VMware

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IT professionals considering a hypervisor alternative to reduce costs must also focus on minimizing VMware migration downtime. The requirements for reducing migration downtime extend beyond automated copying and conversion of VMware virtual machines (VMs). Essential steps for reducing VMware migration downtime include:

  1. Seamless pre-preparation of the target hypervisor
  2. Fast identification and complete copying of VMs
  3. Rapid conversion of VMs in seconds, not minutes
  4. Scalable testing of converted VMs
  5. Frequent updating of migrated VMs
  6. Extending migration to VMware DR

Seamless Pre-Preparation of the Target Hypervisor

Minimizing VMware migration downtime

The first step in minimizing VMware migration downtime is preparing the target hypervisor. This involves allocating hardware and getting the hypervisor up and running. Look for hypervisors that can run on existing hardware, particularly those that can operate on older servers that are no longer supported by VMware but are still viable.

Hypervisor vendors offering turnkey hardware and software solutions are less desirable due to added expenses. Even if they provide loaned hardware or extended terms, the duration may not suffice for thoroughly vetting their solution and completing the migration.

Fast Identification and Complete Copying of VMs

Minimizing VMware migration downtime hinges on the speed of initially seeding eligible VMs to the target hypervisor. Opt for solutions with integrated migration functions, avoiding separate or third-party applications. While transfer speeds depend on VM storage requirements and network speed, separate modules can negatively impact transfer times.

Minimizing VMware migration downtime

Ideally, the solution should log directly into vCenter and list VMs available for migration. You should be able to select which VMs to migrate individually or in groups. The migration function should use VMware’s backup APIs for the fastest possible transfer, ensuring all VM data, including configuration information, is captured.

The target hypervisor should initially maintain VMs in their VMware format without converting them on the fly, which would slow transfers. This approach provides an additional checkpoint or backup copy if something goes wrong during testing. The hypervisor should also have integrated deduplication to minimize storage capacity usage for VM backups.

Rapid Conversion of Migrated VMs

Once VM data is transferred, conversion to the new hypervisor format should be quick, taking seconds rather than minutes. During testing, the conversion time is critical. If it takes five minutes per VM, a 100 VM environment would take over eight hours to load for testing.

VergeIO has demonstrated converting VMs in seconds. For example, in the video below, we show how to convert 10 VMs in 10 seconds.

Scalable Testing of Migrated VMs

Reducing VMware migration downtime also requires scalable testing of converted VMs. Efficient and thorough testing reduces the need for frequent data reloads and surprises in production. Multi-tenancy and a robust snapshot capability are critical for creating a scalable testing environment.

With multi-tenancy in place, during conversion, IT can place all converted VMs into a tenant or create tenants by workload, department, or IT team specialty. With the robust snapshot function and deduplication integrated into the hypervisor, IT can instantly create multiple clones of each tenant without consuming capacity or impacting performance. The result is space-efficient “virtual labs” for testing purposes. Each tenant snapshot can be assigned to different teams for testing without fear of one group’s work impacting another.

Frequent Updating of Migrated VMs

Minimizing VMware migration downtime

In typical testing, IT copies a group of VMs to the alternative hypervisor, tests them for compatibility, and performs a final copy before conversion. The source VMware VM often needs to be down during this final transfer, resulting in multiple minutes, if not more, of downtime per VM, leading to hours of total outage.

Minimizing VMware migration downtime requires an alternative hypervisor solution that allows frequent updates of copied VMs via granular data transfer methods like change block tracking (CBT). CBT enables frequent updates of copied VMs, each taking only a few minutes. This approach allows IT to perform tests, verify compatibility, and finalize updates with minimal outages.

Extending VMware Migration to DR

The combination of fast initial transfers, frequent granular updates, and rapid conversion makes the alternative hypervisor an ideal VMware DR solution. VM copies are updated more frequently than typical backups, and the target environment is more robust and production-capable than typical backup storage appliances. Using the VMware alternative for DR provides value until the final cutover.

