Microsoft Announces the new Azure VMware Solution

The new Azure VMware Solution enables extension or migration of on-premises VMware applications to Azure without re-architecting applications and operations.

It further enables cloud efficiency and self-paced innovation of AI, data, security, and unified management applications. When integrated with Azure Hybrid Benefit, Azure VMware allows users to run workloads on Windows Server and SQL Server.

“The new Azure VMware Solution gives customers the ability to use the same VMware foundation in Azure as they use in their private data centers. It provides a consistent operating model that can increase business agility and resiliency, reduces costs, and enable a native developer experience for all types of applications.”

- Sanjay Poonen, Chief Operating Officer at VMware

Cloud Foundation & Verification

Azure VMware Solution, a first-party Microsoft service, is endorsed by VMware; which guarantees reliability and access to Azure innovation and development tools. Azure VMware Solution is built on Azure, which delivers speed, scale, and full access to the VMware ecosystem. This includes a VMware Cloud Foundation environment that can be provisioned on Azure for compute and storage elasticity. Learn more about Azure VMware’s cloud verification, which ensures full access to VMware capabilities to maximize interoperability and workload performance.

Azure Hybrid Benefits & VMware Access

Integrating Azure VMware Solution with Azure Hybrid Benefit lets users with software assurance maximize on-premises Windows Server and SQL Server licensing as they extend or migrate to Azure. They can also receive free Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows Server 2008 and SQL Server 2008 for up to 3 years. Read more about Azure Hybrid Benefit for Windows Server and SQL Database here.

Users can maintain operational consistency as they accelerate their transition to the cloud via VMware technologies like vSphere, HCX, NSX-T, and vSAN. The new Azure VMware Solution includes the option to add HCX Enterprise, which simplifies migrations to Azure with bulk live migration support. HCX also helps run older versions of vSphere on-premises to ease migrations to newer versions of vSphere running on Azure VMware Solution.

Integration Experience & Solution Availability

Azure VMware Solution, when integrated with native Azure management, security, and service options, enables cloud competency building and modernization over time. Users can continue using their existing VMware tools and management experiences, while incrementally leveraging Azure capabilities as needed.

The Azure VMware Solution preview is currently available in the US East region. It is expected to be generally available during the second half of 2020. Plans on regional availability will be revealed here as they are disclosed.

Sources

Run Your VMware Workloads Nativel on Azure (Webinar)

Why customers choose Azure to run Windows Server workloads: Microsoft partner perspective (Blog)