Migrating VMware Workloads from VMWare to AWS – A Smarter, Future-Ready Approach

The enterprise virtualization landscape is undergoing a major transformation. With Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware, many organizations are reevaluating their data center strategies, licensing models, and long-term cloud roadmaps. The new subscription-based pricing and uncertainty around support contracts have led enterprises to explore alternatives. Among the top choices, Amazon Web Services (AWS) stands out as a scalable, flexible, and future-ready platform for running VMware workloads with minimal disruption.

Challenges with Broadcom’s VMware Licensing Model
Broadcom’s post-acquisition licensing strategy has introduced new complexities for customers. The transition from perpetual to subscription-only models has created both financial and operational challenges.
• Higher annual subscription costs replacing one-time perpetual licenses.
• Discontinued products and limited SKUs impacting smaller businesses.
• Contractual lock-ins that restrict flexibility and scalability.
• Reduced partner ecosystem and uncertainty around third-party integrations.

Common Use Cases for VMware Migration to AWS
• Data Center Exit and Consolidation – Move from legacy hardware to AWS-managed infrastructure.
• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity – Implement cost-effective DR using VMware Cloud on AWS.
• Development and Testing Environments – Quickly provision VMware environments in AWS for Dev/Test.
• Application Modernization – Transform VMware-based workloads into containerized or serverless architectures.
• Compliance and Data Residency – Utilize AWS regions for regulatory and data localization needs.

Why Organizations Are Migrating Workloads to AWS
AWS provides a natural migration path for VMware users seeking scalability, reliability, and modernization without the complexity of rearchitecting workloads immediately. AWS offers seamless compatibility for VMware environments while enabling future transformation to cloud-native architectures.
Core benefits of migrating to AWS include:
• Elastic scalability and pay-as-you-go pricing model.
• Access to over 200 managed services for modernization opportunities.
• Global infrastructure with 33 regions and 100+ Availability Zones.
• Robust security, compliance, and operational transparency.

To-Be Path on AWS

Potential levers to Optimize cost while moving to AWS Cloud…

1. Right-size on Cloud • Right EC2 pricing model selection • On-demand for flexibility of running non-production systems • 1 or 3 years EC2 savings plan to mazimize savings upto 72% for production workloads

2. License Optimization
   • License optimization for Windows Servers
   • Eliminate Microsoft Windows servers extended support cost for EOSL versions by replatforming them while migrating to cloud
   • SQL server Database optimization with edition rationalization
   • Reclaim licenses of migrated servers

3. Utilizing different AWS funding options based on eligibility
   • Utilize AWS funding for different Phases (Assessment, Mobilize & Migrate) of migration to minimize the migration costs (MAP etc…)

4. Tool based migration experience
   • AWS Application Migration Service (MGN) – Automates rehosting of virtual machines from on-premises VMware environments to EC2.
   • AWS Migration Hub – Centralized tracking of migration progress across multiple workloads.
   • AWS Backup – Unified backup management across both VMware and AWS workloads.
   • AWS Systems Manager – Manage hybrid resources, apply patches, and automate maintenance operations.

Example Scenario: Migrating VMware VMs to AWS EC2
Detailed step-by-step instructions with descriptions of what you'll see in the console.

Migration Scenario Overview
Example Environment:
• Source: VMware vSphere environment with Windows Server 2019
• VM Specifications: 4 vCPUs, 8GB RAM, 80GB disk
• Application: Web server with IIS
• Migration Tool: AWS Application Migration Service (MGN)
Prerequisites Setup
Step 1: Access AWS Management Console

1. Navigate to AWS Console o Go to https://aws.amazon.com/console/ o Sign in with your AWS account credentials o You'll see the main AWS Management Console dashboard

Step 2: Set Up IAM Permissions

1. Navigate to IAM Service o In the AWS Console search bar, type "IAM" o Click on "IAM" from the dropdown results o You'll see the IAM dashboard
2. Create MGN Service Role o Click "Roles" in the left navigation panel o Click "Create role" button o Select "AWS service" as trusted entity type o Search for and select "Application Migration Service" o Click "Next: Permissions" o The required policies will be automatically attached o Click "Next: Tags" (optional) o Click "Next: Review" o Enter role name: "AWSApplicationMigrationServiceRole" o Click "Create role"

Step 3: Initialize AWS Application Migration Service

1. Navigate to MGN Service o In the console search bar, type "Application Migration Service" o Click on "AWS Application Migration Service" o If this is your first time, you'll see an initialization screen
2. Initialize the Service o Click "Initialize AWS Application Migration Service" o Select your preferred region (e.g., us-east-1) o Click "Initialize" o Wait for initialization to complete (usually takes 2-3 minutes)

