Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) is a modern approach to data center architecture that combines computing, storage, networking, and virtualization in a single, integrated system. Migrating from VMware to HCI can be a difficult process that needs careful planning and implementation. In this article, we will discuss some of the best practices and tips for migrating from VMware to HCI in 2024, using Microsoft Azure as the cloud platform of choice.
Assess Your Current Environment
The first step in any migration project is to evaluate your current environment and identify the workloads, applications, data, and dependencies that need to be migrated. Following that, you should also evaluate the performance, availability, security, and compliance requirements of your workloads and determine how they can be met by the HCI solution. Some of the tools that can help you with this assessment are:
- VMware vRealize Suite: This is a comprehensive cloud management platform that can help you monitor, optimize, and automate your VMware environment. It can also provide insights into the resource utilization, costs, and capacity of your VMware infrastructure and help you plan for the migration.
- Azure Migrate: is a free service that can help you discover, assess, and migrate your VMware workloads to Azure. It can provide recommendations on the best Azure services and configurations for your workloads and estimate the migration’s costs and benefits. It can also perform agentless dependency analysis and migration readiness assessment for your VMware VMs.
- Broadcom SAN Health: This is a free tool that can help you analyze and optimize your storage area network (SAN) environment. It can provide detailed reports on the health, performance, and configuration of your SAN devices, as well as identify potential issues and risks that may affect the migration.
Choose Your HCI Solution
The next step is to choose the HCI solution that best serves your needs and goals. There are many HCI solutions available in the market, but not all of them are compatible with Azure. Some of the HCI solutions that are certified and supported by Azure are:
- Azure Stack HCI is a hybrid cloud solution allowing you to run Azure services on-premises using your own hardware. It is based on the same software-defined infrastructure as Azure and offers a consistent and seamless experience across the cloud and the edge. Azure Stack HCI can help you modernize your VMware environment by providing native integration with Azure services, such as backup, disaster recovery, monitoring, and security. It can also help you reduce your operational costs and complexity by simplifying the management and maintenance of your HCI system.
- Nutanix Clusters on Azure: This hybrid cloud solution allows you to run Nutanix HCI on Azure bare metal servers. It is based on the same software stack as Nutanix on-premises and offers a unified and consistent experience across the cloud and the edge. Nutanix Clusters on Azure can help you migrate your VMware workloads to Azure without any changes or disruptions. It can also help you optimize your performance and efficiency by leveraging Azure’s scalability and elasticity.
- Dell EMC VxRail on Azure: This hybrid cloud solution allows you to run Dell EMC VxRail HCI on Azure bare metal servers. It is based on the same hardware and software platform as Dell EMC VxRail on-premises and offers a fully integrated and validated experience across the cloud and the edge. Dell EMC VxRail on Azure can help you migrate your VMware workloads to Azure with minimal risk and complexity. It can also help you enhance security and reliability by leveraging Azure’s built-in features and services.
Plan and Execute Your Migration
The final step is to plan and execute your migration from VMware to HCI in 2024. This step involves several tasks, such as:
Prepare your source and target environments:
You should ensure that your source VMware environment and your target HCI environment are ready for the migration. This includes updating the firmware, drivers, and software of your devices, configuring the network and storage settings, and verifying the compatibility and connectivity of your systems.
Choose your migration method:
You should choose the migration method that best fits your scenario and requirements. There are different migration methods available, such as:
- Lift-and-shift is the simplest and fastest migration method. In this method, you move your VMware VMs to your HCI environment without any changes or modifications. This method is suitable for workloads that do not have strict performance or compatibility requirements and can run on any hypervisor or platform.
- Rehost: This is a migration method where you convert your VMware VMs to the format and configuration of your HCI environment, such as Hyper-V or Nutanix AHV. This method is suitable for workloads with specific performance or compatibility requirements and must run on a certain hypervisor or platform.
- Refactor: This is a migration method in which you redesign and rearchitect your VMware workloads to take advantage of the features and services of your HCI environment, such as Azure services or Nutanix services. This method is suitable for workloads with high scalability, availability, or security requirements and needs to leverage the capabilities of the cloud.
Bonus Tip: Use Nephele Technologies for a smooth and secure migration to HCI
If you are looking for a reliable and experienced partner to help you migrate your VMware workloads to HCI, Nephele Technologies is a cloud consulting company that specializes in Azure VMware Solutions and Microsoft technologies.
We have over 20 years of expertise in migrating small and large data centers to the cloud, using best practices and proven methodologies. We can help you design and implement a modern and scalable cloud infrastructure on HCI, using Azure VMware Solution and other Microsoft services. We can also help you optimize your HCI workload performance, security, and cost management.
Final Thoughts
Migrating from VMware to HCI in 2024 can be a beneficial and rewarding process that can help you improve your data center performance, efficiency, and agility. However, it can also be a complex and challenging process that requires careful planning and execution. Following the best practices and tips discussed in this article can ensure a successful and smooth migration from VMware to HCI in 2024. If you need any assistance or guidance with your migration project, you can contact Nephele Technologies, a leading cloud migration consultancy and cloud consulting services. We have the expertise and experience to help you migrate your VMware workloads to HCI. Contact us today for a free consultation and quote for your migration project.