The 7-minute whiteboard session below explains how to design and use VergeOS for the VMware DR use case.

VergeOS for VMware Migration and DR

VergeOS meets all the requirements with its integrated storage, virtualization, and networking services. It runs on various server hardware, enabling IT to repurpose older hardware for staging or DR environments. VergeOS ioMigrate leverages VMware’s backup API for fast VM copying, maintaining a protected copy for testing.

VergeOS converts VMs quickly, as shown in the video, where 10 VMs are converted in 10 seconds. Its Virtual Data Center technology enables scalable testing, allowing multiple secure virtual labs to be created in seconds. ioMigrate uses VMware Backup APIs for efficient VM repository updates, making VergeOS an ideal DR solution that is better than array-based replication while testing the platform’s functionality.

Conclusion

Minimizing VMware migration downtime is crucial for IT professionals seeking cost-effective hypervisor alternatives. Achieving this requires seamless preparation of the target hypervisor, fast and complete VM copying, rapid conversion, scalable testing, and frequent updates. VergeOS addresses all these needs with its integrated ioMigrate and ioProtect capabilities, ensuring efficient and quick migration while minimizing downtime.

VergeOS offers a robust migration and disaster recovery solution, allowing organizations to repurpose existing hardware, maintain VM integrity during testing, and leverage frequent updates for smooth transitions. By adopting VergeOS, IT departments can reduce migration downtime and enhance their overall DR strategy, adding significant value to their infrastructure.

To watch a full scale test of our VMware Migration and VMware DR capabilities watch our on-demand, registration-free webinar: “Comparing VMware DR Strategies“

Filed Under: VMwareExit Tagged With: ,

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BOSTON – June 18, 2024 – IT service provider Cloud Compliance Solutions, Inc. (CCSI) has upgraded its infrastructure with technology from Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream® Remote Desktop Access Platform, and VergeIO, the leading VMware alternative, resulting in significant cost savings, optimized hardware use, and enhanced operational efficiency, the companies announced today.

Founded in 2017, CCSI provides its clients with a complete suite of cloud-related IT and compliance services. As a single provider offering both critical services, CCSI delivers more accurate and cost-effective IT and compliance solutions that significantly reduce its clients’ operational and audit costs.

CCSI opted to replace VMware due to significant challenges, including affordability, scaling and performance for its multi-tenant platform that provides its clients Desktop as a Service (DaaS)/Next-Gen DaaS (NGDaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS). CCSI’s growth had surpassed VMware’s capabilities, and it needed an option that could support denser environments with more powerful servers. Strategically, CCSI had concerns about VMware’s new licensing costs and models that required substantial upfront commitments and the uncertain future of VMware Horizon.

The transition to VergeIO and Leostream has transformed CCSI’s service portfolio, enabling it to offer more robust and scalable services with superior DaaS/NGDaaS, IaaS and DRaaS. With CCSI competing with providers like AWS and Azure, the upgrade allows it to remain price-competitive and provide better service and support.

“VergeOSs multi-tenant virtual data center technology and Leostream’s virtual desktop platform have empowered CCSI to provide customers with fundamentally better performance and efficiency,” said Kelley Allen, CCSI CEO. “This project exemplifies CCSI’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction with high-quality, affordable, and reliable IT solutions.”

The phased upgrade began with DaaS/NGDaaS and Leostream for remote desktop services including resource allocation, access control, and policy enforcement. In addition to secure user profile management and support for nearly all end-user devices and display protocols,the combined solution delivered on its promise of increased performance: boot times have dropped to seconds instead of minutes.

Next, CCSI shifted its IaaS offerings to VergeIO to create multi-tenant virtual data centers (VDC), which allows customers to manage the VDC as if it were on-premises technology, with CCSI as backup IT support. While CCSI is a de-facto IT team for many customers with limited or no full-time IT staff, VergeIO’s VDC technology allows CCSI to attract new clients whose IT teams want more control over their infrastructure.

