Escaping the VMware Uncertainty : Seamlessly Migrate Legacy Applications to OpenShift

The Impact of Broadcom’s VMware Acquisition

IT leaders must have experienced a chill in their spine in late 2023 - That's when Broadcom acquired VMware for $69 billion . If Broadcom's past acquisition have taught us anything ( eg. Symantec, PLX), it's that there are more changes to come and ...here's a secret... I don't think it's going to be good news for a lot of people.

VMware, has been the backbone of many enterprises’ IT infrastructure for decades. However, this acquisition has introduced a lot of uncertainty, particularly due to

1. Rising licensing costs

2. Changes in support models, and the

3. Elimination of perpetual licenses.

Looking at a glass half full perspective, these changes have prompted a reevaluation of IT strategies, with some considering alternative platforms.

• A shift towards a more cost-effective, scalable, and future-proof solution.

One such platform is Red Hat OpenShift - It provides a unified environment for both virtual machines (VMs) and containers, making it an ideal choice for businesses looking to modernize their legacy applications without disruption.

In this blog, we’ll explore why Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware has created a tipping point and, (why how) you should migrate legacy applications to OpenShift

Rising Costs and Uncertainty

Here's why VMware customers are worried.

1. Elimination of Perpetual Licenses

Broadcom has shifted VMware’s licensing model from perpetual licenses to subscription-based pricing. This change forces customers to continuously pay for software access rather than owning it outright

2. Dramatic Price Increases

Many organizations have reported massive price hikes—some as high as 400% to 700%—as a result of the new subscription model. This is particularly challenging for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited budgets. Add to this,

1. A change in pricing model, from a CPU based to core based licensing

2. Shrinking of individual SKU's to just 4 larger product bundles, meaning you'll be paying for stuff you won't need

3. Uncertain Product Roadmap

There is growing concern about the future development and support of certain VMware products. There has been many layoffs and product divestments, raising questions about long-term support and innovation.

4. Lack of support

Post acquisition, Many frustrated customers have complained of poor customer support, with people saying it's near impossible to reach Broadcom's support reps. Broadcom has also discontinued it's partner program (Cloud service provider), leaving many IT teams without an able partner to manage their licensing, administrative workload and last but not the least, their mission critical environments

For organizations heavily reliant on VMware for their data center operations, these impacts are driving them to reevaluate options. From migrating to the cloud, or consolidating on HCI platforms like Nutanix, HyperV , there are a number of options.

But Here's why OpenShift should be your go to choice - Greater flexibility and control.

Why OpenShift? A Future-Proof Alternative to VMware

In this uncertain time, Red Hat OpenShift emerges as a strong contender. Here’s why:

- Unified Platform for VMs and Containers

OpenShift Virtualization allows organizations to run both traditional VMs and modern containerized applications on a single platform. This hybrid approach simplifies management and enables businesses to modernize at their own pace.

- Cost Efficiency

By moving away from VMware’s expensive subscription model, organizations can reduce their licensing costs with OpenShift. Additionally, OpenShift’s open-source foundation provides more flexibility in terms of deployment options (on-premises or in the cloud), helping businesses avoid vendor lock-in.

- Cloud-Native Readiness

OpenShift is built on Kubernetes, the industry standard for container orchestration. This makes it an ideal platform for organizations looking to adopt cloud-native architectures without sacrificing support for legacy applications.

However, Any migration is easier said than done.

The Challenges of Migrating Legacy Applications from VMware

1. Monolithic Architectures

Many legacy applications are monolithic in nature, making them difficult to break down into microservices or containers.

2. Complex Dependencies

These applications often rely on specific versions of databases or external services that may not be easily portable.

3. High Uptime Requirements

Downtime during migration can lead to significant business disruptions—especially for mission-critical applications.

However, with proper planning and the right tools, these challenges can be overcome.

How to Migrate Applications from VMware to OpenShift Without Disruption

Step 1: Assess Your Legacy Applications

Before starting the migration process, conduct a thorough assessment of your legacy applications:

- Identify application dependencies.

