VxRail

Organizations looking for VxRail alternatives and VMware Exits face a forced reset after Dell announced that VxRail customers should transition toward Dell Private Cloud. What Dell once positioned as a stable, long-term private cloud foundation, they now position as a transitional platform with a stated end of life. VxRail customers now face two gaps simultaneously. The first is finding an alternative to VMware. The second is finding an alternative to vSAN.

Key Takeaways

• VxRail customers face a dual challenge: Finding alternatives to both VMware and vSAN after Dell announced the transition to Dell Private Cloud.
• Dell Private Cloud disaggregates infrastructure: Requires new servers, external storage arrays (PowerStore), and coordination across multiple product lifecycles.
• No immediate VMware exit: Dell Private Cloud currently supports only VMware as a hypervisor, with Nutanix AHV and Red Hat OpenShift coming later.
• VergeOS runs on existing VxRail hardware: Organizations can preserve hardware investments by deploying VergeOS on current VxRail servers and internal SSDs.
• Software substitution vs. infrastructure rebuild: VergeOS consolidates VMware, vSAN, networking, and data protection into one platform, treating the exit as a software decision rather than a forklift upgrade.
• Different architectural philosophies: Dell Private Cloud manages complexity across multiple products; VergeOS eliminates complexity through architectural consolidation.

The question most teams now face is whether Dell Private Cloud is the right landing zone, or whether a less disruptive path exists that avoids turning a software decision into a full infrastructure rebuild.

Key Terms

• VxRail — Dell’s VMware-exclusive hyperconverged infrastructure appliance that integrated vSAN storage with Dell PowerEdge servers. Now being phased out in favor of Dell Private Cloud.
• Dell Private Cloud — Dell’s strategic replacement for VxRail, featuring a disaggregated architecture built from Dell servers, external Dell storage platforms (PowerStore/PowerFlex), and Dell lifecycle automation delivered through APEX frameworks.
• vSAN (VMware vSAN) — VMware’s software-defined storage solution that creates a distributed storage layer across server-attached drives. Previously the storage foundation of VxRail systems.
• VergeOS — An infrastructure operating system that integrates compute virtualization, distributed storage, networking, and data protection into a single control plane, eliminating the need for external storage arrays or separate hypervisors.
• Disaggregated Architecture — An infrastructure model where compute, storage, and virtualization layers exist as separate, independently managed products that require coordination across multiple lifecycles and control planes.
• Infrastructure Operating System — A unified software platform that manages all infrastructure functions—compute, storage, networking, data protection—through a single control plane with one lifecycle and operational model.
• Hardware Reuse — The ability to continue using existing server hardware with new software platforms, preserving capital investment and avoiding forced refresh cycles during platform transitions.

The original VxRail promise

VMware vSAN promised simplicity, but many DIY deployments struggled with performance consistency, lifecycle coordination, and accountability for support. VxRail addressed those gaps by delivering a pre-engineered vSAN stack on Dell PowerEdge servers, validated as a complete system and backed by Dell support.

That experience came at a cost. To compensate for vSAN’s sensitivity to latency and contention, Dell over-provisions VxRail configurations. Dell added extra CPU, additional memory, and higher-performance storage media to deliver more consistent performance. This approach worked—it reduced operational risk and delivered something close to a private cloud experience—but many of the economic advantages of converged infrastructure disappeared. Organizations gave up hardware choice, accepted higher costs, and lost the flexibility that made converged infrastructure attractive in the first place.

Many organizations accepted that tradeoff. Predictability mattered more than theoretical efficiency. Vendor accountability mattered more than component choice.

The VxRail promise began to unravel after VMware changed ownership. Broadcom’s licensing model, pricing structure, and product direction introduced cost volatility and long-term uncertainty. VxRail customers started looking for an exit, and Dell recognized it needed to provide an alternative. That alternative is Dell Private Cloud, a platform intended to recreate a private cloud experience by coordinating across multiple products rather than a single integrated stack.

Dell Private Cloud as a VxRail alternative?

Dell Private Cloud is Dell’s strategic answer for customers looking for VxRail alternatives and VMware Exits. Rather than a tightly integrated, VMware-only appliance, Dell positions its Private Cloud as a vendor-coordinated private cloud stack built from Dell servers, Dell storage platforms, and Dell lifecycle automation. It shifts Dell’s private cloud strategy away from a single engineered system toward a disaggregated model in which Dell assembles and manages compute, storage, and the virtualization layer as separate components rather than as a single delivered product.

