VMware migration services
VMware migration and hybrid cloud: a path for every workload before your renewal
VMware migration is the move of virtual machines from VMware hosts in your data center to a cloud such as AWS or Microsoft Azure, or to a mix of cloud and on-premises. Since Broadcom ended perpetual VMware licenses and moved customers to subscription bundles, the next renewal is a decision to plan for. HabileLabs inventories what runs on your hosts, picks a path for each workload (rehost, move to Azure, modernize, keep and connect, or retire) and moves it in planned waves timed to your renewal date.
- AWS Partner, Advanced Tier Services
- Microsoft Solutions Partner, Infrastructure (Azure)
- AWS Service Delivery validations for Amazon ECS and Amazon RDS
Why now
What changed for VMware customers
Since Broadcom took over VMware, renewing is a decision rather than a formality. These are the changes Broadcom has made; what they mean for your costs depends on your own contract.
November 2023
Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware
VMware licensing is now set by Broadcom, so the terms you signed before may not be the terms you renew on.
December 2023
Perpetual licenses ended
Broadcom ended perpetual VMware licenses and moved customers to subscriptions.
Subscription bundles
Bundles replaced individual products
Customers were moved to subscription bundles: VMware Cloud Foundation and VMware vSphere Foundation.
Your renewal date
The renewal becomes the deadline
Whatever you decide, plan back from the date: what moves before it, what stays and is renewed, and what is retired.
We do not quote VMware prices here: they depend on your contract. Bring your renewal quote: the Azure readiness assessment estimates running costs on Azure, and the AWS modernization assessment gives a view of cost, effort and timeline on AWS.
Your options
Move, modernize, keep or retire: a path for each workload
The path is chosen per workload after the inventory, not applied to the whole estate, so effort goes where it actually pays off.
01
Rehost to AWS
Move each virtual machine as it is, then optimize afterward: the fastest way to empty hosts before a renewal. At Eternal Hospital, Jaipur (EHCC), on-premises servers were rehosted with AWS Application Migration Service.
AWS cloud migration02
Move to Azure
A landing zone built first, then moves in planned waves with Azure Migrate, each workload tested before cutover. Windows Server and SQL Server licenses with Software Assurance can often carry over through Azure Hybrid Benefit; we check before you buy new ones.
Azure consulting and migration03
Modernize into containers
Applications worth changing move into containers on Amazon ECS instead of onto another virtual machine. Neerja Software's three Laravel apps moved from on-premises to Amazon ECS on Fargate, with 70% less deployment time as CI/CD pipelines replaced manual releases.
Containers on Amazon ECS04
Move databases to managed services
Databases running in virtual machines move onto a managed service such as Amazon RDS or Azure SQL Database. On AWS, AWS DMS-based replication and a rehearsed cutover plan keep downtime inside an agreed window.
Database migration05
Keep and connect
Some workloads stay on-premises for now, for performance, compliance or security, or because they need more preparation. We connect them to your cloud workloads and run the whole estate under one consistent strategy.
Private and hybrid cloud06
Retire
Virtual machines that nobody owns or uses are switched off once their owners confirm, so you neither move them nor renew them.
Planning for more than one cloud, or cloud and on-premises together? See multi-cloud and hybrid cloud and cloud migration strategies.
Before anything moves
What we look at on your VMware estate
The assessment starts with what is actually running, not with a conclusion about where it should go. The inventory records:
Virtual machines and dependencies
Every virtual machine, its owner and what it connects to, so applications that depend on each other move together.
Usage and sizing
What each machine actually uses, so it is right-sized on the way instead of copied at its current size.
Licenses and running costs
Windows Server and SQL Server licenses checked for Azure Hybrid Benefit, and an estimate of running each workload on AWS or Azure.
Your renewal date
When your VMware renewal falls, so the wave plan works back from it and you know which hosts must be empty by then.
Backup and recovery
What protects each machine today, and the recovery time and recovery point objectives (RTO and RPO) it needs after the move.