- Evaluate performance requirements.

- Determine whether a lift-and-shift approach or refactoring is needed.

Step 2: Use Red Hat’s Migration Toolkit for Virtualization (MTV)

Red Hat’s Migration Toolkit for Virtualization (MTV) simplifies VM migrations by automating much of the process:

- Install MTV Operator on your OpenShift cluster.

- Define your source (VMware) and destination (OpenShift) environments.

- Use MTV’s warm migration feature to copy data while keeping VMs live on VMware until final cutover.

Step 3: Maintain Connectivity with Red Hat Service Interconnect

One key challenge during migration is ensuring continuous connectivity between components running on different platforms.

Red Hat Service Interconnect creates a Virtual Application Network (VAN), allowing services on both platforms to communicate seamlessly during migration. This ensures zero downtime as traffic is automatically rerouted between environments.

Step 4: Phased Migration Approach

A phased migration minimizes risk by gradually moving workloads:

- Start with non-critical components.

- Test functionality in the new environment before moving mission-critical parts.

By using MTV’s warm migration option and Service Interconnect for seamless traffic routing, you can ensure that services remain available throughout the process.

Step 5: Test and Validate

After migrating each component:

- Conduct thorough testing.

- Validate network connectivity using Service Interconnect.

Ensure that all dependencies are functioning correctly before decommissioning VMware resources.

Case Study: Migrating a Financial Services Application

By using Red Hat Service Interconnect:

1. The payment processor is migrated first while maintaining its connection with other components still running on vSphere.

2. Traffic is automatically rerouted through Service Interconnect once the payment processor is live on OpenShift.

3. Finally, after validating its performance, the database is migrated similarly—completing the transition with zero downtime.

Conclusion

As Broadcom's acquisition of VMware continues to create uncertainty and rising costs, organizations need to evaluate their virtualization strategy carefully.

OpenShift Virtualization offers a mature, stable, and cost-effective alternative that not only addresses immediate concerns but also positions organizations for future success in the cloud-native era.

1. By choosing OpenShift, organizations can maintain control over their infrastructure costs while gaining access to modern container technologies and cloud-native capabilities.

2. The platform's ability to run both VMs and containers side-by-side makes it an ideal solution for organizations looking to modernize their infrastructure while protecting their existing investments in virtualized workloads.

SBA Info Solutions - What We Do

We specialize in enterprise infrastructure modernization, focusing on VMware to OpenShift migrations. Our technical expertise helps organizations reduce annual infrastructure costs while enabling cloud-native capabilities. Using Red Hat's Migration Toolkit for Virtualization (MTV) and automated deployment strategies, we ensure zero-downtime transitions for both legacy VMs and modern containerized workloads.

Core Capabilities:

• VMware to OpenShift migration architecture and implementation

• Automated VM-to-container transformation

• Hybrid cloud infrastructure optimization

• DevOps enablement and CI/CD pipeline integration

With proven experience in VM environments & Redhat, we deliver measurable cost reductions while modernizing your infrastructure for future scalability.

Citations:

[1] https://www.itbrew.com/stories/2024/04/03/broadcom-ceo-admits-vmware-takeover-has-resulted-in-some-unease-among-our-customers

[2] https://www.parkplacetechnologies.com/blog/vmware-licensing-changes-details-implications-recommendations/

[3] https://blog.purestorage.com/perspectives/vmware-then-and-now-how-virtualization-is-evolving/

[4] https://www.simform.com/blog/broadcom-vmware-acquisition-impact-on-your-it-setup/

[5] https://www.cio.com/article/2513389/vmware-licensing-and-pricing-hikes-what-options-do-you-have.html

[6] https://www.techtarget.com/searchitoperations/feature/5-common-virtualization-problems-and-how-to-solve-them

[7] https://www.marcumllp.com/insights/broadcom-acquisition-how-vmware-users-are-taking-a-hit

[8] https://www.cio.com/article/2093486/vmware-customers-take-wait-and-see-approach-amid-broadcom-changes.html