A VMware licensing shock. A Nutanix migration in four weeks, zero downtime.
A 300-person shipbuilding company, on Uniware's books for over 10 years. Three separate systems, ageing hardware, and a VMware licensing change that made staying put unaffordable.
The problem
End-of-life hardware, three separate systems, and a licensing bill that changed everything.
The client had run VMware on Dell servers and Dell storage for over 10 years, three separate systems managed independently. By the time the hardware passed seven years old, it had gone past end-of-life and vendor support had lapsed. Uniware had been covering the gap under its own AMC for six months. Then Broadcom's acquisition of VMware overhauled licensing overnight, moving from a flat per-processor fee to a per-core model. On a 96-core environment.
The solution
One unified cluster. Every VM migrated without a minute of downtime.
Uniware first proposed Microsoft Hyper-V, which would have resolved the cost problem directly. The client rejected it, citing usability concerns after years on VMware. Nutanix HCI was proposed instead, a recommendation the client's own head office reinforced, having already run Nutanix successfully elsewhere. Uniware deployed a 3-node Nutanix cluster and migrated every virtual machine off the old environment across a two-week window.
- 1AssessMapped the existing three-tier VMware environment and evaluated two replacement options: Microsoft Hyper-V and Nutanix HCI.
- 2ProposeRecommended Hyper-V first as the most direct cost fix. Client declined, citing usability concerns after a decade on VMware. Nutanix proposed as the alternative.
- 3ArchitectDesigned a 3-node Nutanix cluster (16 cores per node, 48 cores total, bundled licensing) to replace the separate VMware, Dell server, and Dell storage setup entirely.
- 4MigrateMoved every virtual machine from the old environment to the Nutanix cluster across a two-week window, with zero downtime throughout.
Technologies used
HCIBefore and after
Three systems in, one cluster out.
| Metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Virtualisation | VMware (per-core licensing post-Broadcom) | Nutanix AHV (bundled with cluster) |
| Storage | Separate Dell storage array | Unified within Nutanix HCI |
| Vendor contacts | 3 (VMware, Dell servers, Dell storage) | 1 (Nutanix) |
| Hardware status | End-of-life, 7+ years, no vendor support | Current generation, fully supported |
| Rack space | 10U | 6U |
The results
Simpler to run. Faster to use. Built to scale.
- Zero downtime across the entire four-week migration
- General performance improved by approximately 50%
- Three vendor relationships reduced to one point of contact
- Rack space reduced from 10U to 6U
- Full vendor support reinstated
- Cluster scales by adding nodes with no migration or downtime required
A quote from our team
By learning to deploy Nutanix across our last few client engagements, we've found their local support notably stronger than other HCI options available.
Karthikeyan
Senior Technical Manager, Uniware Systems
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