Microsoft introduces a new extension in Windows Admin Center that allows administrators to migrate VMware virtual machines to Hyper-V.
Microsoft is launching a tool to migrate virtual machines from VMware vCenter to Hyper-V. The VM Conversion tool is an extension in Windows Admin Center and is currently available as a preview. The extension uses online replication, resulting in limited downtime. Both Windows and Linux VMs are supported.
The tool allows administrators to migrate up to ten virtual machines simultaneously. VMs can be grouped based on application, cluster, business, or rack dependencies. Static IP addresses are also preserved during migration, eliminating the need for manual network configuration adjustments after conversion.
Additionally, VM Conversion supports cluster-aware migrations from ESXi hosts to Windows Server Failover Clusters. For Linux VMs, it’s necessary to install Hyper-V drivers beforehand. The tool also supports multiple vCenter connections and migration of multiple virtual disks. Pre-checks are built in to prevent errors during replication and migration.
System Requirements
To use the extension, several requirements must be met on the Windows Admin Center side. Administrators need to install PowerCLI, Visual C++ Redistributables, and the VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK). The Hyper-V role must be enabled on the target system, and the Windows Admin Center Gateway must be running version 2410 (build 2.4.12.10). There are no additional requirements for vCenter or ESXi hosts.
The VM Conversion extension supports vCenter versions 6.x and 7.x. Supported operating systems for the VM “s include Windows Server versions from 2012 R2, Windows 10, and various Linux distributions such as Ubuntu (20.04 and 24.04), Debian (11 and 12), and RHEL-based systems like Alma Linux, CentOS, and Red Hat Linux 9.0. After migration, VMware Tools are automatically removed from Windows VM” s. Microsoft notes that this functionality is still in the preview phase.
Escape Route
With this tool, Microsoft also offers a new and convenient alternative for customers looking to escape from VMware under Broadcom. Enormous increases in license costs since that acquisition and artificial bundling of previously separately available services have caused the cost of VMware to explode for most customers.
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Many users want to leave but are stuck with tight deadlines imposed by Broadcom and complex migrations. With VM Conversion, Microsoft has added a new tool to its portfolio to offer VMware customers a way out toward its own ecosystem.