VMware to OpenStack Migration

VMware Migration to OpenStack Case Study: Okestro

A Korean government-owned company used Okestro’s Contrabass Migration Service to move VMware-based VMs to the Contrabass cloud with minimal downtime. Completed in one week, the fully automated process ensured critical services experienced only seconds of disruption, showcasing efficient, real-time cloud migration.

June 18, 2025
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A Use Case of Contrabass Migrator

Client: A Korean Government-owned Company

Project: Automated Migration of VMware-based VMs, supporting nation-wide services, to the Contrabass Cloud Service

Project Requirements

  • Minimize service downtime (cut-over time) to within 30 minutes
  • Complete the migration process within one week
  • Minimize workforce requirements through automation

Tasks and Results

Environment

  • Source: VMware ESXi 7.0, OS: Rocky 8.X, Storage: iSCSI
  • Target: Contrabass (Okestro’s OpenStack-based IaaS Platform)

Software Used

Contrabass Migration Service

Work Procedure

  1. Sync cluster info – Gather resource information for the migration from both source and target clusters.
  2. Create migration group – Organize VMs into logical groups to be migrated together.
  3. Define migration plan – Establish the migration environment for the group.
  4. Configure availability zones and hypervisors.
  5. Set up the replication environment, including volume storage settings.
  6. Start replication – Conduct initial replication of VM images.
  7. Test migration – Verify the migration process through repeated testing.
  8. Clean up test migration – Remove temporary test volumes and other artifacts.
  9. Perform cutover migration – Begin final migration.
  10. Shutdown source VMs and launch VMs on Contrabass.
  11. Finalize cutover – Remove migration-related components, such as proxies and replicators.

Results

  • All VMs were automatically migrated and confirmed to be operating normally.
  • Cutover time:
    • Critical services: a few seconds (via real-time replication agent)
    • Non-critical services: a few minutes (via snapshot-based, agentless method)

Effectiveness Evaluation

The project was successfully completed using an automated migration solution, fully meeting all specified requirements.

Customer satisfaction was very high, and a full-scale VMware migration (approximately 1,000 VMs) is being actively considered for future implementation.

 

Want even MORE information on how OpenStack can be an alternative to VMware and how the migration works? Check out the Migration Guide, live now!

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Kendall Nelson
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