Where VirtStack fits, and how you get there
Moving off VMware vSphere is an architecture decision, not just a licensing one. We recommend a conservative method: start where the risk is lowest and validate every workload before its source is decommissioned.
The method
Assess → Plan → Migrate → Validate → Operate → Optimize
Inventory VMs, OS mix, data volumes, dependencies and change windows; build a customer-specific TCO model.
Build SLES/KVM hosts, storage and HA (Day 0); define templates and placement defaults; order waves by risk.
Convert copies of VMware VMs with virt-v2v; never convert originals.
Functional, performance and HA tests per workload; formal business sign-off.
Run and manage the converted VMs in VirtStack with preflight checks and live metrics.
NUMA placement, linked-clone templates, snapshot hygiene, right-sizing.
Migration duration depends on data volume and change windows and is sized during Assess.
Converting VMs with virt-v2v
VMware disk conversion runs outside VirtStack today using virt-v2v, which ships with SLES. It converts VMDKs and injects VirtIO drivers. Once converted, the VM appears in VirtStack as a standard libvirt domain.
# On a SLES conversion host (illustrative — adjust to your vCenter, datacenter and storage)
sudo zypper install -y virt-v2v
virt-v2v \
-ic 'vpx://administrator%40vsphere.local@vcenter.example.com/Datacenter/Cluster/esxi01?no_verify=1' \
"app-server-01" \
-o libvirt -os default -of qcow2Windows Guest VirtIO Drivers
Windows guests need VirtIO drivers; virt-v2v injects them when the driver ISO (virtio-win) is available on the conversion host.
Datastore Landing & Identity
Converted disks land as QCOW2 or raw. Remove VMware Tools inside guest before/after conversion and install qemu-guest-agent.
Rollback, built in
- 1.Keep source VMs powered off but intact until validation sign-off.
- 2.Convert copies, never originals.
- 3.To roll back: revert DNS/IP changes and power the source VM back on.
What VirtStack does — and doesn't — do in a migration
| Capability | Today | Roadmap |
|---|---|---|
| Operate converted VMs (lifecycle, console, snapshots, clones, placement) | ✓ Available | — |
| Move VMs between KVM hosts with capacity and compatibility validation | ✓ Migration wizard | Live, zero-downtime migration; live storage copy |
| Host maintenance | ✓ Maintenance mode + wizard moves | One-click evacuation |
| Import directly from vCenter | — (use virt-v2v) | Not on committed roadmap |
Plan your first migration wave
Assess your VMware estate with an EvoMind virtualization engineer.