cloud
Benchmark MySQL performance on Azure Cobalt 100
Next Steps

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About this Learning Path

Skill level:  Introductory
Reading time:  30 min
Last updated:  02 Oct 2026
Skill level:
  Introductory
Reading time:
  30 min
Last updated:
  02 Oct 2026
Author:Doug Anson, Arm
Arm IP:Neoverse
Tags: Databases Microsoft Azure Cobalt Linux MySQL Terraform Azure CLI sysbench Bash
Author:
  • Doug Anson, Arm
Arm IP:
Neoverse
Tags:
Databases Microsoft Azure Cobalt Linux MySQL Terraform Azure CLI sysbench Bash

Who is this for?

This Learning Path is for developers who want to migrate MySQL from an on-premises x64 environment to an Arm-based virtual machine (VM) powered by Azure Cobalt 100.

What will you learn?

Upon completion of this Learning Path, you will be able to:

  • Provision an Arm-based Azure VM powered by Cobalt 100 using Terraform and Azure CLI.
  • Export and restore a MySQL database from an on-premises x64 simulator into the Arm VM.
  • Run sysbench on the migrated database and interpret key performance metrics.

Prerequisites

Before starting, you will need the following:

  • A Microsoft Azure account with access to Cobalt 100 based instances (Dpsv6)
  • Basic familiarity with SSH and MySQL command-line tools

Summary

AI-assisted

This summary was drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.

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You’ll migrate a MySQL database from a simulated on-premises x64 server to an Arm-based Azure VM powered by Cobalt 100. First, you’ll prepare the source VM, install the required tools, and load a sample database. You’ll then configure and run the migration scripts to provision the target and restore the database. Finally, you’ll connect to the Arm VM, run a sysbench workload, and review the results.

Frequently asked questions

AI-assisted

These FAQs were drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.

Close
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Which architecture should I choose for the on-premises simulator VM?
Choose x64 for the simulator VM. It acts as the on-premises MySQL source that you migrate from.
Where do I run the migration scripts, and what SSH key do they generate?
Open an SSH shell on your on-premises x64 simulator and run the scripts from $HOME/lift-n-shift-assets. Run scripts/create_ssh_key.sh to generate an SSH key pair in $HOME/.ssh and print the public key. Press Enter to leave the passphrase empty, and save the printed ssh-rsa public key string for use with the Azure VM.
Where can I find the password requested when restoring the database on the cloud VM?
Open a second SSH session to the Arm-based Azure VM. Run sudo su -, then cat /root/mysql_root_password.txt to retrieve the password. Enter it at the restore prompt in your original session on the on-premises simulator.
How do I connect to the Arm-based Azure VM before running the benchmark?
From the on-premises simulator, SSH to the VM using the key created in $HOME/.ssh and the azureadmin user at the VM’s public IP.
Where should I create and run the benchmarking script, and what result should I expect?
Create and run the script, for example run.sh, on the Arm-based Azure VM after connecting with SSH. Expect sysbench to produce a summary of performance metrics that you can review to validate the migrated database.
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