How does a migration from VMware to Proxmox work?
Many untrue stories are told about migrations from VMware to Proxmox: complex, risky, slow, etc. The reality, however, is that, if properly planned and executed, the migration is manageable, predictable and cost-efficient.
In this blog post, we outline how a migration from VMware to Proxmox is pretty standard and which steps are crucial for a successful implementation.
Why switch from VMware to Proxmox?
An important question upfront is, of course: why switch from VMware to Proxmox? After all, VMware is a mature and robust platform, but it also involves significant licensing costs.
Proxmox offers an open-source alternative that combines enterprise-grade virtualization and container technology at a fraction of the cost. In addition, Proxmox makes it easier to manage modern workloads, such as LXC containers and KVM VMs, side by side. This in turn increases flexibility and scalability.
For organizations that want to reduce costs without sacrificing performance or stability, Proxmox is an attractive alternative.
Step-by-step migration approach
A successful migration from VMware to Proxmox at Epact usually involves the following phases:
1. Preparation and inventory
- Workload inventory: we map all virtual machines, storage configurations, network setup and dependencies.
- Risk analysis: we identify critical systems, downtime requirements and fallback options.
- Action plan: We determine migration routes per VM (cold migration, live migration via conversion) and set up a rollback strategy.
2. Set up the Proxmox environment
- Cluster configuration: We'll install Proxmox on the new hardware and configure an HA cluster (if required).
- Storage and network configuration: We set up storage pools (ZFS, Ceph, LVM) and configure networks according to best practices.
- Test environment: We simulate migrations of non-critical VMs to gain experience and identify potential issues early.
3. Workload migration
- VM conversion: Tools such as qemu-img, virt-v2v, or Proxmox's built-in import options make it possible to convert VMware VMDKs into Proxmox KVM images. At Epact, however, we choose to use Veeam as a V2V tool. This has the great advantage that the maintenance window is kept to a minimum, as we can already perform an initial restore to Proxmox while the VMware VM is still running. During the maintenance window, all we have to do is restore the delta from the VMware VM to the Proxmox VM, resulting in a significantly shorter downtime.
- Network and storage customization: We're adapting VM configurations to the new network topology and storage structure.
- Validation: After migration, we test each VM for functionality, performance, and integration with other systems.
4. Optimization and monitoring
- Performance tuning: We use Proxmox features such as resource limits, ballooning and CEPH tuning for maximum efficiency.
- Backup strategy: We're implementing Proxmox Backup Server or other reliable backup solutions (Veeam, for example).
- Monitoring: We use tools for proactive monitoring.
Why migration often runs more smoothly than expected
Many concerns about the complexity of migrating from VMware to Proxmox are based on negative comments from competitors, a lack of preparation, or a lack of experience. When the migration is done step by step, with a clear inventory, test environment and rollback options, the risk of problems or downtime is minimal.
Conclusion
A migration from VMware to Proxmox is not an insurmountable project. With a structured approach, good tooling and sufficient preparation, you can carry out this transition efficiently and avoid risks. With the right planning and execution, a VMware-to-Proxmox migration is not a leap of faith, but a strategic step towards a modern, cost-effective and scalable data center.