# Migrating a full configuration
<a name="migration-at-a-glance"></a>

In this approach, you take a configuration from an existing system and migrate it to a new system. This process will copy an existing configuration, IP addresses, certificates, keys, pass phrases, and sign-in credentials. 

The primary reason for migrating an entire configuration is for a like-for-like system replacement, such as a hardware upgrade or an RMA. Typically, these concepts do not apply to the AWS Cloud. 

You can use UCS or SCF files to migrate a full configuration, and the following tables provide an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of using them. 



**Use a UCS or qkview file**

[\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/prescriptive-guidance/latest/migration-f5-big-ip/migration-at-a-glance.html)

**Use an SCF file**

[\[See the AWS documentation website for more details\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/prescriptive-guidance/latest/migration-f5-big-ip/migration-at-a-glance.html)