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VMware Alternative

Enterprise Virtualization, Built on KVM

Run long-lived Windows and Linux workloads on a VM-first platform with centralized management, high availability, live migration, flexible storage, backup, and software-defined networking. Deploy with existing shared storage in a converged architecture or use Ceph-powered hyperconverged infrastructure.


ARCHITECTURE CHOICE

Virtualization Without Forced Architecture Choices

Retain the VM operating model your infrastructure team already understands while selecting the compute, storage,
and networking architecture that best fits each data center.

1 Platform

Unified VM
Operations

Manage clusters, hosts, virtual machines, storage, and networks through a unified interface and API without introducing a separate cloud operating model.
2 Modes

Converged or Hyperconverged

Reuse supported SAN and NAS infrastructure in a converged architecture or combine KVM compute and Ceph storage in a hyperconverged cluster.
Self-Hosted

Private and Air-
Gapped

Operate management and virtualization services entirely within the customer environment, including sovereign, regulated, and air-gapped data centers.
Capabilities

Enterprise VM Operations on KVM

Operate traditional applications, databases, infrastructure services, and virtual appliances using familiar VM workflows and open infrastructure technologies.

Centralized VM
Management

Provision, clone, template, resize, snapshot, and monitor Windows and Linux virtual machines through a unified management interface, command-line tools, and APIs.

High Availability and Live Migration

Automatically restart protected virtual machines on healthy nodes following a host failure. Move running workloads between compatible nodes during planned maintenance with minimal interruption.

Flexible Converged
Storage

Connect supported SAN, NAS, and shared-storage platforms, including NFS and iSCSI. Preserve existing storage investments and scale compute separately from storage.

Ceph Hyperconverged Infrastructure

Combine KVM compute and distributed block storage on the same cluster nodes. Ceph provides replicated, self-healing storage that grows with the infrastructure.

Open vSwitch Networking and XaasIO NFV

Create VLAN and VXLAN overlay networks using Open vSwitch. Add virtual routing, segmentation, firewalls, VPN services, and load balancing through XaasIO NFV.

Secure Operations and Data Protection

Apply role-based access, enterprise identity integration, audit visibility, VM backup policies, monitoring, and automation across the virtualization environment.
VMware Exit

A Controlled Path from VMware to XaasIO Virtualization

Move virtual machine workloads without forcing application redesign. Migrate in controlled waves, validate each business service, and preserve familiar day-2 operating practices.

Assess

Inventory hosts, virtual machines, networks, storage, dependencies, and performance requirements. Classify workloads, identify compatibility requirements, and select converged or hyperconverged target architectures.

Migrate

Convert and import virtual machines into KVM, map storage and network configurations, validate guest drivers and applications, and execute phased cutovers with agreed rollback plans.

Operate

Enable high availability, backup, monitoring, access policies, and automation. Keep stable workloads unchanged and modernize selected applications only where it provides measurable value.
Comparison

Why XaasIO Virtualization

A practical VM-first alternative for organizations moving away from proprietary virtualization without being forced into a cloud-only, container-only, or HCI-only operating model.

vs. VMware vSphere and VCF

vs. HCI-Only Platforms

vs. Cloud-First VM Platforms

The XaasIO Advantage

Software supply chain assurance

Every supported XaasIO Compute release includes an Upstream SBOM and XaasIO Release SBOM, covering components, dependencies, licences, vulnerabilities, provenance and signed artifacts. SPDX or CycloneDX outputs support SOC 2-aligned controls and audit evidence.

SPDX and CycloneDX outputs are available for every supported release


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

XaasIO Virtualization FAQs

Clear answers about XaasIO Virtualization, KVM, VMware migration, converged and hyperconverged deployment, storage, networking, and day-2 operations.

XaasIO Virtualization is a VM-first enterprise virtualization platform built on KVM. It runs long-lived Windows and Linux virtual machines in converged architectures using supported external storage or in hyperconverged architectures using Ceph distributed storage.


What is XaasIO Virtualization?
XaasIO Virtualization is a VM-first enterprise virtualization platform built on KVM. It provides centralized management for hosts, clusters, virtual machines, storage and networking.

It is designed for long-lived Windows and Linux workloads, including databases, enterprise applications, virtual appliances and infrastructure services.
Is XaasIO Virtualization an alternative to VMware?

Yes. XaasIO Virtualization is a KVM-based alternative for organizations moving appropriate workloads away from VMware vSphere and related proprietary virtualization infrastructure.

It provides virtual machine provisioning, templates, snapshots, high availability, live migration, flexible storage, backup integration and software-defined networking. Existing workload, networking, storage and operational dependencies should be assessed before migration.

Which hypervisor does XaasIO Virtualization use?
XaasIO Virtualization uses the Linux Kernel-based Virtual Machine, or KVM, as its virtualization foundation.

