Approaches to migrating your VMware workloads to AWS   

The VMware® acquisition by Broadcom has modified VMware’s product and associate methods. In November 2023, Broadcom finalized its acquisition (hyperlink resides outdoors ibm.com) of VMware for USD 69 billion, with an goal to reinforce its multicloud technique. Additional to the acquisition, Broadcom determined to discontinue (hyperlink resides outdoors ibm.com) its AWS authorization to resell VMware Cloud on AWS as of 30 April 2024. Because of this, AWS will not have the ability to provide new subscriptions or further companies. This may result in VMware’s community of shoppers and companions having to organize for main changes.  

This weblog discusses the impression of VMware-Broadcom acquisition, paths past VMware, viable choices for AWS shoppers to maneuver VMware to AWS Cloud and the benefits, essential actions, success tales and the following steps. 

Paths past VMware  

• The impression of acquisition: A 2023 Forrester study (hyperlink resides outdoors ibm.com) predicts that 20% of VMware shoppers will transfer away from VMware stack due issues round value will increase, restricted buyer help and a compulsory requirement for subscription to software program bundles —all of that are a results of the acquisition. Forrester® additional states that shoppers are various choices equivalent to virtualization, cloud administration, end-user computing and different viable approaches.  

• The rising want for cloud value optimization: Price optimization is crucial when exiting VMware as a result of it helps handle and scale back the preliminary and ongoing bills related to migration, ensures environment friendly use of assets within the new atmosphere, and maximizes the return on funding. By leveraging instruments like IBM Turbonomic® for real-time useful resource administration and Apptio® (an IBM firm) for cloud value optimization and monetary transparency, organizations can obtain a easy, cost-effective transition from VMware whereas positioning themselves for future progress and innovation. 

Contemplating VMware alternate options 

As know-how evolves and enterprise wants change, it’s important for companies to make sure that their infrastructure aligns with strategic targets, equivalent to optimizing prices, enhancing efficiency or embracing a cloud-first method. Shoppers are more likely to begin evaluating alternate options for VMware, each from value and performance perspective for his or her present IT panorama. 

• Understanding VMware migration: VMware migration is a strategic effort centered on shifting conventional VMware workloads to cloud-native settings. AWS gives an intensive various platform for VMware offering a complete suite of cloud companies, world infrastructure and sturdy safety features. This method overcomes the challenges related to on-premises infrastructure, together with {hardware} reliance, scalability limitations and elevated operational bills. By transferring VMware workloads to AWS, organizations can benefit from cloud capabilities equivalent to scalability, pay-as-you-go pricing fashions and a broad array of AWS companies. IBM gives various resolution choices with optimum scalability, from scale-up to scale-out, enabling VMware transition and serving to transfer to AWS. 
• Exploring information middle (DC) exit: Transitioning from VMware to a contemporary cloud or hybrid atmosphere can considerably expedite shoppers’ information middle consolidation and exit. This migration not solely reduces operational prices and complexities related to sustaining bodily information facilities but in addition enhances safety, compliance and innovation capabilities. IBM Consulting® gives information middle migration (also referred to as DC exit), a complete resolution designed to help organizations in effectively and strategically transitioning from their current information middle infrastructure to AWS Cloud. IBM brings the ability of generative AI, supported by IBM–AWS joint investments to supply accelerated and automatic migration at scale.  

Migrating from VMware to AWS: Finest case situations 

In case the shopper’s VMware license is expiring within the subsequent 6 months, inside a 12 months or down the road, companies can discover numerous situations: 