At the center of Dell Private Cloud sits Dell’s Automation Platform, delivered through APEX-oriented tooling and consumption models. Dell uses this platform to standardize design, deployment, firmware alignment, and ongoing lifecycle operations across multiple infrastructure components. Hypervisor choice forms a core part of the positioning. Dell presents Dell Private Cloud as hypervisor-flexible, allowing customers to select VMware or other cloud operating systems as Dell develops support for them.

The intent is straightforward. Dell wants to preserve the private cloud experience that VxRail customers expected, while removing VMware exclusivity and reasserting Dell’s role as the primary server and storage vendor. Instead of co-engineering an appliance with VMware, Dell now coordinates multiple software and hardware layers under its own operational framework.

For existing customers looking for VxRail alternatives and VMware Exits, this shift introduces a different set of tradeoffs. It changes the scope and complexity of what was previously a contained platform decision. In practice, three challenges emerge.

The hypervisor problem

Dell positions Dell Private Cloud as hypervisor-agnostic, but that flexibility depends on Dell-developed templates, validation work, and operational tooling. At present, ironically, VMware is the only fully supported hypervisor. Nutanix AHV and Red Hat OpenShift will arrive next, but availability and maturity lag behind the messaging.

The practical result is that Dell Private Cloud will eventually be a VxRail alternative for VMware exit. It functions as a continuation strategy, offering the promise of future options. Even when those alternatives arrive, they introduce new tradeoffs. Nutanix AHV often costs as much as VMware once teams fully license and support it. OpenShift represents a different operating model, with a steeper learning curve and a focus that extends beyond traditional virtualization.

For VxRail customers seeking relief from VMware pricing and licensing pressure, Dell Private Cloud delays resolution rather than providing it.

The server problem

VxRail systems are Dell PowerEdge servers configured with additional CPU and memory to support vSAN. From a technical perspective, little prevents these systems from continuing to run virtualized workloads on a different platform.

Dell has not stated that existing VxRail hardware qualifies for Dell Private Cloud. Documentation emphasizes new deployments and new configurations. VxRail customers evaluating Dell Private Cloud should assume new servers will be included in their plans.

This shift matters because it converts a software decision into a capital event. Customers who invested heavily in VxRail hardware to stabilize vSAN now face the prospect of retiring usable assets simply to exit VMware.

The storage problem

For customers looking for VxRail alternatives and VMware exits, storage becomes the most disruptive element when exploring Dell Private Cloud. Dell’s direction is explicit. Dell expects customers to move away from converged storage and adopt external Dell storage platforms, with PowerStore positioned as the primary option. vSAN no longer fits the architecture.

For VxRail customers, this creates three consequences. First, the internal SSDs in their servers become stranded assets. Second, organizations must purchase a new external storage system. This external storage system is likely an all-flash array, which exposes the organization to the AFA tax. Third, teams must adopt a new storage architecture and operational model.

The combination of unused capacity, new capital expense, and new skills creates friction that is difficult to justify. Organizations already purchased, deployed, and operated storage. Dell Private Cloud renders it unusable in pursuit of a different business objective.

VergeOS as a VMware exit for VxRail customers

VergeOS approaches the VxRail alternative, and VMware Exit challenges from a different direction. Instead of replacing vSAN with an external storage system and replacing VMware with another hypervisor, VergeOS replaces the appliance model itself with a single infrastructure operating system.

VergeOS integrates compute virtualization, distributed storage, networking, and data protection into a single control plane. Storage remains local to the servers but operates as a distributed system rather than through vSAN. No external array exists. No SAN layer exists. No separate storage lifecycle exists.

You can listen to multiple former VxRail customers, such as Alinsco Insurance and Topgolf, who have already validated the move to VergeOS. These organizations used VergeOS as their VMware and vSAN exit strategy without forcing an immediate hardware refresh. The critical difference is scope. The VMware exit with VergeOS does not require rebuilding storage, introducing a new SAN platform, or re-architecting the data center. Some environments continue running on existing VxRail servers and internal SSDs for years. Others added new servers gradually as capacity or performance requirements justified it. The result was a faster exit timeline, lower capital outlay, and a simpler operational model.