The third phase, also enabled by VergeIO, expanded and simplified CCSI’s DRaaS capability so customers with on-premises IT infrastructure can fail over to CCSI’s infrastructure in a disaster. VergeOS VDC technology seamlessly replicates all components to ensure a successful recovery in CCSI’s data center.

“When industry-leading IT experts like CCSI choose your product for their own internal use, and to deploy to customers, it is the highest possible endorsement,” said Karen Gondoly, Leostream CEO. “This joint infrastructure combining Leostream and VergeIO has been battle-tested in multiple enterprises and we believe it’s the strongest, most feature-rich alternative to VMware, ESXi, and Horizon available today.”

“CCSI’s new architecture will provide long-term cost savings, starting with reduced upfront license costs, maintaining its existing investment in hardware, and enabling more virtual machines and desktops per physical server,” said Yan Ness, CEO of VergeIO. “More importantly, this modernized desktop, infrastructure, and disaster recovery platform has expanded what the company is able to offer its own clients, to truly do more for less.”

If you’re considering a VMware exit, we have the perfect opportunity for you to talk to someone who has made the journey. CCSI is joining VergeIO and Leostream for a live conversation with IT professionals about their switch from VMware to VergeIO/Leostream software on June 27th at 1:00pm EST. Register Here.

The Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform for hosted desktops and workstations offers a comprehensive solution for remote access to maintain productivity, control costs, and ensure security with strict authentication and authorization built on zero-trust concepts. Its connection management system eliminates clunky corporate VPNs with an ultra-efficient gateway that gives users access to only the specific resources they have permission to use, automatically, regardless of their location or device. The Leostream Platform shines even in environments that rely on complex, specialty applications like energy and science; large files such as media and entertainment; real-time performance like financial services; and bulletproof network security like government and defense.

About VergeIO

VergeIO is the leading VMware Alternative. Unlike hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI), its ultraconverged infrastructure (UCI) rotates the traditional IT stack (computing, storage, and networking) into an integrated data center operating environment, VergeOS. Its efficiency enables greater workload density using existing hardware while improving data resiliency. The result is dramatically lower costs, improved availability, and greatly simplified IT.

About Leostream
The Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform embodies over 20 years of Leostream research and development in supporting customers with hosted desktop environments, including VDI, hybrid cloud, and high-performance display protocols. It provides the world’s most robust desktop connection management and remote access feature set, allowing today’s enterprises to choose the best-of-breed components to satisfy their complex security, cost, and flexibility needs while working with them as they evolve into tomorrow.

Leostream is a registered trademark of Leostream Corporation in the United States. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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JPR Communications

Judy Smith

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: , , , ,

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VMware DR Tools Assessment

The list of threats to data center operations never stops growing, and IT professionals must periodically perform a VMware DR Tools Assessment. During these assessments, they should evaluate tools to:

  1. Address new data center threats
  2. Improve Recovery Point and Recovery Time Objectives (RPO/RTO)
  3. Simplify recovery processes
  4. Reduce costs

Generally, there are three types of tools that IT relies on to meet its organization’s requirements:

  • Backup and Recovery
  • Array-based Replication
  • Infrastructure-wide Replication

These tools lay the foundation for a disaster recovery strategy. They directly impact RPO, RTO, and affordability.

Backup And RecoveryArray-Based ReplicationInfrastructure-Wide Replication
Holistic ProtectionGoodPoorExcellent
RTO AttainmentGoodExcellentExcellent
RPO AttainmentPoorPoorExcellent
Hypervisor TransitionGoodPoorExcellent
DR OperationsPoorPoorExcellent
Cost$$$$$$$$
Comparing VMware DR Strategies

Live Webinar and Demonstration: “Comparing VMware DR Strategies” — Register Now

Meeting Classic VMware DR Threats

It is critical during a VMware DR tools assessment that IT ensures they address the classic types of threats to a VMware environment, such as floods, tornadoes, and power outages, which persist alongside the more recent threat of ransomware. IT needs to look for ways to improve RPO/RTO, simplify the recovery process, and also look for opportunities to lower DR costs.

