Azure VMware Solution revamped

- Date: 12 August, 2020
Originally announced in April 2019, the Azure VMware Solution is built on VMware Cloud Foundation and allows VMware workloads to run natively on Azure.
The updated solution, currently available in preview, enables enterprises to run their VMware technology, including VMware vSphere, HCX, NSX-T and vSAN, on Azure. Organisations can now completely migrate their existing on-premises VMware applications to Azure without the cost, effort or risk associated with needing to re-architect applications or retool operations.
In addition, it will also offer the ability to add VMware HCX Enterprise, which will enable customers to further simplify their migration efforts to Azure, including support for bulk live migrations.
All of which means that Microsoft partners and customers can use their existing skills and tools in VMware, while also getting the benefits of moving to the cloud.
In addition, the new offering gives users more value from their existing Windows Server and SQL Server on-premises licences, where applicable. Users running 2008 editions of that software will in fact gain an additional three years of Extended Security Updates through Azure Hybrid Benefit.
Sanjay Poonen, Chief Operating Officer at VMware commented, “The new Azure VMware Solution gives customers the ability to use the same VMware foundation in Azure as they use in their private data centres. It provides a consistent operating model that can increase business agility and resiliency, reduce costs and enable a native developer experience for all types of applications”.
The Azure VMware Solution preview is initially available in US East and West Europe Azure regions. It is expected to be generally available in the second half of 2020, at which time availability will be extended across more regions.
Microsoft has also confirmed that it has plans to integrate the Azure VMware Solution with other Azure services in future.