Proxmox has introduced a new import wizard for virtual machines from VMware ESXi. After an update, the Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE) is directly available and can import virtual machines (VMs) from ESXi 6.5 to 8.0 – at least the developers have tested these versions.
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The step comes at the right time: The new owner Broadcom is restructuring VMware's product portfolio and has also scrapped the vSphere hypervisor, which was previously free for test purposes and home users. In general, customers should switch to subscription license packages, so a replacement is impossible.
Live import possible
If you want to use the free Proxmox VE instead, you can now automate the switch more. In the official announcement, the developers also point out that a live import of VMs works. With this, the original VM can continue to operate while the software copies the data to the PVE. Users only have to stop the ESXi host when actually switching and then start the PVE immediately.
The Import Wizard uses the official ESXi API. Users can find the detailed instructions at Proxmox. However, there is one limitation to note: The Import Wizard explicitly does not work with VMware vSAN. The developers recommend taking the detour via another storage system.
Note on our own behalf: Our live webinar Reconstruction at VMware: Strategies and alternatives for users shows the options of VMware customers and gives an overview of alternatives to vSphere, vSAN, NSX and the security products, the Aria Suite, Horizon and Tanzu.
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