Step-by-Step Migration Process

Step 4: Configure Replication Settings

1. Access Replication Settings o In the MGN console, click "Settings" in the left navigation o Click "Replication settings templates" o Click "Create template" or edit the default template
2. Configure Template Settings o Replication server instance type: Select "t3.small" (for testing) o EBS volume type: Select "gp3" for better performance o Replication server security groups: Select or create appropriate security group o Subnet: Choose a private subnet for replication servers o Bandwidth throttling: Set to 0 (unlimited) or specify limit o Data plane routing: Select "Private IP" for secure replication o Click "Create" to save the template

Step 5: Install MGN Agent on Source VM

1. Download Agent o In MGN console, click "Source servers" in left navigation o Click "Add server" o You'll see agent download instructions o Copy the download command or download link
2. Install Agent on Windows VM o Connect to your VMware Windows VM via RDP o Open PowerShell as Administrator o Download the agent: I o Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://aws-application-migration-service-us-east-1.s3.amazonaws.com/latest/windows/AwsReplicationWindowsInstaller.exe" -OutFile "C:\temp\AwsReplicationWindowsInstaller.exe" o Install the agent: o C:\temp\AwsReplicationWindowsInstaller.exe --region us-east-1 --aws-access-key-id YOUR_ACCESS_KEY --aws-secret-access-key YOUR_SECRET_KEY --no-prompt
3. Verify Agent Installation o Check Windows Services for "AWS Replication Agent" o Verify network connectivity to AWS endpoints o Return to MGN console to see the server appear

Step 6: Monitor Initial Replication

1. View Source Server Status o In MGN console, go to "Source servers" o Click on your server to view details o Monitor replication progress in the "Data replication" tab
2. Check Replication Health o Look for "Healthy" status in the replication health column o Monitor data transfer progress o Check for any error messages or warnings

Step 7: Configure Launch Settings

1. Set Up Launch Template o Click on your source server o Go to "Launch settings" tab o Click "Edit" next to "EC2 Launch Template"
2. Configure Instance Settings o Instance type: Select appropriate size (e.g., t3.medium) o Security groups: Create or select security groups o Subnet: Choose target subnet o IAM instance profile: Select appropriate role o Key pair: Select or create key pair for access o Click "Save"
3. Configure Post-Launch Actions o Go to "Post-launch settings" tab o Configure any required post-launch scripts o Set up SSM document execution if needed o Click "Save"

Step 8: Perform Test Cutover

1. Initiate Test Cutover o Select your source server o Click "Test and cutover" dropdown o Select "Launch test instances" o Review settings and click "Launch"
2. Monitor Test Launch o Go to "Launch history" tab o Monitor the test job progress o Wait for "Completed" status
3. Access Test Instance o Once completed, go to EC2 console o Find your test instance (tagged with "Test" prefix) o Connect via RDP using the key pair

Step 9: Validate Test Instance

1. Verify System Functionality o Connect to the test instance o Check that all services are running o Verify application functionality o Test network connectivity
2. Performance Testing o Run performance benchmarks o Compare with source VM performance o Check disk I/O and network performance o Validate application response times

Step 10: Production Cutover

1. Prepare for Cutover o Schedule maintenance window o Notify stakeholders o Ensure final data sync is complete o Stop applications on source VM
2. Execute Production Cutover o Select your source server o Click "Test and cutover" dropdown o Select "Launch cutover instances" o Review final settings o Click "Launch"
3. Monitor Cutover Progress o Watch the cutover job in "Launch history" o Monitor for any errors or issues o Wait for "Completed" status

Step 11: Post-Migration Configuration

1. Update DNS Records o Go to Route 53 console o Select your hosted zone o Edit A records to point to new EC2 instance IP o Set appropriate TTL values
2. Configure Security Groups o Go to EC2 console o Click "Security Groups" in left navigation o Edit inbound/outbound rules as needed o Ensure proper access controls
3. Set Up CloudWatch Monitoring o Go to CloudWatch console o Create custom dashboards for your instance o Set up alarms for CPU, memory, and disk usage o Configure SNS notifications

Conclusion
As enterprises adapt to Broadcom’s new VMware ecosystem, AWS offers a smarter and more agile alternative. By combining familiar VMware tools with AWS scalability and modernization pathways, organizations can achieve seamless transitions, cost control, and future-ready architectures. Whether through VMware Cloud on AWS or direct migration with AWS Application Migration Service, AWS provides the flexibility, control, and innovation needed to navigate the next generation of cloud infrastructure.