Backup and recovery solutions are considered the least expensive option but also the least seamless in terms of recovery. While most solutions can recover a few virtual machines (VMs) on backup appliances, these appliances are not designed for the long-term hosting of many VMs. Backup and recovery tools have improved their resiliency to ransomware, with some now offering automated remote site recovery, but most still can’t detect an attack, so prolonged recoveries are commonplace, even with excellent backup strategies.

The critical challenge for backup and recovery is the time between protection events, often failing to meet increasingly strict organizational RPOs. An “aggressive” strategy of four hours may not be sufficient to meet organizational service level agreements (SLA). The time it takes to reposition data on production servers means that backup and recovery often fail to meet most organizational RTOs. Once the total cost of backup infrastructure (software licensing, dedicated storage hardware, compute server requirements at the DR site) is evaluated, the theoretical cost advantage of backup and recovery often dissipates.

Array-based replication is relatively seamless in transporting data to a DR site, but the target array at the DR site must be nearly identical to the primary site’s array. Dedicated arrays also can’t host VMs, so the customer must equip and manage server infrastructure at the DR site. Like backup and recovery, array-based replication doesn’t capture details that are not on the actual array, such as network configurations and VM settings.

Array-based replication provides a much more frequent protection event capability than a backup but is myopically focused on its data. If all data, including boot and configuration files, are on a single dedicated array, then array-based replication meets most organizations’ RTO demands. However, if data is on boot drives, network hardware, or different types of dedicated storage arrays, IT must ensure consistency between them. This often places them outside of the RPO. Another concern is the high cost of buying dual dedicated arrays, which places the strategy outside the budget of most organizations.

Infrastructure-wide replication encapsulates the entire infrastructure, capturing everything into a single object. It provides a complete, self-contained environment. The servers at the DR site can simultaneously run VMs and their data and network functionality such as firewalls and routing. Infrastructure replication, like VergeIO’s ioProtect, enables IT to create a turnkey pod easily deployed in the DR site. Since it is self-contained, there is no need to worry about consistency across networking and storage. Infrastructure replication meets and exceeds most organizations’ RPOs and RTOs. The consolidation also makes deployment extremely cost-effective.

Meeting New VMware DR Threats

VMware DR Tools Assessment

A critical part of a VMware DR tools assessment is making sure the tool can withstand new threats and use cases. While ransomware and natural disasters like fire, flood, and hurricanes remain top concerns, today, customers also want to ensure they are not locked into a particular hypervisor. Broadcom’s recent acquisition of VMware has shown IT professionals that licensing costs can increase quickly and dramatically. Broadcom’s delay tactics in providing renewal quotes only exacerbates this problem, leaving customers less time to transition. In addition to meeting the classic DR needs, modern VMware DR tools need to be able to help customers move to another hypervisor seamlessly at the click of a button.

These tools must provide proper backup and disaster recovery, continuously updating the DR environment while supporting the movement of VMs to an alternate hypervisor. Ensuring the secondary environment is current enables customers to verify VM functionality before a renewal surprise.

Backup and recovery solutions can provide some of this functionality, assuming they can restore “into” other hypervisors. However, most can’t. IT professionals must restore their VMs under the original hypervisor and manually convert them, often using a separate utility. The process is time-consuming and makes pre-disaster test verification challenging.

Array-based replication has almost no value in helping customers prepare for transitioning to other hypervisors since most alternative hypervisors can’t access VMware’s proprietary format.

Infrastructure-wide replication solutions may be the best suited for the “business” type of disaster, assuming they offer more than just one-time migration. For example, VergeIO’s ioProtect can continuously protect the VMware environment. IT logs ioProtect directly into vCenter and keeps copies updated quickly, thanks to change block tracking. Data is stored in the VMware format if IT needs it for a one-off recovery. When the “disaster” is a surprisingly more expensive renewal quote, customers can convert to the alternative hypervisor within seconds. The rapid transition makes testing DR and experimenting with a new hypervisor painless.