KVM enables Linux hosts to run isolated Windows and Linux virtual machines using hardware-assisted virtualization. XaasIO provides centralized management, lifecycle operations, storage, networking, high availability, automation, and enterprise support around this foundation.
What is the difference between XaasIO Virtualization and XaasIO Compute?
XaasIO Virtualization is designed for VM-first operations and long-lived enterprise virtual machines. It provides familiar cluster, host, storage, and VM administration without requiring a cloud operating model.

XaasIO Compute is an OpenStack-based cloud platform designed for API-driven infrastructure, self-service provisioning, multi-tenancy, quotas, and cloud-scale workload operations.

Use XaasIO Virtualization for traditional enterprise virtualization. Use XaasIO Compute when the requirement is to operate a private, sovereign, or service-provider cloud.
Does XaasIO Virtualization require hyperconverged infrastructure?
No. XaasIO Virtualization supports both converged and hyperconverged deployment models.

In a converged architecture, compute hosts connect to supported external SAN, NAS, or shared-storage systems. In a hyperconverged architecture, KVM compute and Ceph distributed storage run on the same cluster nodes.
Which storage options does XaasIO Virtualization support?
XaasIO Virtualization supports external shared storage for converged deployments, and Ceph distributed storage for hyperconverged deployments.

Converged designs can include supported NFS, iSCSI, SAN, and NAS platforms. In a hyperconverged design, Ceph provides distributed block storage with replication, failure-domain awareness, and self-healing capabilities.

The final storage architecture should be selected according to workload latency, throughput, availability, capacity, and recovery requirements.
Does XaasIO Virtualization support high availability and live migration?

Yes. High availability can restart protected virtual machines on healthy cluster nodes following a host failure.

Live migration can move running virtual machines between compatible hosts during planned maintenance. Migration behaviour depends on shared storage, processor compatibility, network capacity, workload activity and virtual device configuration.

Please use minimal interruption and do not publish an unconditional zero-downtime claim.

What networking capabilities are available with XaasIO Virtualization?

XaasIO Virtualization supports software-defined networking based on Open vSwitch, including VLAN networks and VXLAN overlay networks.

XaasIO NFV extends the platform with virtual routing, network segmentation, virtual firewalls, VPN services and load balancing.

Does XaasIO Virtualization replace VMware NSX?

XaasIO NFV provides selected networking and security capabilities commonly required in virtualized data centers, including overlay networking, virtual routing, segmentation, firewalls, VPN services and load balancing.

It should not be described as a complete feature-for-feature replacement for every VMware NSX deployment. XaasIO must first assess the customer’s existing NSX usage, security policies, routing model, microsegmentation requirements and third-party integrations.

Can XaasIO Virtualization operate in air-gapped environments?

Yes. XaasIO Virtualization can be deployed within private, sovereign, regulated and air-gapped data centers.

Core virtualization and management operations do not require an external SaaS control plane. Repositories, updates, identity, monitoring, backup and support procedures can be aligned with the customer’s network-isolation policies.

Can XaasIO Virtualization run Windows and Linux virtual machines?

Yes. XaasIO Virtualization is designed to run supported Windows and Linux guest operating systems on KVM.

Compatibility depends on the guest operating-system version, virtual drivers, application dependencies, licensing requirements and vendor support policies. During migration, XaasIO validates each workload and installs or updates the required KVM-compatible drivers.

How are VMware virtual machines migrated to XaasIO Virtualization?

Migration begins with an assessment of virtul machines, applications, storage, networks, dependencies, performance and business criticality. Workloads are then grouped into controlled migration waves.

>Virtual disks and configurations are converted or imported into the KVM environment. Guest drivers are validated, storage and network mappings are applied, and application testing is completed ,before production cutover.

Each production migration wave should include validation criteria and a rollback plan.

Does XaasIO Virtualization provide backup and disaster recovery?

XaasIO Virtualization supports VM snapshots, scheduled backup operations and integration with supported data-protection platforms.

Disaster recovery is designed according to the required recovery point objective, recovery time objective, site topology, replication method and application dependencies.

Backup, high availability and disaster recovery must be presented as separate capabilities.

How does XaasIO Virtualization scale?

XaasIO Virtualization scales by adding KVM compute nodes, expanding external shared storage or adding Ceph capacity to a hyperconverged cluster.

The appropriate design depends on processor generation, memory capacity, workload density, storage performance, network bandwidth, failure domains and operational requirements.

Do not publish an unsupported universal maximum cluster size.

Which organizations should use XaasIO Virtualization?

XaasIO Virtualization is suitable for enterprises, government agencies, financial institutions, regulated organizations, service providers and data centers that operate long-lived Windows and Linux virtual machines.

It is particularly relevant for organizations evaluating a VMware exit, retaining existing SAN or NAS infrastructure, deploying Ceph-based HCI, operating air-gapped infrastructure or standardizing VM operations on KVM.

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