How do virtual machines (VMs) running on legacy Intel architecture fare when migrating to new AMD architecture? Prowess Labs tested a tool developed by AMD and VMware to find out.
Companies considering virtual machine (VM) migration across platforms might hesitate because their CPU architectures are not the same across the enterprise. Technologists know that migrating across different CPU generations and/or CPU vendors can be challenging, and if such a migration is not executed smoothly, it could impede the business. Additionally, Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) does not allow AMD and Intel® CPUs in the same cluster, making it impossible to use VMware vSphere® vMotion® to migrate running VMs between Intel and AMD hardware. These top-of-mind considerations shape the need for an easier path to transition across architectures.
AMD and VMware teamed to develop a tool that automates migration of VMs from Intel architecture to AMD architecture, with the goal of delivering a better user experience (UX) and better business value. Prowess Labs evaluated the tool to determine whether the VM-migration process from Intel environments to AMD EPYC™ processors is simple, as AMD claims.
This report demonstrates that, with the proper steps, IT professionals can migrate VMs without issue or interruption to business operations. The report also validates the claim that VM migration across platforms is frictionless, with the tool performing as claimed.