Data residency
Which systems must keep their data in India, placed in in-country regions such as AWS Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Already running some workloads on AWS or Azure? The free cloud infrastructure assessment reviews AWS, Azure and private cloud against performance, availability, security and cost.
How a move runs
Assess, plan, migrate, then run and optimize
The same four stages whether you are moving a few virtual machines or a data center, with the wave plan worked back from your renewal date. Beside each stage is the matching step from Eternal Hospital, Jaipur (EHCC), whose systems moved from on-premises servers to AWS.
Stage 01 · Assess
Find out what to move, keep or retire
We review your virtual machines, dependencies, security, spend and licenses, and tell you plainly what to move, fix, keep or retire.
What we look at
- Virtual machines and dependencies
- Usage and sizing
- Licensing
- Renewal date
At EHCC, on AWS
The migration started with an assessment of workloads and dependencies. The hospital's HIS, EMR, diagnostics and patient portals ran on fixed on-premises capacity that could not scale with patient load.
Stage 02 · Plan
Agree the architecture and a dated plan per workload
A target architecture, a landing zone design and a dated plan for each workload, signed off before anything moves. The waves are ordered so hosts are empty before your renewal date.
What gets decided
- Target architecture
- Landing zone
- Path per workload
- Wave plan
At EHCC, on AWS
A secure landing zone was set up with AWS Control Tower in the AWS Mumbai Region. Patient records needed encryption, data residency in India and alignment with the DPDP Act, 2023.
Stage 03 · Migrate
Move in planned waves, with cutovers you agree
Certified engineers build, migrate and test, with data validated and cutovers agreed with your business. As each wave completes, the hosts it emptied can be switched off.
What matters now
- Planned waves
- Data validation
- Agreed cutovers
- Rollback paths
At EHCC, on AWS
Servers were rehosted with AWS Application Migration Service, and databases moved with AWS DMS, with rollback paths.
Stage 04 · Run and optimize
Tune cost, performance and security after go-live
We right-size, set budgets and alerts, and tighten security after go-live, then hand over with documentation or run it for you as a managed service, alongside the workloads that stayed on-premises.
What matters now
- Monitoring
- Patching
- Backups and DR
- Rightsizing
- Savings Plans
At EHCC, on AWS
HabileLabs now runs the platform as a 24x7 managed service: 99.9% uptime for the clinical systems, and recovery in under 30 minutes with an RPO under 5 minutes.
Start with an assessment.
Tell us what you run today and where it runs. We will review it against performance, availability, security and cost.
Client results on AWS
Moves from on-premises to AWS in client work
AWS · MigrationUnder 30 minto recover from failures, after hospital systems moved from on-premises to AWSEternal Hospital, Jaipur (EHCC) →
AWS · Migration and DR35+ TBmoved to AWS, with 99.99% uptime from active-active disaster recoveryAavas Financiers →
Retail · AWSNo system downtimeduring peak periods, after core platforms were lifted, modernized and migrated from on-premises to AWSRCM World →
AWS · Containers70%less deployment time, with CI/CD pipelines on Amazon ECS replacing manual releasesNeerja Software →
Ways to start
Start with an assessment of what you run today
Pick the one that matches where your workloads are likely to go. Each is described in its own page's terms, and the ones that are free say so.
Free cloud infrastructure assessment
Tell us what you run today and where it runs. We will review it against performance, availability, security and cost.
Best for: Estates on AWS, Microsoft Azure or private cloud
- Performance and availability
- Security
- Cost
- AWS, Azure or private cloud
Azure readiness assessment
Plan your move to Azure before anything moves, with the landing zone and license options worked out first.
Best for: Windows Server and SQL Server estates and data center exits
- Servers, applications, databases and their dependencies
- A recommended move approach for each
- The landing zone design and license options
- An estimate of running costs on Azure
Free AWS modernization assessment
An AWS-certified architect maps your AWS modernization pathways and rough sizing within two business days. The assessment itself runs two to four weeks.
