VMware Exit Migration: How to Plan a Hypervisor Migration Without Breaking Production

Last updated: 2 November 2026

A VMware exit migration means moving your virtual machines (VMs) off VMware to another platform. A VM is a software computer that runs on a shared physical server, and the software that runs VMs is called a hypervisor. For years VMware was the default choice. Licensing changes have made many companies ask whether to stay. This article gives a plan for moving without breaking production.

What changed and why it matters

Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware on 22 November 2023. VMware then announced that many products are at end of availability as standalone offers. The change covers perpetual licences and Support and Subscription (SnS). What remains is VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) and VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF), sold as subscription software only. vSphere Standard and vSphere Essentials Plus Kit remain for smaller environments.

Existing customers do not need to act straight away. VMware says it will keep offering active support through the length of your support contract, and customers should align with the new portfolio at renewal. Primary Guard estimates that licence increases are 50 to 300 percent in many cases. That is a company figure, so compare it with your own renewal quote.

Start with a workload inventory

List every VM, how much it uses, and what it depends on. Note any VMware-specific features, such as vSphere APIs, NSX network overlays or vSAN storage. NSX is VMware's network virtualisation product, and vSAN is its built-in shared storage. This is the step where most programmes succeed or run into trouble.

Proxmox documents several limits that you should find early. Disks protected by encryption cannot be imported until the encryption is removed. The virtual TPM state cannot be moved. VMs with snapshots import much more slowly.

Choose a target platform

Open-source platforms can lower cost but need more in-house skill. Commercial platforms offer closer feature matches and vendor support, with new licence ties. Some workloads may fit the cloud or containers better than another hypervisor.

Proxmox VE is one option. Proxmox describes it as an open-source platform that combines the KVM hypervisor with Linux containers, with software-defined storage and networking, and high availability for clusters. Its training pages name Ceph and ZFS as storage options. Primary Guard is an authorised Proxmox partner in Malaysia and says Proxmox saves enterprises 40 to 60 percent on virtualisation licensing. Treat that as a company estimate until you see your own numbers.

Our virtualization page also covers other options, such as Sangfor HCI, H3C CAS and Maipu HCI.

Run the migration in phases

Start with non-critical workloads. Proxmox documents four ways to bring VMs across: an automatic ESXi import wizard, OVF import, direct disk import, and live-import. In live-import the VM starts while its data copies in the background. If the import fails, data written since the start is lost, so it is not a guarantee of zero downtime.

For many VMs, Proxmox advises importing no more than four disks at the same time. Never let one VM run in VMware and Proxmox together, because the disk can be corrupted.

Write a runbook for each type of workload. It should cover pre-migration checks, cutover steps, validation tests and rollback. Agree downtime windows with the business early. Primary Guard says it runs parallel environments, so it can roll back to VMware during the transition. It also says it moves VMs in prioritised batches without weekend downtime.

After the migration

The new platform needs its own monitoring, patching, backup and disaster recovery. Primary Guard lists Proxmox Backup Server with offsite replication among its set-up options. Train your staff, update runbooks and change on-call procedures before the first production workload moves. Migration metrics can look good while operations get worse in the following weeks.

How Primary Guard helps

Primary Guard designs and installs Proxmox VE clusters, migrates VMware workloads, and provides ongoing monitoring and support. See our Proxmox services in Malaysia and the VMware exit migration page. Primary Guard lists fixed-price migrations from about MYR 15,000 for fewer than 20 VMs.

Not sure where to start? Primary Guard offers a free VMware assessment. Request a migration assessment to start the conversation.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to migrate as soon as my VMware licence ends?

Not necessarily. VMware says customers who are not up for renewal need no immediate action, and active support continues through the support contract. The decision point is renewal, so start your inventory well before then.

Can Proxmox import VMs that use vSAN storage?

Not directly. Proxmox says importing a VM with disks backed by vSAN does not work. The workaround is to move the disks to another storage first, then import.

Which VMware versions can Proxmox import from?

Proxmox says its import was tested from ESXi 6.5 up to 8.0, and your Proxmox VE should be version 8 or above. Check the Proxmox migration page for your exact set-up before you plan the cutover.

Key takeaway

A VMware exit is a project, not a switch. Take a full inventory, choose the target by workload, move in phases with a rollback plan, and prepare operations before the first production move.

Sources

Broadcom: Completes acquisition of VMware (22 Nov 2023) | VMware: End of availability of perpetual licensing and SaaS services (22 Jan 2024) | Proxmox: Migrate to Proxmox VE | Proxmox: Proxmox VE overview

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This article is based on vendor documentation checked on 2 November 2026. Figures marked as Primary Guard estimates are company figures. Features, plans and prices can change, so confirm details with the vendor. It is general information, not advice.