Planning an Azure VMware Solution (AVS) deployment involves multiple steps, including assessing your existing infrastructure, defining networking and security requirements, designing workloads, and ensuring operational governance. Below is a structured approach to planning your Azure VMware Solution deployment.

1. Assess Your Current Infrastructure

Before deploying AVS, evaluate your current on-premises VMware environment and define the business objectives for migrating to Azure.

• Inventory Assessment:
  • List current VMware vSphere workloads (ESXi, vCenter, NSX, vSAN).
  • Identify compute, storage, and network resource requirements.
  • Evaluate workload dependencies and application performance needs.
• Migration Goals:
  • Lift-and-shift for minimal refactoring.
  • Extend on-premises VMware workloads into Azure for scalability.
  • Disaster recovery or high availability strategy.
• Licensing & Cost Estimation:
  • Determine AVS pricing (reserved instances or on-demand).
  • Calculate Azure connectivity and data transfer costs.

2. Define Networking & Connectivity

Proper network planning ensures smooth integration between AVS and other Azure services.

• Azure Region Selection:
  • Choose a supported Azure region for AVS deployment.
• ExpressRoute for Private Connectivity:
  • AVS requires an ExpressRoute circuit to connect on-premises data centers securely.
  • Consider ExpressRoute Global Reach if multiple regions are involved.
• IP Addressing:
  • Plan for private IP ranges to avoid conflicts.
  • Allocate sufficient IP subnets for VMware management components and workloads.
• NSX-T Networking:
  • AVS uses NSX-T for virtual networking.
  • Define segments, firewalls, and security policies.

3. Security & Compliance

Implement security best practices to ensure compliance with enterprise policies.

• Identity & Access Management:
  • Integrate AVS with Azure AD for authentication.
  • Use role-based access control (RBAC) to limit permissions.
• Firewall & Traffic Control:
  • Configure NSX-T Distributed Firewall for workload isolation.
  • Use Azure Firewall or third-party firewalls for additional security.
• Compliance Requirements:
  • Ensure the deployment meets ISO, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, or other regulatory standards.

4. Workload Migration Strategy

Choose an appropriate migration approach based on business needs.

• VMware HCX for Migration:
  • Use VMware HCX to migrate workloads seamlessly from on-premises to AVS.
  • Options include bulk migration, live vMotion, or replication-assisted vMotion.
• Application Grouping:
  • Identify dependencies and group applications for migration.
  • Validate workloads post-migration using Azure monitoring tools.
• Disaster Recovery (DR) Strategy:
  • Use Azure Site Recovery (ASR) for DR planning.
  • Replicate workloads for failover and failback.

5. Storage & Performance Considerations

• vSAN Storage Planning:
  • AVS clusters use vSAN as primary storage.
  • Choose appropriate vSAN policies (RAID-1, RAID-5, RAID-6) for performance and resilience.
• Azure NetApp Files or Blob Storage:
  • Use Azure NetApp Files for additional storage capacity.
  • Consider Azure Blob Storage for backup and archival.

6. Monitoring & Management

After deployment, ensure continuous monitoring and automation.

• VMware Aria Operations (vRealize Operations):
  • Use for performance monitoring and capacity planning.
• Azure Monitor & Log Analytics:
  • Collect logs, set up alerts, and monitor VMware workloads.
• Backup & Disaster Recovery:
  • Integrate Azure Backup for snapshots and VM recovery.
  • Use Veeam, Commvault, or Druva for enhanced backup solutions.

7. Automation & Governance

• Infrastructure as Code (IaC):
  • Use Terraform, PowerShell, or Azure Bicep to automate AVS provisioning.
  • Implement VMware Cloud Templates for self-service VM deployment.
• Cost Management & Budgeting:
  • Set up Azure Cost Management alerts for spending control.
  • Optimize resources with Azure Reserved Instances.
• Security Policies & Governance:
  • Use Azure Policy to enforce security rules.
  • Set up Azure Blueprints for standardized deployments.