VMware to Amazon EVS Migration by Firemind

Overview: Some VMware estates need to leave the data centre faster than their applications can change. Amazon EVS keeps them on VMware Cloud Foundation inside your own Amazon VPC, with the same tools and runbooks, while each workload is modernised at its own pace. Built on Firemind's IT Operations Engine, this service runs the migration as governed code in your AWS account, and the same Engine runs each workload once it lands.

Four stages, contracted together or separately

• Assess. Discovery built on your RVTools export and vCenter, with Amazon EVS host, storage and licence sizing and the exit date the plan has to meet. Aligned to the Assess phase of the AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP): a readiness assessment based on the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework, a migration path for every workload, a business case with an AWS Pricing Calculator estimate, and a wave plan.
• Mobilize. Landing zone readiness, detailed discovery and planning for the first waves, a pilot migration, and MAP tagging set up so migrated workloads are tracked from day one.
• Migrate. Workloads moved to Amazon EVS in waves with VMware HCX, over AWS Direct Connect or AWS Site-to-Site VPN, with network segments carried over and each wave validated before the source is switched off.
• Operate. The Engine runs the migrated workloads: monitoring, incident remediation, patching and decay management such as end-of-life runtimes, with high-risk changes held for a named approver. Each wave lands in operations the day it passes acceptance.

Validated and governed

Every wave starts with acceptance tests agreed with your team: functional checks, performance baselines and data comparisons wherever data moves. They run before and after cutover, and every wave has a tested rollback. The Engine plans each change, raises it as code and runs it under your change rules. Low-risk, reversible steps run automatically. Cutovers and other high-risk changes wait for a named approver. Every action is recorded in an immutable audit trail and in your own AWS CloudTrail.

What is in scope

• Amazon EVS environment design and deployment in your Amazon VPC, as infrastructure as code
• Connectivity with AWS Direct Connect or AWS Site-to-Site VPN during migration
• Host, storage and licence sizing, including Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP where external storage suits you
• Wave planning against your exit date, with move groups built from dependencies
• A modernisation backlog for each workload, ready for VMware Freedom when you choose

What stays out of scope

VMware Cloud Foundation licences are bought by you and brought to Amazon EVS; Firemind sizes them with you. Converting workloads to native AWS services is our VMware Freedom service. Virtual desktops are scoped separately.

AWS programmes: Firemind holds the AWS Migration and Modernization Competency. Eligible migrations may qualify for MAP funding, and Firemind prepares the MAP documentation with your AWS account team. Migrations to Amazon EVS may qualify for MAP. Eligibility and funding are confirmed by AWS.

How it starts: After the private offer is accepted, you grant read-only access to your vCenter inventory and deploy an IAM role in your AWS account using AWS CloudFormation. A full description of the role and its policy statements is provided before deployment. The Engine uses temporary credentials, and every action is recorded in your own AWS CloudTrail. Scope, acceptance tests and named approvers are agreed at the start of each stage.

Deployment: Pilot scopes run from Firemind's AWS environment. In production the Engine runs inside your own AWS accounts. Running the Engine, and the migrated workloads, may incur AWS infrastructure charges, for example Amazon Bedrock, compute and storage. These are billed separately from this AWS Marketplace transaction and are your responsibility.

Pricing: Delivered through an AWS Marketplace private offer, scoped to your estate. The four stages can be contracted together or separately. Contact hello@firemind.com  to scope.

About Firemind: AWS Premier Tier Services Partner with the AWS Migration and Modernization Competency. 200+ clients since 2018, ISO 27001 certified, in partnership with AWS, NVIDIA and Anthropic. Core markets: UK and Ireland, Finland, Germany and the Netherlands.