Conclusion

When performing a VMware DR tools assessment, backup and recovery is often considered the most cost-effective and manual of the available disaster recovery tools. IT must restore data to a new environment; that transfer takes time. Backup also may not protect all the extraneous files in the environment unless specifically pointed at them. Some solutions can help customers transition between hypervisors. Still, most can only restore a VM in its original format, requiring the customer to import the VM into the new environment manually.

Array-based replication is the most expensive option. Although it provides near-seamless replication between arrays, those arrays often must be identical. Additionally, any data or configuration files not on the array must be protected and recovered separately. Lastly, it does little to empower customers to move to or test another hypervisor.

Test Drive VergeOS Now

Infrastructure replication checks all the boxes. It provides cost-effective and simple recovery in classic disaster scenarios and, with the right migration capabilities, can assist customers when and if they need to move quickly to another hypervisor. It also provides a very high “first-try” success rate on both declared disasters and tests.

To learn more about infrastructure replication and how it compares to other disaster recovery strategies, join us for our live webinar, “Comparing VMware Disaster Recovery Strategies.”

Filed Under: Protection Tagged With: , ,

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When IT considers a VMware alternative, calculating VMware migration costs is critical in understanding the total cost of ownership (TCO). The path to the alternative should be seamless and staged so the organization can transition at a comfortable pace, but IT should determine that pace, not the software. The longer and more complex the migration cycle, the higher the overall TCO of the alternative is. These costs include running dual systems, application outages, and extra IT staff hours. The ideal alternative should enable IT to perform the migration as fast as they are comfortable, and with as minimal an outage as possible.

Prerequisite of a VMware Migration

calculating VMware migration costs

The first step in calculating VMware migration costs is not migration planning. You can’t plan the migration until you know the requirements of the VMware alternative you are selecting. Understanding the requirements of the alternative goes beyond the migration function itself. Many VMware alternatives require that you replace your existing servers with a group of their servers as part of a “turnkey” solution or one of their “certified” vendor configurations. With other solutions, the process is so slow and disruptive that you have to have two groups of servers to sustain operations while you migrate.

These requirements mean that you must have two stacks of servers running while you transition, which could take six months or more because of the slowness of the process. These two stacks have a ripple effect, consuming double the network ports, potentially double the storage, doubling the power and cooling requirements, and doubling the data protection requirement.

The Cost of VMware Migration Time

While many VMware alternatives have a VMware migration capability, understanding the time it takes to transfer and convert virtual machines (VM) between the two platforms is the critical next step in calculating VMware migration costs. Some alternatives take 10-30 minutes per VM, while others require creating a new VM, installing the application, and copying the data over, which to get it right could take hours per VM. In most cases, these are not batch jobs that can be set to run and returned to later; IT needs to keep a careful eye on the process to ensure it completes successfully.

The Cost of VMware Migration Testing

calculating VMware migration costs

The transfer and conversion time impacts the ability to test workloads on the alternative before the final cut-over. It is also an essential aspect of calculating VMware migration costs. A common-sense process is to migrate a group of VMs to the VMware alternative, test them for a few days to ensure they work as expected, and then do a final migration. That means that the conversion time is felt twice, which now means each VM will require 30-90 minutes of conversion time in total. If the VM needs to be shut down for all of this migration time, that is a significant outage.

The Cost of VMware Migration Application Outages

The time it takes to initially test and then permanently migrate VMs to the VMware alternative also impacts when you can migrate. If there is a significant application outage, you can’t migrate during the typical workday or over a few weekday evenings. You will need to allocate multiple weekends to the process. The when migration component means you must run dual systems longer and complicates network configuration and data protection since now you must continue to protect the legacy VMware environment and protect the new hypervisor environment as each week it gains a few more production applications.

The Cost of Learning The VMware Alternative

The final component in calculating VMware migration costs is the cost of learning the new platform. If it takes you weeks or months to learn how to use the VMware alternative effectively, then it takes longer for you to test migrated VMs before moving them to production. A long learning curve consumes more time to complete the migration, increasing the time you need to run dual systems.

