Azure VMware Solution: A familiar cloud foundation on Microsoft Azure

Many organisations hesitate to move to the cloud due to the complexity of rearchitecting legacy VMware environments. In a world where agility, resilience, and cost efficiency define success, enterprises face a critical challenge: how to mordernise IT infrastructure without disrupting the business. Azure VMware Solution (AVS) offers a powerful answer enabling you to seamlessly extend or migrate your existing VMware workloads to Azure, without rearchitecting, retraining, or rethinking everything you’ve already built. It’s cloud transformation on your terms familiar, fast, and fully integrated with the Azure ecosystem.For enterprises looking to migrate virtualised workloads to Microsoft Azure VMware Solution, AVS provides a fully consistent VMware platform that allows you to easily extend your on-premises VMware environment to the cloud, without the need for additional hardware or infrastructure.

As more organisations accelerate their cloud journey, one challenge remains common: What do we do with our existing VMware workloads? That’s where Azure VMware Solution (AVS) comes in - a fully managed Microsoft service that lets you run your VMware-based environments natively on Azure, without needing to refactor or re-platform your workloads.

In this blog, I’ll explore the architecture of VMware on Azure and how it can benefit your organisation.

What is Azure VMware Solution (AVS)?

Azure VMware Solution (AVS) is a fully managed service by Microsoft that lets you run your VMware workloads natively on Azure’s global cloud infrastructure. It enables organisations to seamlessly migrate, extend, or modernise their on-premises VMware environments without needing to refactor applications or retrain staff.

Built on VMware Cloud Foundation, AVS integrates key VMware technologies like vSphere, vSAN, NSX-T, and VMware HCX, all running on dedicated, bare-metal Azure hardware. This means you get the familiar VMware tools and processes you already use combined with Azure’s scalability, security, and rich ecosystem of cloud services.

Key client challenges due to the acquisition of VMware by Broadcom

1. Licensing uncertainty and cost increases: With recent shifts in VMware licensing and rising infrastructure costs, many organisations are left navigating uncertainty searching for a solution that offers both financial predictability and long-term stability. Azure VMware Solution rises to meet this moment, providing a secure, fully managed VMware environment in Azure that helps you avoid surprise cost increases while maintaining control over your IT roadmap. AVS offers a strategic path forward, empowering you to modernise with confidence, not compromise.
2. Subscription-only licensing: Broadcom has shifted VMware to a subscription-only model, discontinuing perpetual licenses: The recent shift by Broadcom to a subscription only licensing model for VMware has left many organisations facing unexpected costs and uncertainty. With the end of perpetual licenses, businesses are now reevaluating their long-term IT strategy. Azure VMware Solution offers a timely and strategic alternative providing a fully managed VMware environment in the cloud, with flexible pricing, predictable costs, and seamless integration with existing VMware tools. AVS helps you modernise your infrastructure without starting over, delivering control, continuity, and clarity in a time of disruption.
3. Price hikes: Many customers have reported significant increases in licensing costs. With VMware’s transition to a subscription only licensing model under Broadcom and the accompanying price hikes reported by many customers businesses are facing rising costs and shrinking flexibility. For IT leaders under pressure to control budgets while still delivering agility, this shift is more than a licensing change; it's a call to re-evaluate. Azure VMware Solution offers a clear, future ready path forward, a fully managed VMware environment in Azure with flexible pricing, enterprise grade performance, and seamless integration allowing you to modernise your infrastructure on your terms, without the financial instability.
4. Reduced flexibility: Broadcom’s shift to a subscription only model for VMware has introduced a wave of uncertainty marked by rising costs, bundled features customers may not need, and the loss of the granular licensing flexibility many relied on. Organisations that once had fine-tuned control over their VMware environments now face higher prices and fewer options. In this changing landscape, Azure VMware Solution provides a strategic, cost-effective alternative, a fully managed VMware environment in the Azure cloud, offering transparent pricing, flexible scaling, and the freedom to mordernise at your own pace, without overpaying for features you won’t use.
5. Strategic lock-in concerns: As Broadcom reshapes the VMware ecosystem – moving to subscription-only licensing, raising prices, bundling features, and deepening vertical integration – many customers are questioning the long-term sustainability of their current path. What once offered flexibility and cost control now feels like a roadmap to vendor lock-in. Azure VMware Solution offers a strategic alternative, a fully managed VMware environment in Azure that preserves your existing investments while giving you cloud-scale freedom. With AVS, you can lift and shift VMware workloads without disruption, reduce infrastructure risk, and regain control over your IT future, on your terms.
6. Decreased openness or flexibility to move between cloud providers or hypervisors: Many organisations find themselves facing more than just increased costs. The shift also reduces the openness and flexibility that once allowed customers to move workloads freely between clouds or hypervisors. This growing vendor lock-in risks limiting innovation and agility. Azure VMware Solution breaks that cycle by providing a fully managed VMware environment on Azure combining the familiar VMware experience with the scalability and openness of the cloud. AVS empowers businesses to modernise on their terms, maintain cross-cloud flexibility, and avoid the pitfalls of being locked into a single vendor’s ecosystem.
7. Unpredictability and complexity of migrating VMware workloads to the cloud: Rising VMware licensing costs, reduced flexibility due to vendor lock-in, and a lack of robust business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) options between on-premises datacenters are driving people to consider other options. However, migrating VMware workloads to the cloud often feels daunting cloud costs can be unpredictable, and the complexity of migration deters many from making the leap. Azure VMware Solution is designed to address these challenges head-on. By delivering a fully managed VMware environment on Azure, AVS offers seamless lift-and-shift migrations, predictable pricing, integrated BCDR capabilities, and the flexibility to operate across hybrid and multi-cloud environments – helping you modernise with confidence and control.

