VMware to Hyper-V Enterprise Migration
Annual virtualisation licensing cost reduced by over 60% following migration from VMware vSphere to Windows Server Hyper…
VMware to Hyper-V Enterprise Migration
Professional Services · North America
At a glance
Executive Summary
Project Details
Industry
Professional Services
Region
North America
Services Provided
- Virtualisation Assessment
- VMware Decommission
- Hyper-V Deployment
- VM Conversion
- Backup Migration
Key Takeaways
- Zero production downtime achieved through a staged conversion methodology with parallel-run validation before each VM cutover.
- 34 virtual machines migrated across two on-premises hosts within a four-week delivery window, meeting the client’s Broadcom renewal deadline.
Overview
A professional services firm running VMware vSphere 7 received a Broadcom renewal quote representing a 340% increase over their previous licensing cost. With no viable path to absorbing the new mandatory subscription bundle pricing, the organisation engaged Blue Orca Solutions to evaluate alternatives and execute a full migration to Microsoft Hyper-V before the renewal deadline.
Key outcomes
60%
Annual virtualisation licensing cost reduced by over compared to the…
60%
Annual virtualisation licensing cost reduced by over following migrat…
340%
. A professional services firm running VMware vSphere 7 received a Br…
Deep dive
Case Narrative
Challenges
- Broadcom’s licensing restructure produced a renewal quote that was 3.4 times the previous annual spend, with no option to retain perpetual licenses.
- 34 production VMs across two vSphere hosts required conversion with no tolerance for extended downtime during business hours.
- Existing backup infrastructure relied on Veeam for VMware and required reconfiguration for Hyper-V compatibility without data loss.
- Limited internal IT bandwidth meant delivery, documentation, and stakeholder communication had to be largely owned by Blue Orca.
Our Approach
- Virtualisation Assessment and Dependency MappingBlue Orca conducted a full inventory of the vSphere environment, mapping VM dependencies, resource consumption baselines, and network segment configurations. Hosts with shared datastores and distributed virtual switches were fully documented before migration activity began.
- Hyper-V Host Deployment and Network ConfigurationWindows Server with Hyper-V was deployed on the client’s existing hardware. Virtual switch configurations were designed to mirror the vSphere network layout, minimising guest VM reconfiguration post-conversion. Storage was provisioned using Windows Storage Spaces to replace vSAN-managed datastores.
- Staged VM Conversion with Parallel ValidationVMs were converted in priority-tiered batches using Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter and manual disk-to-VHD approaches for complex workloads. Each converted VM ran in parallel with its VMware source for 48 hours before decommission, validating application behaviour and network reachability under live conditions.
- Backup Migration and HandoverVeeam backup jobs were reconfigured from vSphere to Hyper-V targets with retention continuity maintained throughout. Full runbook documentation and structured administration walkthroughs were delivered to the client IT team as part of formal project close.
Results
- Annual virtualisation licensing cost reduced by over 60% compared to the Broadcom renewal quote.
- All 34 VMs migrated successfully with no production incidents recorded during cutover windows.
- Veeam backup infrastructure retained with full Hyper-V compatibility—no additional backup tooling procurement required.
- Client IT team fully enabled with Hyper-V administration runbooks, monitoring guidance, and escalation procedures.
Why Blue Orca Solutions?
Blue Orca delivered a technically precise migration on a compressed timeline, enabling the client to exit VMware before the renewal deadline without sacrificing availability, backup continuity, or operational confidence.
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