Practical Guide: VMware Migration to AWS/Azure/GCP/ZStack Cloud Platforms

During digital transformation, enterprises often face challenges optimizing IT infrastructure. VMware virtualization has long been the backbone of enterprise data centers. Since Broadcom adjusted VMware’s sales model, many companies have migrated to alternative platforms. According to CRN, Toshiba – a 16-year VMware user – decided to switch after costs surged 10-fold, currently migrating 2,200 VMs from VMware-Broadcom to other platforms.

Many enterprises now consider: How to migrate from VMware to other clouds? What are the key considerations? Which platform – AWS, Azure, GCP or emerging solutions – best fits their needs? Each migration step carries risks. How to select tools? Ensure business continuity and data integrity? This guide examines AWS, Azure, GCP and ZStack cases, providing systematic guidance for efficient, secure cloud migration.

Why Migrate from VMware to Other Cloud Platforms

Cloud computing’s proliferation demands greater infrastructure flexibility, cost-efficiency and ecosystem integration. While VMware vSphere provides strong resource isolation and availability, its revised subscription fees, complex operations and limited cloud-native support drive enterprises toward more elastic solutions. Cloud migration reduces total cost of ownership (TCO) while enhancing agility through cloud-native services (containers, automation, AI integration).

Ideal workloads for migration include test/dev environments, stateless applications, and legacy systems on aging VMs. Test environments benefit from elastic scaling, while stateless apps leverage automated deployment and load balancing. Migration also resolves performance bottlenecks from outdated hardware/systems. However, migration isn’t simple “relocation” – it requires balanced consideration of cost, compatibility and continuity.

Migration Tool Comparison Across Four Cloud Platforms

Different clouds offer diverse migration tools for VMware-to-cloud transitions:

AWS provides VM Import/Export and Server Migration Service (SMS). VM Import/Export converts VMware VMDKs to AWS-compatible formats for single-VM scenarios. SMS enables large-scale migration via automated incremental replication but requires deep EC2/S3 knowledge.

Azure Migrate supports both agent-based and agentless modes via VMware HCX, ideal for high-availability scenarios though HCX adds deployment costs and network requirements.

GCP’s Migrate to Virtual Machines (formerly Velostrata) uses streaming for real-time sync, suitable for rapid cloud adoption but bandwidth-dependent and needing optimization for complex workloads.

ZStack Cloud excels in private/hybrid cloud migration with outstanding V2V live migration. Unlike public cloud tools, ZStack specializes in private/hybrid environments, enabling seamless VMware-to-ZStack transitions. Its unified interface simplifies processes while local deployment supports mainstream hardware/OS – ideal for enterprises needing data sovereignty and customization. ZStack’s tools feature incremental sync, driver compatibility checks and license management, significantly reducing risks. Deep vCenter integration allows concurrent VM/cloud management during transition.

Many enterprises across Indonesia, Hong Kong, Cambodia and Australia have adopted ZStack Cloud for VMware-to-ZStack migration.

Detailed Migration Steps

VMware-to-cloud migration requires systematic execution:

Preparation

Ensure network connectivity (VPN/dedicated lines like AWS Direct Connect). Configure permissions (Azure requires “Contributor”/”Owner” roles for Azure Migrate; GCP needs app IDs/firewall rules for Migrate to VMs). Verify storage compatibility (VMDK-to-cloud format conversion).

VM Snapshots and Consistency Checks

Snapshot VMs for data consistency/rollback. Verify OS versions, application dependencies and network configurations match target clouds (e.g., Azure requires WinRM port 5985; GCP has Linux kernel version requirements).

Data Conversion

Convert VMDKs to cloud-specific formats (AWS AMI, Azure VHD, GCP disk images). ZStack ZSphere provides built-in VMDK conversion for direct VMware-to-private-cloud migration.

Incremental Sync and Final Cutover

Reduce downtime via incremental replication (supported by AWS SMS, Azure Migrate, GCP Migrate to VMs). During cutover, pause source VMs, complete final sync and launch cloud instances. ZStack’s V2V tools automate this via live migration.

Post-Migration Optimization

Adjust instance types to workload needs (AWS EC2 types, Azure D-series). Enable cloud monitoring (AWS CloudWatch, Azure Monitor, GCP Cloud Logging). Validate application performance.

Common Challenges and Solutions

Key migration challenges include:

Driver conflicts: Uninstall VMware Tools pre-migration; install cloud-specific drivers (AWS ENA, Azure Hyper-V). ZStack automatically handles compatibility.

Cloud disk IOPS limits: Select appropriate storage (Azure Premium SSD, AWS Provisioned IOPS SSD) based on workload needs.

License transfer: Reactivate Windows Server/SQL Server licenses or purchase cloud licenses. ZStack Cloud offers flexible license management.

Network misconfiguration: Ensure firewall rules allow necessary ports (Azure 5985, GCP 443). ZStack’s unified interface simplifies network setup.

ZStack: Let Every Company Have Its Own Cloud

ZStack provides innovative infrastructure solutions for VMware-to-cloud migration. Its ZStack Cloud integrates virtualization, containers and distributed storage for critical workloads. ZStack ZSphere delivers VMware-compatible experiences for stable VMware-to-ZStack transitions. ZStack serves 4,000+ global enterprises across finance, manufacturing and retail, having assisted 600+ VMware-to-ZStack migrations and managing 1,000+ VMware VM integrations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are key VMware-to-cloud migration considerations?
Focus on network connectivity, data consistency, driver compatibility and license transfer. Tools like ZStack Cloud’s V2V simplify the process.

How long does VMware-to-ZStack migration take?
Simple migrations take hours; complex clusters may require weeks. ZStack ZSphere’s live migration minimizes downtime.

What are ZStack’s advantages vs AWS/Azure/GCP?
ZStack specializes in private/hybrid clouds with greater cost efficiency and local control, ideal for data sovereignty needs.

How to optimize post-migration?
Adjust instance types, configure cloud monitoring and optimize networks. ZStack’s unified interface enables real-time optimization.

How do containers relate to VM migration?
Containers suit cloud-native stateless apps/microservices. Post VMware-to-ZStack migration, integrate Kubernetes via ZStack Zaku for hybrid VM/container deployment.