Modernize Your Data Center: A Strategic Guide to Transforming VMware Infrastructure with XaasIO

You’ve been keeping a close eye on the evolving situation with VMware for some time now, probably over a year. You already understand that major changes are on the horizon, and preparation is essential. Your team is ready. You’ve secured the budget, outlined the timeline, and allocated the necessary resources.

But there’s still one unanswered question: How do you actually make the move?
If that’s where you’re stuck, then you’ve come to the right place. XaasIO is here to help guide that transformation.

In this short blog, we’ll walk you through XaasIO’s proven approach to transforming VMware infrastructure by fully cloudifying your data center. We’ll also explore why embracing the future is far more strategic than holding onto outdated systems.

Past vs. Future

Over the past two decades, enterprise IT has undergone a major transformation. Organizations that once relied on traditional, on-premise data center operations began shifting toward full workload virtualization to improve agility and maximize resource efficiency.

VMware played a key role in this transition. With its robust vSphere suite, it delivered an enterprise-grade platform that addressed the evolving needs of its customers, quickly becoming a leader in the virtualization space.

The Unstoppable Technological Shift

Two decades after VMware’s breakthrough success, many of its customers now face a critical decision: what comes next?

In search of alternatives, some turn to other proprietary virtualization platforms. While these options may seem like easy wins, they often come with the same long-term challenges: vendor lock-in and rising total cost of ownership (TCO). Simply put, sticking with legacy systems, VMware or otherwise, is no longer a sustainable strategy.

The future lies in cloud computing. As Gartner predicts, by 2025, nearly 50% of IT budgets will be allocated to cloud infrastructure. But relying solely on public clouds can also reintroduce the very problems you’re trying to escape.

The good news? It’s now entirely possible to build a full-featured, cost-effective cloud infrastructure on your own premises, with flexibility and control at the core. XaasIO helps make that a reality.

Cloudify Your Data Centre

You’ve probably heard of OpenStack, the world’s leading open-source cloud platform. But it doesn’t stop there. It’s also worth exploring other alternatives. Take XaasIO MicroCloud, for instance. When organizations begin their transition away from VMware, they often expect the new cloud environment to replicate the exact behavior of the vSphere suite.

That’s where many fall into a trap.

Cloud isn’t just virtualization; it’s an entirely different paradigm, with its own strengths and challenges. Regardless of the platform you choose, cloud environments operate on different architectural principles than VMware. That’s because cloud computing was designed to address a broader set of challenges than just virtualization.

So, does that mean cloud can’t replace VMware?

Absolutely not. It simply means that the journey requires thoughtful planning. Most VMware features do have open-source equivalents, but in some cases, workloads may need to be re-architected to take full advantage of cloud-native benefits.

Cloudify Your Workload

We’re all familiar with the concept of cloud-native, but what about cloud-ready? Let’s take a step back. While cloud-native is certainly the ideal long-term goal, for your initial migration phase, achieving a cloud-ready state is more than enough.

The real challenge lies in the nature of certain VMware workloads; many of them are what we call legacy “pets.” These are workloads that were virtualized years ago and haven’t been re-architected since. Often, they depend heavily on VMware-native features like vSphere HA or Fault Tolerance.

Expecting these workloads to run identically in a cloud environment, whether on OpenStack, XaasIO MicroCloud, or any other solution, can be a bit ambitious. That said, it’s not impossible. It just takes the right approach, a solid understanding of dependencies, and a willingness to adapt.

XaasIO Infrastructure Stack

Before migrating any workload to the cloud, it’s best to ensure that it’s cloud-ready. In other words, the workload should ideally meet the following criteria:

• Can be provisioned and terminated on demand
• Is launched from an image and customized during deployment
• Stores state data on nonvolatile storage
• Is built to scale out rather than scale up
• Utilizes high availability mechanisms via software or native cloud features
• Incorporates disaster recovery using native cloud features or third-party tools
• Is designed to take advantage of other native cloud capabilities like Load Balancing as a Service (LBaaS)

The most reliable and efficient approach to this transition is a gradual, iterative migration. Build your cloud environment first, and then begin moving workloads, starting with the quick wins.

Many organizations choose to run both environments side by side during this transitional phase to reduce risk and ensure continuity. A great example of this strategy is what Sicredi implemented.

In Summary

Migrating to the cloud is a significant and strategic undertaking; it’s not something that happens overnight. But when approached with a solid plan and careful execution, it can deliver measurable advantages and move your organization confidently into the future.