• Migration-first method for VMware to Amazon EC2 migration: Shoppers can straight migrate current VMware workloads to AWS situations. This includes rehosting functions on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) (hyperlink resides outdoors ibm.com) situations, which can require some reconfiguration of the functions to optimize them for the cloud atmosphere. Submit migration, companies can look to modernize their functions to take full benefit of AWS native companies equivalent to Amazon Relational Database Service (Amazon RDS) for database administration, AWS Lambda for serverless computing and Amazon S3 for scalable storage.   
• Container-first method: IBM gives a complete end-to-end stack of services and products designed to satisfy the complicated wants of contemporary enterprises. It encompasses a broad vary of applied sciences and companies, from cloud infrastructure and AI to cybersecurity and information administration. Central to this providing are Red Hat® OpenShift® Service on AWS (ROSA) and OpenShift Virtualization. These applied sciences exemplify IBM’s dedication to offering versatile, scalable and built-in options that drive enterprise innovation and effectivity. Mitigate potential vendor lock-in, equivalent to with VMware, by containerizing workloads throughout the AWS Cloud utilizing companies like ROSA, Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) and Amazon ECS on AWS Fargate (hyperlink resides outdoors ibm.com). Purple Hat OpenShift virtualization permits companies to run and handle each containerized and digital machine (VM) workloads on a single platform. 
• Software program as a service (SaaS) method: Purposes working on VMware might be moved to AWS as a SaaS resolution. SaaS offers a versatile, cost-effective and environment friendly option to ship software program functions to customers. By leveraging AWS Cloud infrastructure, the SaaS method eliminates the necessity for in depth on-premises assets and upkeep, permitting companies to deal with their core competencies whereas making certain they’ve entry to the newest technological developments. 
• Managed companies method: As an AWS licensed managed service supplier (MSP), IBM can assist transfer VMware workloads to a managed companies mannequin. Managed companies for AWS is designed to simplify and automate cloud administration. Our companies assist enterprises undertake and function inside the AWS Cloud with greatest practices, safety and compliance on the forefront. By leveraging managed companies, organizations can deal with their core enterprise actions whereas IBM handles the heavy lifting of cloud infrastructure administration. 

Accelerating VMware exit with IBM Migration Manufacturing facility  

Leveraging years of collaboration and expertise, IBM brings a deep understanding of AWS applied sciences, enabling seamless integration and optimized implementations for enterprises. IBM gives a custom-made method that’s tailored to the present scenario, permitting you to satisfy your shoppers at their level of want. 

IBM Consulting gives AWS Migration Manufacturing facility, an modern engagement mannequin that’s constructed on IBM Garage™ Methodology for app modernization. It’s a squad-based, workstream-centric methodology that leverages generative AI (gen AI) and automation to attain fast transformation at scale. 

AWS Migration Manufacturing facility gives a structured and environment friendly framework for migrating large-scale workloads to AWS. By leveraging automated instruments, greatest practices and a phased method, it helps organizations decrease dangers, scale back prices and speed up their cloud migration journeys. The manufacturing unit leverages joint incentive packages to speed up shopper engagements. 

Fig 1: IBM Consulting’s AWS Migration Manufacturing facility method   

Earlier than embarking on VMware takeout, IBM conducts a radical evaluation of  the shopper’s current VMware atmosphere. This includes figuring out workload dependencies, efficiency metrics and migration necessities. Primarily based on the evaluation, an in depth migration plan must be developed, outlining timelines, useful resource allocation and threat mitigation methods. IBM brings a number of belongings and proprietary instruments equivalent to IBM Consulting Cloud Accelerator, IBM Consulting Supply Curator, IBM PRISM (a platform engineering management airplane which is a group of accelerators that assist to rapidly provision and handle a shopper atmosphere). and IBM AIOps (synthetic intelligence for IT operations) options to plan, design and execute end-to-end migration and modernization journey.  

Underpinning these belongings is the IBM Supply Central Platform (IDCP). This end-to-end supply execution platform transforms how we ship by digitizing and enhancing supply workflows and enabling real-time governance. Powered by generative AI, these belongings and assistants are made accessible to key personas, catering to their mode of consumption. 

AWS additionally gives a number of instruments and companies to facilitate the migration of VMware workloads, such AWS Migration Hub (hyperlink resides outdoors ibm.com). This service  streamlines and manages the migration of  functions to AWS, offering visibility, monitoring and coordination all through the migration course of, together with AWS Application Migration Services (hyperlink resides outdoors ibm.com).  

