hi. u ever tried moving a legacy VMware workload?
not fun. there’s always a busted backup plan, a finance guy panicking about licensing, and some old dev server named dev2-final-final-actualthisone running SQL 2008 that nobody wants to touch.
but u gotta move. datacenter lease’s expiring. hardware’s dying. CFO’s breathing down ur neck. and public cloud? looks terrifying.
relax. Azure’s got u. specifically — Azure VMware Solution. aka AVS. aka lift-shift-without-screaming.
wait — what is AVS, actually?)
AVS is like someone took ur VMware environment, picked it up gently, and dropped it into Azure without breaking anything.
u get full vSphere, vSAN, NSX-T — running on dedicated, bare-metal nodes inside Azure’s datacenters.
not emulated. not containerized. real VMware. fully supported by both VMware and Microsoft. with the same tools u already know:
– vCenter
– vMotion
– HCX
– NSX Manager
– all that fun ESXi stuff))
no need to rewrite apps. no need to retrain staff. and no, u don’t need to refactor that ERP monster built in 2011. just connect HCX, hit migrate, and let it fly.
and the best part? Microsoft runs the underlying infra — hardware, fabric, updates — so u don’t have to stress over the plumbing.
this is a VMware-certified solution, fully operational inside Azure, on dedicated physical nodes that behave just like ur data center did… but better.
peek under the hood here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-vmware/overview
efficient migration without the chaos)
AVS is built for migration that doesn’t suck.
using VMware HCX, u can move hundreds of VMs — live or cold — with zero refactoring.
it keeps IPs, MACs, app state, everything. u can even stretch ur network so apps don’t realize they’ve moved to a new data center 800 miles away.
this isn’t just theoretical. real orgs have already migrated entire environments in weeks, not months.
Microsoft even has the Rapid Migration Plan that helps u cut cost, shrink timelines, and get guided assistance from partners.
check if u qualify, cause it can save serious money — and even more sanity.
what stays the same: operational consistency)
nobody wants a migration that breaks muscle memory.
AVS keeps everything u know — same vSphere console, same clustering rules, same permissions, same backup routines.
even ur scripts? they still work. the ops team doesn’t have to throw out years of tooling.
that’s what people mean when they say operational consistency — not “sorta familiar,” but exactly what u expect. just… in the cloud now.
bonus: integration with over 200 Azure services)
and once u land in Azure, ur options blow wide open.
ur VMs can plug right into services like:
– Azure SQL Managed Instance
– Azure Monitor
– Azure Backup
– Defender for Cloud
– Microsoft Entra ID
– Azure AI and Machine Learning
– Key Vault, Cosmos DB, Logic Apps, and… u get the idea 😎
this ain’t just hosting — it’s hybrid cloud on steroids. legacy VMs can talk to modern services over an express lane, no public traffic involved.
u don’t have to choose between old and new — u can run both, side by side, and connect ’em tight.
what about third-party integrations? glad u asked)
AVS comes with a massive partner ecosystem.
want to do DR to another region? cool — use Zerto or Veeam.
need expanded storage? NetApp Files and Azure Files got u.
want to roll out virtual desktops? integrate with AVD.
need backup, encryption, DLP, traffic monitoring? pick your stack — chances are it plugs right into AVS.
this ecosystem lets u stitch together ur infra the way u like — not the way cloud vendors force u to.
security? governance? oh it’s there)
AVS is native to Azure. that means it’s not off to the side — it is part of the cloud fabric.
ur traffic is protected by NSGs, Azure Firewall, route tables, even private endpoints.
ur identities can be managed by Entra ID. policies enforced via Azure Policy. logs shipped to Microsoft Sentinel.
and all of this is auditable, traceable, and can trigger alerts, actions, or Logic Apps if anything goes sideways.
plus — compliance is easier when u keep the architecture ur auditors already understand.
real customers, real wins)
this isn’t theory. Microsoft’s got case studies, demos, and walk-throughs of orgs that used AVS to:
– exit datacenters before lease deadlines
– migrate 200+ VMs without downtime
– modernize apps post-migration with Azure Functions and SQL PaaS
– implement full DR failover in hours (not months)
– unify identity and security post-migration
and yes, u can see the demos, test it yourself, even build a PoC in ur sandbox tenant.
these aren’t fluffy marketing slides. they’re real environments solving real legacy hell.
cost? not free. but fair.
AVS runs on bare metal — that ain’t gonna cost peanuts.
but u pay for what u get: power, flexibility, and a team that maintains ur hypervisor.
u get predictable pricing, reserved instances, and hybrid licensing discounts.
combine that with migration plans and reserved capacity savings — and yeah, it can beat the cost of on-prem fast. especially when u factor in hardware, cooling, staff, and panic.
don’t wait — modernize without reinventing everything)
start here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-vmware/overview
spin up a PoC. migrate one VM. connect it to Azure SQL. feel the speed.
u don’t need to break things to move forward. u just need a plan — and a platform that respects ur past and supports ur future.
AVS gives u both.
don’t let ur infra rot on old racks and sticky tape backups.
move smart. stay consistent. scale global.
VMware’s alive and well — in Azure %)