Slow Migration Means New Hardware

While many VMware alternatives require buying new servers, a few claim to use your existing hardware. However, a slow and complex migration process eliminates that possibility. The customer is forced to buy new hardware and run parallel systems to move through the sluggish migrate, test, and migrate cycle again. As a result, they will need to be prepared to run these parallel systems for a long time.

VergeOS – Migrate Better

Calculating VMware migration costs is easy with VergeIO. There are none. We have integrated its VMware migration functionality directly into the core of VergeOS. Log VergeOS into your vCenter to start a migration, select the VMs you want to migrate, and click the migrate button. The migration function transfers the VM data to VergeOS as fast as VMware can send it. The process stores the VMware VMs as backup files; you can even update them with change block tracking (CBT). When you need to test those VMs under VergeOS, converting them to a VergeIO VM takes a few seconds, and you are all set to begin testing.

ChalkTalk VMware to VergeOS Migration

The process is so seamless and fast that many customers will select and copy all their VMs at once, again keeping them updated with CBT. They will then use VergeOS as a robust DR solution with our ioProtect functionality. ioProtect enables the initial investment in VergeOS to add value while you are migrating. As you are performing your testing, the original VMware VMs are kept up to date, so if you need to re-test, the VMware version is always up to date. When you are ready to make the final cutover, perform one more quick data sync, shut down your VMware VM, and start your VergeOS VM. The VM is only down for the 20-30 seconds it takes to boot, minimizing any production impact.

The speed of VergeOS’s migration capabilities makes it practical to use existing hardware and do an “in-place” migration. All you have to do is clear off one physical server, load VergeOS onto it, and then begin the migration process, clearing the VMs from another host and starting them under VergeOS. As each server is freed of its VMware responsibilities, it can be added to the VergeOS instance. We’ve employed this process many times to enable customers to utilize their existing hardware without disrupting users.

VergeIO’s zero-cost migration capabilities are just one way to reduce the total cost of data center infrastructure. Thanks to VergeOS’ efficiency, you’ll be able to slow down the pace at which you buy servers, lower the cost of storage capacity, and simplify operations. At the same time, you experience the peace of mind of an infrastructure-wide approach to data protection and high availability that is the best in the industry.

Want to learn more? Use this link to arrange a time for us to conduct a technical whiteboard session on how VergeOS’ elegant architecture is uniquely positioned to deliver on all of these promises.

Filed Under: VMwareExit Tagged With: ,

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE [Ann Arbor, MI: April, 30th] – CenterGrid, a prominent Managed Service Provider (MSP) and Cloud Services Provider (CSP), delivering services since 2009,, has announced a major overhaul of its IT infrastructure with the implementation of VergeIO’s Ultraconverged Infrastructure (UCI). This strategic shift significantly advances CenterGrid’s service offerings, particularly in the demanding Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector and GPU-powered workloads such as VFX and AI.

Revolutionizing Managed IT Services

CenterGrid has evolved from providing essential infrastructure services to comprehensive, turnkey-managed IT solutions, including Cloud services. This evolution was driven by the need to respond swiftly to dynamic IT requests, including deploying new systems or scaling existing ones, while adhering to stringent timelines.

Specialization in Media and Entertainment Industry

Recognizing the unique challenges in the M&E industry, CenterGrid has developed a specialization that addresses the limitations of traditional MSP data centers, particularly those imposed by legacy infrastructure software. These challenges include restricted virtual machine density and inadequate graphics processing capabilities.

Overcoming the Legacy Virtualization Challenge

Chris Beard, COO of CenterGrid, identified restrictive hardware support and high resource consumption as significant hurdles when using legacy hypervisors that make up the core of an infrastructure software solution. “The limitations imposed by legacy infrastructure software’s support of hardware variability and its performance penalties were throttling our ability to meet our client’s needs, especially in the rapidly evolving Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector,” Beard stated.

