Broadcom's Acquisition of VMWare
VMware has been a leader in virtualization technology, enabling businesses to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical server. This capability has been crucial for companies looking to optimize their IT infrastructure, reduce costs, and improve scalability. Broadcom, known primarily for its semiconductor business, announced in May 2022 its intent to purchase VMware for approximately $61 billion.Â
VMware vSphere Hypervisor End of Life
In conjunction with the acquisition, VMware announced the End of Life (EOL) for its vSphere Hypervisor (free edition) effective February 12, 2024. The vSphere Hypervisor, also known as ESXi, has been a popular choice for small businesses and developers due to its cost-free entry point into VMware’s powerful virtualization ecosystem. However, the EOL announcement means no more updates or official support, which can be a big deal if you’re relying on it to keep things running smoothly. If you’re using this version, it’s time to start looking at what’s next.
Looking Beyond VMware ESXI: Meet Proxmox, XCP-ng, and OpenStack
So, what are the alternatives if you’re looking to jump ship or just don’t want to pay up for the newer versions of VMware? There are a few solid options out there:
Proxmox VE – This is a complete open-source platform for enterprise virtualization. With Proxmox, you get the ability to manage virtual machines, containers, storage, and networked clusters all through one interface.
XCP-ng – Originating as a community-powered project to keep the XenServer’s spirit alive, XCP-ng is all about making enterprise-level, open-source virtualization accessible to everyone.
OpenStack – A bit different from the others, OpenStack is more of an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) solution. It’s huge in scale and is perfect for managing large pools of compute, storage, and networking resources all over data centers.
Comparing the Alternatives: Proxmox, XCP-ng, and OpenStack
| Feature | Proxmox | XCP-ng | OpenStack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Hypervisor/Container | Hypervisor | Cloud Platform |
| License | Open Source (AGPLv3) | Open Source (GPLv2) | Open Source (Apache License) |
| Usability | High | Moderate | High (complex setup) |
| Main Use Case | Virtual environments | Virtualization | Large-scale IaaS |
| Integrated Tools | Backup, restore | Xen Orchestra | Numerous (Horizon, etc.) |
| Community | Strong | Strong | Very Strong |
| Hardware Support | Good | Good | Extensive |
Each of these has its strengths, depending on what you need from your virtualization or cloud infrastructure. Proxmox is great for handling both VMs and containers with a robust interface, XCP-ng offers a solid virtualization experience with community backing, and OpenStack is ideal for those needing a scalable cloud solution with a vast ecosystem. Whether it’s replacing VMware or starting fresh, these platforms offer some compelling options to consider.