| name | sms-diagnostics |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| last_updated | 2025-04-12 |
| description | Use this skill to investigate and troubleshoot AWS Server Migration Service (SMS) problems by analyzing replication jobs, server catalog, AMI generation, application migration, multi-server migration, and scheduling using structured runbooks. Activate when: replication job failures, server catalog issues, AMI generation errors, application migration problems, multi-server coordination issues, scheduling errors, or the user says something is wrong with SMS without naming specific symptoms.
|
| compatibility | Requires AWS CLI or SDK access with SMS, EC2, S3, IAM, CloudWatch, CloudTrail permissions. SMS Connector deployed in VMware environment.
|
SMS Diagnostics
When to use
Any AWS Server Migration Service investigation — replication jobs, server catalog, AMI generation, application migration, multi-server coordination, or scheduling.
Investigation workflow
Step 1 — Collect and triage
aws sms get-connectors --max-results 20
aws sms get-servers --max-results 20
aws sms get-replication-jobs --max-results 20
Step 2 — Domain deep dive
aws sms get-replication-runs --replication-job-id <job-id> --max-results 10
aws sms list-apps --max-results 20
aws sms get-app --app-id <app-id>
Step 3 — Detailed investigation
aws sms get-app-replication-configuration --app-id <app-id>
aws sms get-app-launch-configuration --app-id <app-id>
aws cloudtrail lookup-events --lookup-attributes AttributeKey=EventSource,AttributeValue=sms.amazonaws.com --max-results 10
Read references/guardrails.md before concluding on any SMS issue.
Gotchas: SMS
- SMS is being replaced by Application Migration Service (MGN) for new migrations.
- SMS Connector is required in the source VMware/Hyper-V environment.
- Replication creates incremental snapshots, not full copies each time.
- AMIs are generated from replication snapshots.
- Application migration groups multiple servers for coordinated migration.
- SMS has a 90-day replication limit per server.
Anti-hallucination rules
- SMS is legacy — recommend Application Migration Service (MGN) for new migrations.
- SMS Connector must be deployed and healthy before replication can start.
- Replication jobs have a 90-day limit — they must be completed within this window.
- AMI generation happens after replication run completes, not during.
- Application migration coordinates multiple servers but doesn't guarantee atomic migration.
- Spend no more than 2 minutes on any single hypothesis. Pivot if inconclusive.
12 runbooks
| Category | IDs | Covers |
|---|
| A — Replication | A1-A2 | Replication jobs, run failures |
| B — Catalog | B1-B2 | Server catalog, connector |
| C — AMI | C1-C2 | AMI generation, launch config |
| D — Application | D1-D2 | App migration, server groups |
| E — Multi-Server | E1 | Multi-server coordination |
| F — Scheduling | F1 | Replication scheduling |
| Z — Catch-All | Z1 | General troubleshooting |