Embracing VergeIO’s Innovative Solution

After extensive testing of various alternative hypervisors, CenterGrid discovered VergeIO. VergeIO’s UCI solution, VergeOS, stood out for its per-server licensing model, comprehensive networking, virtualization, and storage integration. CenterGrid was particularly impressed with VergeOS’s exceptional migration capabilities from legacy infrastructure software solutions.

Yan Ness, CEO of VergeIO, expressed enthusiasm about this partnership: “We are thrilled to see CenterGrid leverage VergeOS to its full potential. Our vision has always been to provide a versatile and powerful platform for Mid-sized data centers, enterprises, and service providers. It provides unique benefits to service providers like CenterGrid, enabling them to excel in service delivery.”

Operational Excellence Achieved

CenterGrid’s rigorous testing proved that VergeOS matched and exceeded their previous solution’s capabilities, especially in terms of setup, operation, and GPU support. The platform’s responsiveness in large-scale environments was a game-changer for CenterGrid’s operations.

Significant Cost Savings and Enhanced Efficiency

The transition to VergeOS has led to considerable cost savings for CenterGrid, especially in licensing fees. “The shift to VergeOS is not just a technical upgrade; it’s a strategic move that aligns with our vision of cost-efficiency and operational excellence,” added Beard.

Future Outlook

With the successful implementation of VergeOS, CenterGrid is now well-positioned to focus on expanding its customer base and enhancing service offerings, moving away from the constraints of infrastructure management.

About CenterGrid CenterGrid has grown into a leading MSP and CSP, specializing in providing comprehensive IT services with a focus on the Media and Entertainment industry. With a commitment to innovation and customer service, CenterGrid continues to set the standard in managed IT solutions.

About VergeIO VergeIO is the leading VMware Alternative. Unlike hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI), its ultraconverged infrastructure (UCI) rotates the traditional IT stack (computing, storage, and networking) into an integrated data center operating environment, VergeOS. Its efficiency enables greater workload density using existing hardware while improving data resiliency. The result is dramatically lower costs, improved availability, and greatly simplified IT.

Filed Under: Press Release Tagged With: ,

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Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is a vital part of any IT decision, and the TCO of a VMware alternative is no exception. Our recent survey of VMware customers found that IT professionals are looking for a VMware alternative to do more than just lower licensing costs. They are looking for a solution that can lower the cost of the entire infrastructure, both upfront and long-term. The problem is that most alternatives focus solely on upfront license costs, masking simplicity behind strict hardware requirements, eventually increasing the total cost of ownership (TCO).

Reducing Infrastructure Operation Costs

Lowering the TCO of a VMware alternative requires that IT can reduce one of the most significant costs outside of the license, which is the time cost of people operating it. The problem is that most alternatives use a similar approach to deliver infrastructure services as VMware. They use a layer or stacked approach, squeezing separate pieces of software onto a server. However, VMware alternative vendors complicate things because they typically use open-source components that were not originally designed to work together. They try to emulate integration by adding a “custom” graphical user interface (GUI).

The layered approach, correctly labeled “the stack,” adds significant overhead and slows down operations as the loosely connected components try to exchange information between themselves. Each layer in the stack often requires a virtual machine and its high-availability functionality. When you navigate this stack, its overhead becomes evident as you interact with the GUI. Once burdened with only a few dozen virtual machines, the interface can take 30 seconds or more to refresh or update with each interaction. This refresh time leads to hours a day waiting for screen refreshes.

VergeOS – Integrated Operational Simplicity

the TCO of a VMware alternative

VergeOS is unique in the infrastructure software market in that it provides a fully integrated solution. There is no stack. A single piece of software provides all the functionality that the above VMware Alternatives try to cobble together. VergeOS includes an enterprise-class hypervisor, storage services, and networking functionality. The result is an operational experience that enables IT professionals to move through their day seamlessly. As our customer, SkiBig3 stated in a recent webinar, “I don’t spend all day in the VergeIO interface. I get what I need to get done and then take care of other tasks. Managing infrastructure is something I get done a few minutes per day instead of hours.”

