Microsoft Cloud Account Recharge: Perfect Migration of Local VMware Virtualization Environment to Azure AVS

cloud 2026-06-05 阅读 4

In the world of enterprise IT, VMware is almost synonymous with "virtualization. Many companies run hundreds of vSphere virtual machines in their local computer rooms, carrying their core business. However, with the aging of computer room equipment and soaring maintenance costs, everyone wants to enjoy the flexibility and low cost of cloud computing.

However, the migration (Refactoring) of traditional disassembly and reconstruction is simply a nightmare: changing IP, changing architecture, rewriting the underlying driver of the operating system, and facing long business downtime and compatibility problems that may collapse at any time.

Is there no way to "package" the local VMware virtual machine without changing one line of configuration or even

Zero Shutdown

Move directly to the cloud?

Yes. This is the deep hard core program we are going to talk about today:

Azure VMware Solution (AVS, Microsoft Cloud VMware Solution)

1. what is AVS and why is it an artifact of "seamless migration?

In short, AVS is the crystallization of the deep cooperation between Microsoft and VMware. It does not allow you to convert VMware into an Azure native virtual machine (AVM),

Microsoft directly in the Azure data center, with pure physical bare metal server (Bare Metal), to help you build a set of authentic VMware vSphere environment

This means:

The tools are completely consistent: the cloud is still vSphere, vCenter, vSAN and NSX-T. Your network management and operations personnel do not need to relearn Azure's complex network concepts, and continue to use familiar vCenter little by little.

IP address does not need to be changed: after the virtual machine is moved to the cloud through the large layer 2 network, the IP address, MAC address and subnet mask remain the same.

Zero-downtime migration (Live Migration): Using VMware HCX technology's vMotion blitz, virtual machines can "float" online to Azure in a state of startup and operation, without users being aware of the interruption.

2. Core Architecture Design: The "Highway" Before Migration"

To connect the local computer room with Azure AVS, we need to get through two lifelines in the architecture:

[On-premises] [Azure Cloud]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

│ Local vSphere / vCenter │

│ Azure AVS Private Cloud │

│ │ │ (vCenter / vSAN / NSX-T) │

│ ┌─────────────────────┐ │ ExpressRoute │ ┌─────────────────────┐ │

│ │ VMware HCX Components │-------------------------------------------------------------------------------VMware HCX Components │

│ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─

FURY------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Physical pipeline (ExpressRoute): A dedicated Azure ExpressRoute (leased line) or high-performance VPN must be established between the local data center and Azure. This is the physical foundation for data migration speed and low latency.

Migration Engine (VMware HCX): This is the migration of the soul software (AVS has been built-in for free). It is responsible for "stitching" VMware environments on-premises and in the cloud together for network extension and asset transfer.

3. Phase 1: Initialize the AVS environment in Azure

First, we need to request and deploy AVS private cloud from Microsoft in the Azure portal.

Create an AVS resource: Search for "Azure VMware Solution" in the Azure portal and click Create.

Configure basic information: Select a resource group (such as a AVS-Migration-RG) and a region. Resource Bar (Sku): Select the node specification that suits your business (such as AV36 or higher). Number of hosts: Production AVS requires a minimum of 3 nodes (this is the hard bottom line for VMware vSAN to implement distributed storage and high availability clusters).

Network address block planning (focus on avoiding pits): You need to enter a/22 CIDR address block (for example, 10.1.0.0/22). Note: This address block must not conflict with the IP segment of the local computer room and the existing Azure VNet (virtual network) address. It will be used exclusively for AVS cloud management networks (e. g. vCenter, ESXi host IP).

Click to create: the initialization process is heavy, usually 2 to 4

One hour. You can go get a cup of coffee first. After the deployment is complete, Azure will provide you with the login URL, default user name and initial password of the vCenter and NSX-T management side in the console.

4. Phase II: Capping the Large Layer 2 Network and Deploying HCX

After the environment is built, we will build a "highway for intercommunication".

1. Dedicated line docking (ExpressRoute Global Reach)

In the Azure console, find the AVS instance you just built and click "Connect (Connectivity)"-> "ExpressRoute". Use

Global Reach

Function to connect the ExpressRoute of AVS back end with the local ExpressRoute connected to the local computer room.