These challenges highlight the need for a well-planned and executed migration strategy, leveraging tools and services that can help mitigate these risks and ensure a smooth transition to the cloud.

How Does Azure VMware Solution Work?

Azure VMware Solution brings the power of VMware’s enterprise-grade virtualisation platform into Microsoft’s global Azure cloud. It allows you to run your existing VMware workloads natively on Azure without having to refactor or re-architect your applications.

Here’s how it works:

• Seamless Integration: AVS is built on VMware Cloud Foundation technology, running VMware vSphere, vSAN, NSX-T, and VMware HCX on dedicated, bare-metal Azure infrastructure. This means you get the same VMware tools and environments you’re familiar with, just hosted in Azure.
• Lift-and-Shift Migration: Using VMware HCX, you can migrate your on-premises VMware workloads to Azure with minimal downtime and no changes to the underlying VMs or applications.
• Unified Management: You manage your AVS environment with familiar VMware management tools like vCenter, alongside Azure’s cloud services. This enables consistent operations and governance across on-premises and cloud environments.
• Scalability & Flexibility: Because it’s hosted on Azure, AVS lets you scale resources up or down quickly, tap into a broad range of Azure services (like AI, analytics, and security), and connect to your existing on-premises network through secure VPN or ExpressRoute connections.
• Built-in Business Continuity: AVS supports integrated backup and disaster recovery options, making it easier to protect your workloads across data centres and the cloud.

Why Migrate with Azure VMware Solution?

Most rapid, least risky migration

• Delays in migration increase the risk of project delays, cost overruns, and abandonment.
• With AVS you can migrate thousands of VMs per day and perform a full data centre evacuation in weeks.

Symmetric migration

• vSphere to vSphere.
• Move workloads “as is,” no need to refactor or rearchitect.
• Minimum changes, same VMware platform. Reuse existing skillset, operations, third-party solutions.
• Bringing your own VMware Cloud Foundation subscription is possible.