Leveraging generative-AI powered migration 

IBM has constructed a set of migration instruments and belongings utilizing Amazon Bedrock (hyperlink resides outdoors ibm.com). This modern method helps migrate functions and workloads to the cloud utilizing generative AI applied sciences built-in with Amazon Bedrock.  

• Generative AI-powered discovery as a service: Helps extracting key information components from shopper information repositories and fast-track the appliance discovery course of.
• Generative AI-powered migration help: Interprets pure language inquiries to SQL question to acquire the migration standing of functions and servers from a centralized information lake (also referred to as Supply Curator) throughout the migration lifecycle. 
• Generative AI-powered design assistant: Applies fashions like llama2 on the centralized information repository in Supply Curator and the design assistant accelerates the design phases bringing in a lot effectivity. 

Fig 2: IBM and AWS accelerators for migrations 

Serving to a world manufacturing agency migrate VMware workloads to AWS 

Corporations which have successfully transferred their VMware workloads to AWS can expertise substantial benefits equivalent to value discount, scalability and innovation. IBM helped a world chief in client merchandise manufacturing migrate 400 functions to AWS in two years as a part of its efforts to embrace its transition to a brand new product technique. The shopper migrated to AWS to enhance enterprise agility and meet new scalability and safety necessities. As well as, the shopper additionally wanted to organize its workers for the architectural shift and upskill them on new information dealing with processes. To fulfill these targets, the shopper determined emigrate its know-how from on premises to AWS, leading to a 50% efficiency enchancment throughout their enterprise and as much as 50% value financial savings utilizing Amazon RDS. 

Why IBM and AWS  

VMware migration to AWS gives organizations a seamless migration journey to modernize their IT infrastructure and unlock the total potential of cloud computing. By leveraging AWS in depth capabilities and world footprint, companies can obtain value optimization, scalability and agility, driving innovation and competitiveness in at the moment’s digital economic system. 

As a Premier Tier AWS Accomplice, IBM  has greater than 24,000 AWS certifications, 17 validated service supply packages and mastery in 19 AWS competencies for cloud-native utility growth together with the AWS Migration and Modernization competency(link resides outside ibm.com). IBM continues to strengthen AWS competencies by way of acquisitions and co-development of options with AWS. Learn how IBM Consulting augments expertise with AWS competencies.Find out how IBM experience in safety, enterprise scalability and open innovation with Purple Hat® OpenShift® can assist companies develop rapidly on the AWS Cloud.  assist companies develop rapidly on the AWS Cloud.   

Discover out why IBM is acknowledged as a world chief in migration and modernization companies within the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Application Modernization Services 2023 Vendor Assessment (hyperlink resides outdoors ibm.com).  Be taught extra about IBM Consulting Cloud Migration capabilities.  

IBM’s deep expertise in AI, market-leading AI capabilities and the shared dedication with AWS to speed up the adoption of generative AI—makes IBM Consulting the best AWS associate of selection. With 21,000+ expert AI practitioners, with 1000 expert in gen AI, IBM brings watsonx™ capabilities and experience in Amazon applied sciences. IBM has expertise and experience with AWS generative AI applied sciences together with Amazon SageMaker, Amazon CodeWhisperer, Amazon Q and Amazon Bedrock, a completely managed service that provides a selection of high-performing basis fashions (FMs) from main AI firms like AI21 Labs, Anthropic, Cohere, Meta, Stability AI and Amazon by way of a single API. Moreover, we provide  a broad set of capabilities to construct generative AI functions with safety, privateness and accountable AI. 

Exploring VMware alternate options? 

In case you are contemplating VMware migration to AWS to your group, discover the probabilities and uncover how IBM and AWS can assist speed up your cloud migration journey. Contact IBM to be taught extra about IBM Consulting Companies for AWS Cloud.

Learn more about AWS consulting at IBM