💡In layman's terms: This step allows the cloud's ESXi host and the local ESXi host to speak directly "face-to-face" at the network layer.

2. Deploy on-premises VMware HCX

In Add-ons (Add-ons) of the AVS console, enable VMware HCX and download the corresponding local installation package (OVA template).

Open the local HCX interface, enter the activation code (available for free in the Azure AVS console), and bind it to AVS HCX in the cloud.

Configure network extension (Network Extension): This is the core of a seamless migration. In HCX, select the port group (VLAN/port group) where the local virtual machine you want to migrate is located, and click "Extend". HCX will build an encrypted bridge at both ends. Now, even if the local virtual machine is moved to Azure, it can still communicate with the local left-behind server in the same LAN without changing the mask!

The third stage of the 5.: actual combat migration (the choice of three kinds of migration play)

The network is all connected, and in the HCX plug-in panel of the local vCenter, you can see a grand migration workbench. Select the virtual machine you want to move, HCX provides three main migration modes:

Migration mode

principle and characteristics

Applicable Scenarios

Cold Migration (Cold Migration)

The virtual machine is in a shutdown state and the disk files are copied directly. The fastest, most secure data.

Test environment, non-core business, acceptable downtime system.

Bulk Copy (Bulk Migration)

Copy data asynchronously in the background at startup, restart once after completion, and switch to the cloud within a few minutes of restart.

The vast majority of corporate core business, allowing a short restart late at night.

Hot migration (vMotion

)

Online migration in 100% running state, with zero downtime, zero packet loss and continuous connection.

Core database, ERP and financial system with huge losses in case of shutdown.

An example of the operation flow for the hardest core vMotion hot migration:

On the HCX migration page, select several core business virtual machines to be migrated.

Transfer Settings: Select the migration mode as vMotion.

Target configuration: Select AVS vsanDatastore for target storage and AVS ESXi cluster for target computing resources.

Start verification: Click "Validate" and HCX will automatically check the hardware compatibility and network bandwidth of both ends.

Execute: Click "Go" after the verification is passed ". You will see the progress bar start to move around. Memory data, CPU state, and disk data are continuously flowing through the ExpressRoute line to Azure AVS.

Witness the miracle: when the progress bar reaches 100%, the virtual machine in the local vCenter disappears or is displayed as disconnected, while the virtual machine in the vCenter on the AVS side lights up green instantly. At this switching moment, you can even continue to ping -t the virtual machine, usually only 1-2 packets of small jitter, business is completely uninterrupted!

End of 6. migration and advanced bonus

The virtual machine is already "flying" in perfect flesh, but the migration is not over yet. You need to do two things:

Clean up the network extension (disconnect the umbilical cord): When all virtual machines in a subnet (VLAN) are successfully moved to AVS, remember to unextend the network in HCX and officially switch the network gateway (Gateway) to the cloud NSX-T. This completes the complete "weaning" and eliminates network delays across clouds.

Unlock Azure Native Ecological Bonus: This is the best place to move VMware to Azure. Your virtual machine now lives in the same data center as Azure's native services (such as Azure Blob Storage, Azure SQL Database, AI Services). You can connect them directly to the backbone with ultra-low latency, allowing the old VMware architecture to seamlessly integrate modern cloud-native technologies.

Ultimate Pit Avoidance and Summary

Calculate the resource account: AVS is, after all, an exclusive physical bare metal cluster, starting with 3 nodes, and the cost of monthly billing is not low. It is suggested that before the migration, Azure Migrate tools should be used to make a comprehensive resource assessment (Assessment) of the local environment, and the local zombie virtual machines and over-distributed CPU/memory should be scaled down (Right-sizing) before going to the cloud, which can save you a lot of money.

Version Compatibility: Ensure that your local vSphere version meets the minimum requirements of AVS (usually vSphere

6.7 or 7.0 and above), otherwise HCX cannot establish a handshake.

Summary:

The essence of Azure AVS is not to change you, but to include you. It uses the gentlest, lowest risk, and most consistent with traditional operation and maintenance intuition to help you safely move your huge local VMware assets to the modern cloud overnight. For those large enterprises with heavy assets, tight time and unwilling to take the risk of restructuring, this is undoubtedly the most perfect ticket to the cloud at present.