Transitioning from VMware to Apache CloudStack: A Path to Profitability and Competitiveness, Marco Sinhorelli, ShapeBlue

In this session, Marco explored the potential of migrating from VMware to Apache CloudStack with KVM. VMware vSphere is a robust cloud infrastructure and management solution that combines vSphere and vRealize Suite, providing automation and operations capabilities for traditional and modern infrastructure and apps. However, the transition to Apache CloudStack can offer enhanced profitability and competitiveness. Marco delved into the benefits of Apache CloudStack, including its cost-effectiveness and open-source nature, and discussed how a gradual migration from VMware vCloud can reduce ownership costs, increase profitability, and enhance competitiveness. Marco also covered the practical steps and considerations in planning and executing this transition effectively.

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The CloudStack European User Group 2024 took place on September 19th in Frankfurt, Germany. This year's event was another successful User Group for the community. The event drew a strong audience, highlighting the growth of the CloudStack community in the region.

1. Marco Sinhoreli | Technical Marketing Manager at ShapeBlue | [email protected]
Transitioning from VMware to Apache
CloudStack

2. •Technical Marketing Manager at ShapeBlue
•Previously: Consultant Manager at ShapeBlue
Brazil
•Working with Open Source from 1996
•Working with virtualisation from 2004
•Working with Apache CloudStack from 2013
•Elected Apache CloudStack Committer in 2015
About Me

3. Agenda: Transitioning from VMware to
CloudStack
•VMware History
•Changes after Broadcom Acquisition
•Changes in VCSP Program
•EoA Perpetual Licensing
•Product Portfolio Changes
•Challenges & Concerns
•CloudStack as VMware Alternative
•CloudStack and VMware Side-by-Side
•CloudStack Tools to Migrate from VMware
•VMware Ingestion Tool
•VMware to KVM Conversion Tool
•Migration Scenarios
•Conclusions

4. About VMware
1998
2004 2015
1999
First VMware
Product
VMware, Inc.
Launched
First hypervisor:
ESX Server
2002
Goes global
company
2003
EMC
acquires
VMware
2007
VMware
goes public
vSphere
launched
2009
2013
NSX and vSAN
launched
Dell acquires
EMC
2023
Broadcom
acquires
VMware

5. Changes after Broadcom Acquisition
•A hundred VCSP members were not invited to join Broadcom's Advantage Program (Pareto
principle?).
•The requirement to participate in the Broadcom Advantages Program is at least 3,500 cores.
•Broadcom axed 56 products from the VMware portfolio and deleted all related existing KB.
•The perpetual licensing model was replaced with a subscription model, substantially increasing
associated costs.
•Products previously purchased individually can now only be accessed through bundles.
•Some small businesses and educational institutions have reported price increases of up to 1200%
when renewing their licenses under the new subscription model​.
•Mass laid off approx. 2800 employees
•Anonymous VMware source said Broadcom would likely lay off between 10k – 20k employees
seeking to reach USD 8.5B in operating EBTIDA.

6. Product Portfolio Bundles
VMware
vSphere
VMware
vSAN
(1TB/Core)
VMware
NSX
VMware
vSphere
Aria
Operation
VMware Cloud Foundation
VMware vSphere Foundation
Aria Operation,
Automation,
Operation
Enterprise and
SDDC Manager
VMware
vSAN
(100
GB/Core)
DRS,
vMotion, HA,
Fault
Tolerance,
K8S, B&R
DRS,
vMotion, HA,
Fault
Tolerance,
K8S, B&R
VMware vSphere Standard
VMware vSphere Essential+
VMware
vSphere

7. Challenges & Concerns with VMware
Gartner recommends
VMware users "Identify exit
ramps for deployed products,
including alternative
solutions and migration
activities."
It’s hard to believe Broadcom’s
reassurances, not because they are
untrustworthy, but because it’s hard to
see how Broadcom will make good on
a $69bn price tag for VMware without
drastic changes.
As The Register readers may remember,
VMware pushed through a double-digit
price increase on its core perpetual licensing
and support last year, effective from August
2022. This included a 10 percent hike on
vSphere, vCloud, vSAN, NSX, vRNI, and VCF.
“Following these purchases, CA and
Symantec customers saw massive price
hikes, worsening support, and stalled
development. Symantec redirected its focus
to its biggest resellers and customers. The
company largely abandoned its customer
base of 100,000 to prioritize its top 2,000.”
Tracy Woo, Principal Analyst - Forrester

8. Challenges & Concerns with VMwareUNCERTAINTY ABOUT
PRICE POLICIES
COMPROMISED
INNOVATIONS
VENDOR LOCK-IN AND
DEPENDENCY
PRIORITIZATION OF
LARGER CUSTOMERS
OVER SMALLER

9. What are the
Exit Ramps?
Negotiate a long-term
contract before the
VMware acquisition is
complete.
Find an alternative
solutions and define
migration activities.
From our experience working with customers, 52% of new
projects adopting Apache CloudStack, cited VMware
migration as a key driver for their implementation. This is up
from only 8% of 12 months earlier.