Best for: Moving or modernizing workloads on AWS
- A workload inventory and a dependency map
- A pathway recommendation per application
- A calculator view of cost, effort and timeline
- An AWS modernization funding eligibility check
VMware migration FAQs
VMware migration, answered
Renewal timing, how long a move takes, what can stay on VMware, licenses, downtime and where your data lives.
They plan and carry out the move of virtual machines from VMware hosts in your data center to a cloud such as AWS or Microsoft Azure, or to a mix of cloud and on-premises. HabileLabs inventories what runs on your hosts, picks a path for each workload (rehost, move to Azure, modernize, keep and connect, or retire), migrates in planned waves and tunes cost, performance and security once you are live.
As early as you can, and plan back from the renewal date: an inventory first, then a path for each workload, then waves ordered so hosts are empty before the date. Workloads that cannot move in time stay and are renewed, and either move in a later wave or stay on-premises for good.
It depends on how many virtual machines you run and how much they need to change. A small set of workloads can move in a few weeks; a full data center exit is usually planned in waves over several months. The assessment gives you a timeline for your own estate.
Yes. Some workloads are better left on-premises for now, for performance, compliance or security, or because they need more preparation. We connect what stays to your cloud workloads and run the estate under one consistent strategy, so what stays is renewed on purpose, not by default.
Windows Server and SQL Server are among the most common workloads moved to Azure, and existing licenses with Software Assurance can often be applied through Azure Hybrid Benefit to lower the cost. We check this during the assessment. On AWS, HabileLabs holds the AWS Service Delivery validation for Amazon EC2 for Windows Server.
Workloads move in planned waves, each one tested before cutover, and switch-overs are scheduled with your business so downtime stays as short as the workload allows, and in some cases is zero. Each move is scheduled with a rollback plan. On AWS, database moves use AWS DMS-based replication and a rehearsed cutover plan to keep downtime inside an agreed window.
It can. AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud all run more than one region in India, and regions are chosen as part of the landing zone design. At Eternal Hospital, Jaipur (EHCC), the landing zone was set up in the AWS Mumbai Region, and patient records needed data residency in India. Aavas Financiers' disaster recovery runs active-active across the AWS Mumbai and Hyderabad regions.
It depends on what you run and license. Windows Server and SQL Server are among the most common workloads moved to Azure, where Azure Hybrid Benefit can lower the cost. HabileLabs is an AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner and a Microsoft Solutions Partner for Azure Infrastructure, so we can compare both for your workloads. Most of our published client results are on AWS, and one is on Azure. HabileLabs is also a Google Cloud Partner.
Not yet. Our published migration results include moves from on-premises servers to AWS, such as Eternal Hospital, Jaipur (EHCC) and RCM World, and we do not present any of them as a VMware migration. EHCC's move followed the same four stages shown on this page: assess, plan, migrate in waves, then run and optimize.
Keep exploring
More on moving off VMware and running what comes next
AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud
Where each cloud tends to fit, and six questions that decide it, before you pick a target for the workloads you move off VMware.
Read the guideCloud migration services
Applications, databases and data centers moved in planned waves, each workload assessed first.
Cloud migrationAzure consulting and migration
A readiness assessment first, a landing zone built before any workload arrives, then moves in planned waves using Azure Migrate.
Azure migrationCloud infrastructure
Public cloud, private cloud or both, with dedicated on-premises resources connected to your public cloud workloads.
Cloud infrastructureMulti-cloud and hybrid cloud
More than one cloud, or cloud and on-premises together, run as one estate: one landing-zone standard, one identity model and one cost view.
Multi-cloud and hybridManaged cloud services
Monitoring, incident response, patching, backups, security and cost control for AWS and Azure after the move.
Managed cloud services
Read more in the cloud blog, or see why teams choose HabileLabs for cloud.
Next step
When does your VMware renewal fall?
Tell us what runs on your VMware hosts and when your renewal is due. We will help you decide what to move, keep or retire, and plan the waves back from that date.
- A path for each workload
- Waves planned back from your renewal date
- AWS Advanced Tier Services Partner and Microsoft Solutions Partner