Scale your AWS Storage Gateway AL2023 migration with infrastructure as code

This article provides a comprehensive guide for automating AWS Storage Gateway migration from Amazon Linux 2 (AL2) to Amazon Linux 2023 (AL2023) using Terraform and Ansible, addressing the June 30, 2026 AL2 end-of-support deadline.

• AL2 reaches end of standard support June 30, 2026; all AL2-based gateways must migrate
• No in-place upgrade available; manual migration is time-consuming and error-prone at scale
• New Terraform module and Ansible playbook automate the entire migration process
• Solution preserves cache disk data, gateway ID, and file shares during migration
• Phase 1: Terraform provisions new AL2023 instance using only the gateway ID as input
• Phase 2: Ansible orchestrates disk-swap, volume attachment, and migration API calls
• Migration takes 15-30 minutes per gateway with 1-2 hours downtime required
• DNS names or Elastic IPs recommended to avoid client remounting after migration
• Supports Active Directory domain rejoin for SMB gateways automatically
• Detailed logs saved for compliance and auditing purposes
• Rollback possible before migration API call; automatic recovery for partial failures

This automated solution enables enterprises to scale Storage Gateway migrations across hundreds of gateways and accounts with minimal manual effort and reduced operational risk.