Reducing Infrastructure Hardware Costs

Lowering infrastructure hardware costs can also lower the TCO of a VMware Alternative. The problem is that most alternatives deliver the exact opposite. In the name of “simplification,” they require that you purchase a turnkey solution from them or buy hardware from a certified vendor. The configurations are often designed to compensate for the inefficiency of their stack.

In addition, most VMware alternatives lack built-in, integrated storage functionality and networking capabilities, or they use a stand-alone open-source component. This shortcoming either forces customers to purchase dedicated storage arrays and network appliances for routing and firewalls or learn and configure another piece of infrastructure software.

VergeOS – Bring Your Own Hardware

Over 95% of the organizations we speak to have server hardware suitable for hosting VergeOS. This support flexibility is another of the by-products of delivering a fully integrated solution. At VergeIO, we have never forced customers to upgrade hardware to support an upcoming version of VergeOS. Our customers often mix six-year-old hardware with three-month-old hardware and manage it all from a single instance of our solution. The result is an infrastructure that evolves with your needs and the practicality of hardware innovation.

Integrating storage and networking services into VergeOS means that IT professionals can gradually eliminate the need for dedicated storage arrays and networking appliances. This integration has the added benefit that the entire infrastructure is now aware that they exist. For example, VergeOS integrates deduplication at its core, which means both the hypervisor and network are “dedupe aware.” The result is that the deduplication, since it is integrated into the core of VergeIO, lowers compute and networking requirements in addition to storage capacity.

Reducing Infrastructure Upgrade Costs

the TCO of a VMware alternative

Part of reducing the TCO of a VMware alternative is ensuring that the cost of upgrading the infrastructure doesn’t become prohibitive. Customers are looking to escape the VMware practice of no longer supporting certain hardware as new versions of its software are released. Given infrastructure software’s potential to provide high availability and redundancy, IT professionals should be free to run existing hardware for years while gradually mixing in newer hardware. Organizational demand should drive hardware upgrades, not software inefficiencies.

The turnkey hardware approach and strict hardware compatibility guides that some infrastructure software vendors employ make upgrades difficult. In most cases, all the servers must be refreshed at once instead of gradually replaced as needed or required by age. This practice also makes it difficult to solve a specific problem, such as if the infrastructure only needs more storage capacity but not additional computing power.

VergeOS – Future Scale

VergeOS is designed to enable IT professionals to adapt their infrastructure gradually as the needs of the business demand it. It supports dramatically different nodes within the same instance. Servers can be from different vendors, generations or brands of processors, and configurations (storage-heavy, compute-heavy, GPU-enhanced). VergeOS uses off-the-shelf NVMe-Flash and Hard Disk Drives, making capacity less expensive than dedicated storage arrays by a factor of five or more while delivering a robust set of enterprise-class storage services.

VergeOS’s capability to integrate with existing and diverse hardware components underscores its value proposition in reducing the overall TCO. By eliminating the need for dedicated storage arrays and networking appliances and by allowing for a gradual, need-based hardware upgrade path, VergeOS presents a sustainable model that aligns with the practical realities of IT budgeting.

Conclusion

Evaluating the TCO of a VMware alternative requires a holistic approach and an understanding of the triggers that can increase TCO. IT professionals must consider the operational, hardware, and upgrade costs associated with infrastructure software. VergeOS stands out by offering a fully integrated solution that simplifies the operational process and significantly reduces the reliance on expensive, dedicated hardware and the costs associated with upgrading and scaling infrastructure. This integrated approach allows for a seamless operational experience and a more cost-effective, flexible hardware strategy, setting a new standard in the industry for efficiency and adaptability.

Are you ready to map out your VMware Exit? Schedule a 15-minute session with one of our experts, and we will create a custom step-by-step transition guide for you.

Filed Under: VMwareExit Tagged With: ,