AVS is part of Azure ecosystem

• Migrate workloads with their dependences to the Azure ecosystem.
• What does not fit on AVS can fit on other Azure services.
• Examples: Oracle, SAP, AVD, SQL MI, AKS, IaaS VMs, storage, and AI

CAPEX to OPEX

• AVS is a managed services offering VMware-vSphere-as-a-service.
• SKUs include hardware, software, and support, all in one bill.
• Migrate before renewing lease, refreshing hardware or software, and skip paying Windows Server/SQL Servicer Extended security updates.

Benefits of Azure VMware Solution

The Azure VMware Solution is ideal for organisations that are looking to migrate their VMware workloads to the cloud. This includes organisations that are looking for:

• Familiarity and Compatibility: AVS is built on VMware Cloud Foundation, providing a consistent and familiar environment for your VMware workloads. This allows you to easily migrate your workloads to the cloud without the need to reconfigure or change applications, or to retrain your IT staff.
• Improved Scalability and Flexibility: With AVS, you can easily scale your VMware environment in Azure to meet your changing business needs. This allows you to quickly add or remove resources as needed, without the need for additional hardware or infrastructure.
• Cost Savings: By running your VMware workloads on AVS, you can take advantage of the cost savings of the cloud. This includes pay-as-you-go pricing, eliminating the need for upfront hardware costs, reducing ongoing infrastructure costs, and easily scaling resources up or down as needed.
• Azure VMware Services: AVS integrates with various Azure services, providing you with additional capabilities and features to enhance your VMware environment. This includes Azure Active Directory for identity and access management and Azure VMware Solution Backup for data protection.
• Simplify Disaster Recovery: AVS integrates with Azure Site Recovery, providing you with a simple and cost-effective way to protect your VMware workloads in the cloud.

Use Cases for Azure VMware Solution (AVS)

Azure VMware Solution (AVS) offers several compelling use cases for organisations looking to leverage VMware-based workloads within the Azure cloud environment. Some common use cases include:

1. Data centre extension: Companies that have invested in VMware technologies on-premises can seamlessly extend their existing VMware-based infrastructure to Azure without the need for significant rearchitecting or retooling. This enables organisations to benefit from Azure’s scalability, global reach, and advanced services while maintaining compatibility with their existing VMware environments.
2. Disaster recovery: AVS provides an ideal platform for implementing disaster recovery solutions. By replicating VMware workloads to Azure, organisations can ensure business continuity and minimise downtime in the event of a disaster or service disruption. Azure’s geographically dispersed data centers and robust disaster recovery services, such as Azure Site Recovery, enhance resilience and recovery capabilities.
3. Application modernisation: Organisations seeking to mordernise their applications can leverage AVS as a steppingstone to cloud-native architectures. By migrating VMware workloads to Azure, companies can gradually re-factor or re-platform applications to take advantage of Azure’s platform-as-a-service (PaaS) offerings, containers, and serverless computing while maintaining compatibility and interoperability with existing VMware investments.
4. Dev/test environments: AVS provides an agile and cost-effective platform for creating development and testing environments. Developers can quickly provision VMware-based VMs in Azure, enabling rapid application development, testing, and validation. Azure’s pay-as-you-go pricing model allows organisations to optimize costs by scaling resources up or down based on demand.
5. Hybrid Cloud Deployments: AVS enables seamless hybrid cloud deployments by providing consistent VMware environments across on-premises data centers and the Azure cloud. This allows organisations to distribute workloads across hybrid environments based on performance, compliance, or cost considerations while maintaining centralized management and control through familiar VMware tools.
6. Compliance and Security: Azure’s comprehensive set of compliance certifications and security features, such as encryption, threat detection, and identity management, enhance the security and compliance posture of VMware workloads running in AVS. Organisations can leverage Azure’s built-in security controls and compliance capabilities to protect sensitive data and meet regulatory requirements.

Overall, AVS offers organisations the flexibility, scalability, and innovation of Azure cloud services while preserving investments in VMware technologies and expertise. By addressing a variety of use cases, AVS empowers organisations to accelerate digital transformation initiatives, improve operational efficiency, and drive business outcomes in the cloud.