This matters because it collapses two migrations into one. Teams do not need to migrate off vSAN before migrating off VMware. VergeOS removes both dependencies simultaneously without introducing a new one. Hardware evolution becomes optional and incremental rather than mandatory and front-loaded.

Operationally, VergeOS behaves like an infrastructure operating system. Upgrades roll through the system non-disruptively. The platform supports mixed hardware generations by design. Storage policies, snapshots, replication, and recovery function as native capabilities rather than bolt-on features. Teams manage a single system rather than coordinating multiple products.

For organizations that adopted VxRail to reduce operational risk, this is the central point. VergeOS preserves the original goal of simplicity while improving flexibility and cost control. It delivers a private cloud experience without forcing customers to overbuy hardware, replace storage, or relearn their environment.

The Two Paths VxRail alternatives present

Dell Private Cloud and VergeOS represent fundamentally different answers to the VxRail alternatives, and VMware’s exit paradox. VxRail customers need to exit VMware and vSAN without incurring significant business disruption. Dell Private Cloud disaggregates what VxRail unified, requiring new servers, external storage arrays, and coordination across multiple product lifecycles. VergeOS consolidates VMware, vSAN, networking, and data protection into a single platform that runs on existing hardware, treating the VMware exit as a software replacement rather than an infrastructure rebuild.

Criteria	Dell Private Cloud	VergeOS
Hardware Use	New capital required	Existing assets preserved
New Storage Hardware	Strongly Reccomended	Not required
Lifecycle Model	Complex, multi-product	Integrated
Operational Simplicity	More interfaces	Single interface
Growth Model	Front-loaded	Incremental

The decision comes down to whether VxRail customers want to preserve their original objective or abandon it. Organizations willing to trade simplicity for vendor relationships will find Dell Private Cloud familiar. Organizations that want to protect their hardware investment, avoid storage migration projects, and reduce long-term operational burden will find that VergeOS fully delivers on the original VxRail promise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Dell Private Cloud provide a VMware exit today?

No. Dell Private Cloud currently supports only VMware as a fully validated hypervisor. Nutanix AHV and Red Hat OpenShift support is in development but not yet available. For organizations seeking immediate relief from VMware licensing costs, Dell Private Cloud functions as a continuation strategy rather than an exit path.

Can I use my existing VxRail hardware with Dell Private Cloud?

Dell has not stated that existing VxRail hardware qualifies for Dell Private Cloud. Documentation emphasizes new deployments and new server configurations. VxRail customers evaluating Dell Private Cloud should plan for new server purchases as part of the transition.

What happens to my vSAN storage investment with Dell Private Cloud?

Dell Private Cloud moves away from converged storage architectures. Dell expects customers to adopt external Dell storage platforms, primarily PowerStore. This means internal SSDs in VxRail servers become stranded assets, requiring organizations to purchase new external storage systems and adopt new storage operational models.

Can VergeOS run on existing VxRail hardware?

Yes. VergeOS runs directly on existing VxRail servers and continues to use internal SSDs for distributed storage. Organizations like Alinsco Insurance and Topgolf have validated this approach, preserving their hardware investments for years while exiting both VMware and vSAN simultaneously.

How does VergeOS handle storage differently than Dell Private Cloud?

VergeOS keeps storage local to the servers as a distributed system managed by the same control plane that governs compute and networking. There is no external array, no SAN layer, and no separate storage lifecycle. Dell Private Cloud requires external storage arrays (PowerStore or PowerFlex) with independent lifecycles and management systems.

What is the migration scope difference between the two platforms?

Dell Private Cloud requires standing up new infrastructure with new servers, external storage, and a new hypervisor (when alternatives become available). VergeOS collapses the VMware and vSAN exit into one software substitution that runs on existing hardware, eliminating separate storage migration projects and hardware refresh requirements.

Which platform reduces operational complexity more?

Dell Private Cloud coordinates complexity across multiple products—servers, storage arrays, hypervisors—each with separate lifecycles and management interfaces. VergeOS eliminates complexity at the architectural level by consolidating all infrastructure functions into one platform with one control plane, one upgrade path, and one operational model.