Data Center & Servers

Server Virtualization

Collapse a room of ageing servers into one cluster on VMware, Proxmox, Nutanix or Hyper-V, so one dead host no longer stops the business.

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What we usually find on site

Most server rooms we walk into still run one box per application: one for accounting, one for ERP, one as the file server. They are 6–8 years old, out of warranty and have no standby. When a power supply dies, accounting can be down for days while the part comes from Thailand. Organizations already on VMware have a different headache: the new subscription pricing after Broadcom bought the company.

Two or three hosts instead of eight or ten

Virtualization lets 2–3 physical hosts run dozens of virtual machines (VMs). Less hardware, less power, a smaller UPS. When firmware needs updating, VMs live-migrate to another host first and users never notice.

Choosing a hypervisor without taking sides

Since Broadcom bought VMware, perpetual licences are gone. What remains is per-core subscription with a minimum core count per CPU, and for small clusters the bill can be much higher than expected.

Platform	Who it suits
VMware vSphere	Teams already built around VMware tooling that can absorb the new cost
Proxmox VE	Open source (KVM), with optional paid support subscriptions
Nutanix AHV	Paired with Nutanix HCI, simple to run
Microsoft Hyper-V	Included with Windows Server Datacenter; natural for all-Microsoft shops

Our view: for an SME with fewer than 20 VMs and no VMware history, Proxmox VE with a support subscription is usually the best value. If your IT team is Windows through and through, Hyper-V is a sound choice.

What Lao sites need

Power cuts are a question of when, not if. We configure the UPS to shut VMs and hosts down in order before the battery runs out, and to bring them back when power returns. VM backups go to a separate location, never the same storage.

Send us a list of your current servers and applications and we will propose a cluster size and a side-by-side hypervisor comparison.

What it does

High availability

If a host fails, its VMs restart on the surviving hosts within minutes.

Live migration

Move running VMs off a host to patch firmware or add RAM during office hours.

VMware exit path

Assess and move to Proxmox VE, Nutanix AHV or Hyper-V, testing each VM before cut-over.

Snapshots & templates

Build new servers from templates in minutes; snapshot before each change and delete it once the change is proven.

UPS-integrated shutdown

VMs first, then hosts and storage, before the UPS battery runs flat, so databases are not corrupted.

VLAN-segmented networking

Management, storage, migration and user traffic on separate VLANs, with management unreachable from ordinary users.

Design and rollout

1
Inventory existing servers and workloads: real CPU, RAM, IOPS and Windows/SQL licensing.
2
Select the hypervisor and size for N+1: lose one host and the rest still carry the full load.
3
Install hosts, shared storage or HCI, and a redundant pair of 10/25GbE switches.
4
Migrate (P2V/V2V) in waves out of hours, with users signing off each application.
5
Configure backup, UPS shutdown and monitoring, pull the plug for a real test, then hand over documentation.

Where it fits

A mining head office consolidating ERP, accounting and file servers into one cluster.
A bank or microfinance institution separating production, test and DR VMs.
A hotel running PMS, POS and CCTV VMS on the same pair of hosts.
Organizations leaving VMware because of the new subscription pricing.

Typical system sizes

SME

Fits: 5–15 VMs, single site

2 hosts with shared storage or replication, plus a witness/QDevice
Proxmox VE or Hyper-V
UPS integration and basic backup

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Business

Fits: 15–60 VMs requiring HA

3-host cluster with HA and live migration
Redundant 10/25GbE switch pair
Migration from legacy servers

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Enterprise

Fits: 60+ VMs, multiple sites

Primary cluster plus replicated DR site
VMware exit assessment and migration
Maintenance and monitoring contract

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Brands we supply & install

Dell Technologies Hewlett Packard Enterprise Lenovo VMware by Broadcom Proxmox Nutanix Microsoft Veeam H3C NetApp

All brand names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Mention does not imply official partnership unless explicitly stated. Products are sourced through legitimate distribution channels.

FAQ

Should we move off VMware?

There is no single answer. We put your new VMware quote next to Proxmox, Nutanix and Hyper-V, including migration effort and retraining. For some it is cheaper to stay; for others it is not.

Is Proxmox ready for business use?

Yes. Proxmox VE runs on KVM, the standard Linux hypervisor, and supports clustering, HA and Ceph. For production we recommend a subscription for the tested enterprise repository and vendor support.

How many hosts do we need?

Real HA needs 3 hosts, or 2 plus a witness (a QDevice in Proxmox) so the cluster keeps quorum when one fails. Two hosts with no witness is not enough.

Does virtualization replace backup?

No. Snapshots live on the same storage and HA only restarts VMs. Lose the storage or get hit by ransomware and everything goes together. You still need separate 3-2-1 backups.

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