New VMware ESXi to Proxmox VE Import Wizard Available
The Latest Updates for Proxmox VE 8.1.8: Kraft for Your Virtual Machines
This week, Proxmox VE has a new feature we hoped for a few quarters ago. The team behind Proxmox VE has a new import wizard to help folks migrate from VMware ESXi to Proxmox VE.
Currently, this feature is only available in the Proxmox VE test and no-subscription repositories as it is still in its initial release. However, this is great news for users looking to switch from ESXi to Proxmox VE.
To get the new tools, we simply did a dist-upgrade on a PVE 8.1 host and the pve-esi-import-tools were immediately available.
Proxmox VE 8.1: Updated and Ready for VMware ESXi Importer
We have this running on one of the AMD EPYC 7C13 systems we recently covered. After the update, we were on Proxmox VE 8.1.8, which is where we first gained access to the new importer. Keep in mind that the importer was originally intended for Proxmox VE 8.2, so we are definitely in the early stages of this release.
How to Add VMware ESXi as a Source in Proxmox VE 8.1.8
To find the importer, simply navigate to Datacenter -> Storage -> Add and you will now see a new option for ESXi.
Here you can add ESXi as a source, similar to how you would pull an image from an existing data store.
Proxmox VE 8.1.8: A Simple Add ESXi Process
From there, the dialog system and documentation make the import process relatively easy, as long as your configuration (ESXi 6.5-8.0, no vSAN, etc.) is supported.
The Proxmox team is continuously working to add more supported configurations, so we can expect to see this feature added to other repositories soon.
Why This Update is a Game-Changer
Overall, this is a significant development after the Broadcom acquisition of VMware. In fact, we previously discussed how VMware VCSP customers are facing drastic cost increases under Broadcom ownership.
Many members of our team have already started VMware exfiltration projects, and the migration process to Proxmox VE has not always been easy or time-efficient. However, with the new importer, this process should now be much smoother and streamlined.
If you want to learn more about the import process and how to migrate from ESXi to Proxmox VE, check out the official migration documentation.
