About three years ago, DCIG formally covered virtual server backup solutions in multiple 2022-23 DCIG TOP 5 reports. Those DCIG TOP 5 reports primarily evaluated backup solutions based on how well they protected hypervisors like VMware vSphere. The reports primarily focused on VMware vSphere because vSphere had a predominant market share.
While vSphere’s market position has not, for now, changed, what a difference a couple of years makes! The licensing changes announced by Broadcom at the end of 2023 prompted organizations to now consider other hypervisors.
Yet part of selecting any VMware vSphere alternative also involves identifying a solution that can back it up. This has led backup providers to increasingly promote their product’s existing and new capabilities to protect other hypervisors.
VMware Not Going Anywhere… at Least Not Soon
Broadcom’s recent software licensing and pricing changes have prompted more than one organization to swear off VMware vSphere. They profess their willingness – and perhaps even eagerness – to use any hypervisor other than VMware vSphere.
However, any organization that uses multiple VMware software features will find moving off VMware difficult, at best. At worst, they may find themselves using VMware vSphere much longer than they planned, perhaps indefinitely.
This requirement to remain on vSphere stems from the difficulty in identifying a viable competitor. The more VMware software features that they use, the more challenging it becomes to move off VMware. Then, even if an organization does identify an alternative, it must still protect the data and VMs it hosts on the new platform.
While a few organizations may move off VMware regardless of the impact of that decision, more will not. These organizations recognize they heavily rely on VMware and cannot swiftly (in the next 0 to 12 months, or longer) migrate off it.
Instead, these organizations must take a more measured approach. They must first identify viable VMware vSphere alternatives, test them, and then migrate data and VMs, as appropriate, to the alternative.
Aggravating the situation, some organizations may realize they cannot fully migrate off VMware. They may migrate as many VMs to an alternative hypervisor as they can. However, they may find themselves running multiple hypervisors in their environment.
Hypervisor Backup is a Determining Factor
Identifying an alternative hypervisor or hypervisors typically involves another task. Organizations often need to identify a backup solution that protects data and VMs hosted on the new hypervisor or hypervisors.
This creates a dilemma more organizations will soon face. They recognize VMware vSphere will likely remain for some time. As a result, they must continue protecting data and VMs hosted on vSphere and the new hypervisor platform.
Ideally, they would use one backup solution to protect the data and VMs across vSphere and the new hypervisor. This approach may not work for various reasons.
- The existing backup solution may not protect data and VMs hosted on the new hypervisor.
- The existing backup solution may not work how they need it to function.
- The existing backup solution may cost too much to add support for the other hypervisor.
This may force them to acquire another backup product tuned for specific hypervisors. Hypervisors that they may need to account for include Nutanix AHV, Microsoft Hyper-V, and multiple Linux KVM variations. These Linux KVM variations may include Red Hat Linux, ProxMox, or derivatives such as those from Scale Computing, StorMagic, and VergeIO.
Get Ready for Virtual Server Backup Software to Fully Embrace Multiple Hypervisors
These challenges lead DCIG to believe that going forward, virtual server backup software will more fully embrace multi-hypervisor support. While multiple virtual server backup software offerings already support backing up different hypervisors, their level of integration varies. In almost every case, they offer richer backup support and integration for vSphere than for the other hypervisors.
Expect that level of integration and support with multiple hypervisors to improve for at least two reasons. First and foremost, organizations will demand and want this functionality sooner rather than later. Nothing drives innovation like customers willing to pay for it.
Second, DCIG has noticed a notable uptick in new data protection APIs and features becoming available from other hypervisor providers. As these APIs become more accessible, backup providers will capitalize on them to improve their multi-hypervisor data protection functionality.
Certainly, data protection choices for vSphere from third-party backup providers will exceed available data protection options for other hypervisors for the foreseeable future.
That said, look for that gap to close in the coming months and years. Organizations will demand data protection capabilities for other hypervisors like vSphere already offers. The sooner competitive hypervisor and accompanying backup solution(s) meet those demands, the sooner they will take VMware’s market share.
KEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH DCIG
To be notified of new DCIG articles, reports, and webinars, sign up for DCIG’s free weekly Newsletter.
To learn about DCIG’s future research and publications, see the DCIG Editorial Calendar.
Technology providers interested in licensing DCIG TOP 5 reports or having DCIG produce custom reports on their behalf, please contact DCIG for more information.