VMware has released a new version of VMware Converter. The 6.4 release brings new features such as support for NVMe disks or virtual hardware 20.
VMware vCenter Server Converter is a powerful tool that allows you to convert physical machines, virtual machines, and cloud instances into VMware virtual machines. It simplifies the process of creating and migrating VMware virtual machines from different sources, with minimal disruption and downtime.
In this blog post, we will explore the new features and enhancements of VMware vCenter Server Converter 6.4
What is New?
- Added support for NVMe disk controllers. NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is a high-performance protocol that enables faster data transfer between solid-state drives (SSDs) and the host system. With VMware vCenter Server Converter 6.4, you can convert physical machines or virtual machines that have NVMe disk controllers into VMware virtual machines that also use NVMe disk controllers. This can improve the performance and efficiency of your virtual machines.
- Added support for paravirtual SCSI disk controllers. Paravirtual SCSI (PVSCSI) is a virtual SCSI adapter that provides enhanced performance and scalability for your virtual machines. With VMware vCenter Server Converter 6.4, you can convert physical machines or virtual machines that have paravirtual SCSI disk controllers into VMware virtual machines that also use paravirtual SCSI disk controllers. This can reduce the CPU overhead and increase the throughput of your virtual machines.
- Added support for virtual machine compatibility up to hardware version 20. Hardware version is a property that defines the features and capabilities of a virtual machine. With VMware vCenter Server Converter 6.4, you can convert physical machines or virtual machines into VMware virtual machines that have the latest hardware version 20. This can enable you to use the most advanced features and functionalities of VMware vSphere 8.0, such as UEFI secure boot, Microsoft VBS, and NVMe hot plug.
- Added support for VMware vCenter version 8.0 and VMware ESXi version 8.0. VMware vCenter Server Converter 6.4 is compatible with the latest versions of VMware vCenter Server and VMware ESXi, which are part of the VMware vSphere 8.0 suite. This means that you can convert physical machines or virtual machines into VMware virtual machines that run on VMware vSphere 8.0 hosts and are managed by VMware vCenter Server 8.0.
- Added support for VMware Workstation version 17 and VMware Fusion version 13. VMware Workstation and VMware Fusion are desktop virtualization products that allow you to run multiple operating systems on a single PC or Mac. With VMware vCenter Server Converter 6.4, you can convert physical machines or virtual machines into VMware virtual machines that are compatible with VMware Workstation 17 or VMware Fusion 13. This can enable you to test, develop, or run applications on different platforms and environments.
- Added conversion support for Amazon EC2 instances. Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) is a cloud computing service that provides scalable and secure virtual servers. With VMware vCenter Server Converter 6.4, you can convert Amazon EC2 instances into VMware virtual machines that run on VMware vSphere or VMware Cloud. This can enable you to migrate your workloads from AWS to VMware, or to create hybrid cloud solutions that leverage both platforms.
- Added conversion support for UEFI secure boot. UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is a standard that defines the interface between the operating system and the firmware. Secure boot is a feature of UEFI that ensures that only trusted and authorized software can boot the system. With VMware vCenter Server Converter 6.4, you can convert physical machines or virtual machines that have UEFI secure boot enabled into VMware virtual machines that also have UEFI secure boot enabled. This can enhance the security and integrity of your virtual machines.
- Added conversion support for Microsoft VBS. Microsoft VBS (Virtualization Based Security) is a feature of Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 that uses hardware virtualization to isolate and protect sensitive system processes and data. With VMware vCenter Server Converter 6.4, you can convert physical machines or virtual machines that have Microsoft VBS enabled into VMware virtual machines that also have Microsoft VBS enabled. This can improve the protection and isolation of your virtual machines.
- Improved the overall security of vCenter Converter. VMware vCenter Server Converter 6.4 has enhanced the security of its components and communication channels, such as using TLS 1.2 encryption, disabling weak ciphers, and enforcing certificate validation. This can reduce the risk of data breaches and cyberattacks.
Conclusion
VMware vCenter Server Converter 6.4 is a powerful tool that allows you to convert physical machines, virtual machines, and cloud instances into VMware virtual machines. It introduces several new features and enhancements, such as support for NVMe disk controllers, paravirtual SCSI disk controllers, virtual machine compatibility up to hardware version 20, VMware vCenter version 8.0 and VMware ESXi version 8.0, VMware Workstation version 17 and VMware Fusion version 13, Amazon EC2 instances, UEFI secure boot, and Microsoft VBS. It also improves the overall security of its components and communication channels.
Download from here.
Release notes here.
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