10. CloudStack as VMware Alternative
•Open-source nature
•CloudStack is a hypervisor abstraction layer
•Mature IaaS Platform adopted from small organisationsto enterprises
•Constant development promoting innovations
•Build-in features designed to enable smooth VMware migration
•Vendor lock-in is not on the agenda
•Supports a range of hypervisors including vSphere, KVM, Citrix Hypervisor and XCP-ng

11. vSphere
Essential Plus
vSphere
Standard
vSphere
Foundation
VMware Cloud
Foundation
Apache
CloudStack
Multi-hypervisor SupportNo No No No Yes
Multi-zone Management No No No Yes Yes
DRS No No Yes Yes Yes
Distributed Switch No No Yes Yes Partial
Cross Cluster live-migrationNo No Yes Yes Yes
Cross DC live-Migration No No Yes Yes Partial
Storage live-migration No No Yes Yes Yes
High Availability Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Kubernetes Support No No Yes Yes Yes
Self-Service No No No Yes Yes
Disaster Recovery No No Add-on Add-on Partial
Comparison Matrix – Part 1

12. vSphere
Essential Plus
vSphere
Standard
vSphere
Foundation
VMware Cloud
Foundation
Apache
CloudStack
SDN Integration No No No Yes Yes
SDS Integration No No Yes Yes Yes
Multi-Cloud No No No Yes No
Hybrid Cloud No No Yes Yes Yes
Capacity Analytics No No Yes Yes Yes
Life Cycle Management No No No Yes Yes
Firewall No No Add-on Add-on Yes
Load Balancer No No Add-on Add-on Yes
Usage Metering No No No Yes Yes
Object Storage No No Yes Yes Yes
Edge Zone Capabilities No No No Yes Yes
VNF Orchestration No No No No Yes
Comparison Matrix – Part 2

13. Apache CloudStack
Tools to Migrate
from VMware

14. VMware Ingestion Tool
Connect to VMware vCenter and ingest the
VMware Instances into CloudStack
Useful to replace VMware Cloud
Foundation/VDC by Apache CloudStack
It also allows to convert unmanaged vSphere
environments into a rich CloudStack IaaS Cloud

15. VMware to KVM Conversion Tool
Converts VMware Instances, including
disk and its characteristics into KVM
Ideal for removing dependency from
VMWare vSphere
It uses virt-v2v to convert the Instance
from VMWare to KVM.

16. Migration Scenarios

17. Infrastructure Size Based on Minimum Broadcom
Requirements
75 Compute Server
1x CPU Socket with 48 cores
Total: 3600 cores
VMware Cloud Foundation
75 Compute Server
1x CPU Socket with 48 cores
Total: 3600 cores
VMware vSphere Foundation
* The minimal purchase for these products are 3500 cores

18. Scenario #1: From VCD to Apache CloudStack
VMware vCloud
Director

19. Scenario #1: From VCD to Apache CloudStack
Apache CloudStack
Value Proposition: Potential Reduction of 61% in VMware Licence Costs.
It also reduces dependency on VMware.

20. Scenario #2: Managed vSphere Infrastructure

21. Scenario #2: Managed vSphere Infrastructure
Apache CloudStack
Value Proposition: Make Traditional Virtualisation in an IaaS Cloud.
No additional costs as CloudStack is Open Source

22. Scenario #3: Mixed vSphere and KVM Hypervisor Environment
Apache CloudStack
Value Proposition: Potential Reduction of over 81% in VMware Licence Costs.
It also reduces dependency on VMware vSphere.

23. Scenario #4: Full Migration from VMware to CloudStack and KVM
Apache CloudStack
Value Proposition: Consistently removes licensing requirements because
CloudStack is open source.

24. Conclusions

25. Conclusions
For the VMware Cloud Foundation
transition only, major results in terms
of licensing costs are expected.61%

26. Conclusions
Considering the transition of VMware
Cloud Foundation and partial vSphere
dependency, using a mixed hypervisor
environment.81%

27. Conclusions
Removing completely the VMware
dependency, using a full Open Source
solution with CloudStack and KVM. 100%

28. CloudStack Collaboration Conference 2024
November 20-22, 2024, Orense 34, Madrid, Spain
Register Now: https://www.cloudstackcollab.org/
Submit a Talk: https://bit.ly/CCC24-talks

29. Get In Touch
Github:
https://github.com/apache/cloudstack
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CloudStack
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/apache
cloudstack/
Mailing Lists:
https://cloudstack.apache.org/mailing-
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Reddit:
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30. Q&A