The variety of hypervisors in today's backup landscape

Exploring Alternatives to VMware in Today's IT Infrastructure Landscape

For those working in the IT industry, particularly within the infrastructure domain, recent shifts in the market may prompt you to reconsider your virtualization options. VMware has long monopolized the market, but its recent acquisition by Broadcom has raised questions about viable alternatives. You might be wondering: Do I have other options? The answer is yes, although it’s not straightforward due to VMware's dominant presence and long-standing reputation as the go-to choice.

There are several vendors offering comparable functionality, user experience, and more. It’s essential to be open to the idea of change, not necessarily because you want it, but because Broadcom’s significant alterations to subscription and maintenance models have prompted a reevaluation, especially as they now focus more on the largest enterprises.

Diving into Virtualization Alternatives

Let’s delve into some of the virtualization engines available today. Primarily, there are four prominent virtualization styles:

1. KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)

2. Xen Hypervisor

3. MS Hyper-V

4. VMware ESXi

KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine)

KVM is a popular choice for many organizations due to its integration with the Linux kernel, providing robust performance and scalability.

Here are a few notable platforms utilizing KVM:

- Nutanix AHV: Known for its hyper-converged infrastructure solutions, Nutanix offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing and optimizing virtualized environments.

- oVirt : An open-source solution, that provides powerful management tools for KVM, offering enterprise-level features and flexibility.

- Scale Computing **: Provides a simple and scalable solution with integrated storage, compute, and virtualization.

- Verge.oi**: Offers a unified data center operating system with integrated virtualization, storage, and networking.

- Proxmox VE: A versatile open-source platform for enterprise virtualization, offering integrated KVM and container-based virtualization.

- OpenStack: An open-source platform that provides a comprehensive suite of tools for building and managing cloud infrastructures, supporting KVM.

- Virtuozzo : Delivers robust virtualization and cloud infrastructure management with support for KVM.

- 甲骨文 Linux Virtualization Manager**: Provides an enterprise-grade virtualization platform built on KVM.

- 红帽 Virtualization: A comprehensive virtualization solution built on KVM, offering high performance and scalability.

- OpenShift Virtualization: Integrates KVM into the OpenShift container platform, enabling the management of virtual machines alongside containers.

- OpenNebula: An open-source cloud and edge computing platform that leverages KVM for virtualization management.

- Huawei FusionCompute: A robust virtualization solution providing comprehensive virtualization capabilities built on KVM.

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Xen Hypervisor

Xen is another mature and widely used hypervisor that offers strong isolation and performance. It's favored in environments requiring high levels of security and stability. Notable platforms using Xen include:

- Citrix Hypervisor: Enterprise-class virtualization solutions with a focus on performance, scalability, and security.

- XCP-ng: An open-source virtualization platform built on Xen, offering enterprise-grade features and flexibility.

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Considering Backup Solutions

How about the backup itself after you decide to replace your existing virtualization stack? This is a crucial aspect to consider. You need to be certain that when you change your virtualization engine or platform, you can still protect both your old and new environments. The ideal scenario would be using the same solution to manage backups for both.

As the CTO of Storware, I've observed that not all vendors, even those leading in the Magic Quadrant, fully understand how the shift from VMware to open-source KVM-based and Xen-based hypervisors will impact the market. Many lack capabilities beyond their traditional offerings.

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Since 2015, Storware has invested heavily in this market, providing enterprise-grade data protection for KVM-based and Xen-based hypervisors. We believe in giving you the Freedom of Choice. You shouldn’t be confined to a single virtualization engine. Our solution ensures you can manage backup and recovery processes through a single pane of glass and workflow, regardless of the virtualization engine you choose.

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Conclusion

Transitioning from VMware to an alternative virtualization technology requires careful consideration and planning. However, the evolving landscape and changing business models necessitate exploring these options. Embracing change can lead to discovering solutions that not only meet but exceed current needs, providing better value and flexibility.

By staying informed and open to new possibilities, IT professionals can navigate these changes effectively, ensuring continued success and innovation within their organizations. If you’d like to learn more about Storware and how we can support your data protection needs across different virtualization platforms, feel free to reach out!