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Microsoft builds teleporter weapon to send VMware into Azure

Updated Virtual Machine Converter now converts Linux VMs too

Microsoft has fired another shot in its campaign to win over VMware users, in the form of an updated Virtual Machine Converter that can move virtual machines from ESXi to Hyper-V.

It's no secret Microsoft covets VMware users: in recent times it has created a certification helping VMware users to grok Hyper-V. Redmond also uses statistics in interesting ways to create the impression Hyper-V is killing it in the market.

Back in 2012 it also created a Virtual Machine Converter to turn a .VMDK into .VHD with just a few clicks.

Redmond obviously feels that tool could use a boost because yesterday it released Virtual Machine Converter 2.0, available here.

VMware is again the target, thanks to a new feature that can “... migrate your VMware virtual machines straight to Azure... with a simple wizard driven experience.” There's also a new “PowerShell interface for scripting and automation support” that is said to make automated VM migration possible.

This all works on VMs curated by vCenter and ESX(i) 5.5.

The tool now also boasts “migration support” for guest VMs based on CentOS, Debian, Oracle, Red Hat Enterprise, SuSE enterprise and Ubuntu.

That Microsoft has updated the tool to address ESX 5.5 and Linux is no surprise: the software's raison d'être is diminished by not doing so. VMware has long insisted it thinks it can beat Hyper-V in a feature vs. feature fight and can therefore charge a premium. It would not back down from that position in public.

Adding the ability to teleport VMs straight to Azure will probably cause a little more angst at VMware because it creates puts an exit ramp to Microsoft on the road to the vCloud Hybrid Service (VCHS). That extra exit may be a significant irritant because VMware sees VCHS as an important way to protect incumbency.

Virtzilla has spent the last few months talking up end-user computing and software-defined everything. It also hinted, with its changes to certification regimes, that it is not far off a full ESX and vSphere release. A betting man would suggest that VMworld San Francisco, from August 24th, will see VMware fire back with updates that aim to make the Virtual Machine Converter irrelevant. ®

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