XCP-ng as an Enterprise
VMware Alternative
Professional virtualization infrastructure for IT Managers and CIOs.
Independent strategic guidance for both XCP-ng and VMware platforms.
Understanding the Virtualization Landscape in 2026
The virtualization market has structurally changed following Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware.
Many organizations are now facing licensing models that no longer align with their infrastructure realities:
subscription-only contracts, higher minimum licensing thresholds, and bundle-based pricing designed primarily for large enterprises.
According to Gartner, more than one third of current VMware workloads could migrate to alternative platforms within the next three years as organizations reassess cost and licensing strategies.
Source: Gartner (via The Register, 2025)
https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/11/gartner_vmware_migration_advice/
This is not a question of VMware technology quality — vSphere, vMotion and vSAN remain mature and powerful platforms.
The strategic challenge is financial and contractual:
Broadcom’s focus on enterprise bundles and minimum licensing thresholds introduces budget volatility and operational risk for mid-market organizations that require predictable costs and scalable infrastructure.
Licensing Complexity
End of perpetual licenses.
Forced migration to subscription bundles with multi-year commitments.
Minimum core requirements disconnected from actual hardware.
Cost Unpredictability
Renewal quotes 2-3x higher on average.
Some organizations report 10x increases.
MSP partnerships terminated with minimal notice.
Strategic Uncertainty
Partner ecosystem reduction.
Unclear product roadmap for mid-market.
Difficult-to-access support channels.
VIRTUALIZATION EXPERTS
You need a clear alternative — built for predictable budgets.
If VMware renewals are approaching and licensing changes create uncertainty, this approach helps you control cost, reduce migration risk, and keep enterprise-grade operations.
Cost & Renewal Clarity
A virtualization strategy aligned to your renewal timeline and budget cycle — with transparent TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) assumptions.
Minimal Business Disruption
A proven VMware to XCP-ng migration path with cutover planning, rollback strategy, and clear accountability.
MSP-Level Support
MSP = Managed Service Provider
Professional support ownership with escalation paths — so your virtualization platform stays operable under pressure.
Is this designed for you?
check your fit in 1 call.
XCP-ng Enterprise Virtualization
Professional Alternative
with MSP-Level Support
Open-source flexibility with enterprise-grade stability.
Official Vates MSP partner delivering Level 1 & 2 professional support.
XCP-ng represents mature, production-ready virtualization built on Xen—the same hypervisor trusted by AWS, Alibaba, and IBM for their cloud infrastructure.
Developed by Vates (€15M invested, 20+ dedicated engineers), XCP-ng offers enterprise features without vendor lock-in or unpredictable licensing.
As Official Vates MSP Partners with Level 1 & 2 support certification, Virtualtek ensures your XCP-ng deployment receives professional enterprise support, not community-only assistance.
Transparent Pricing
Per-socket licensing with predictable costs.
No surprise renewals. No forced bundles. LTS support through 2028 included.
Professional MSP support available at clear rates.
Enterprise Features
Live migration, high availability clustering, GPU passthrough, vTPM for Windows 11, advanced storage integration (iSCSI, NFS, FC), centralized management via Xen Orchestra.
Professional Support
Official Vates MSP Level 1 & 2 support from Virtualtek.
Not community forums—dedicated professional assistance.
Direct escalation paths to Vates engineering when needed.
Future-Proof Technology
Active development with monthly security updates.
LTS releases supported for years.
Open-source eliminates vendor lock-in risk.
Compatibility with existing infrastructure and tools.
What XCP-ng Delivers for Enterprise Infrastructure
- Live migration (XenMotion) with zero downtime - High availability clustering across multiple hosts - Resource pools for workload management - Distributed storage with XOSTOR - Automated failover and disaster recovery - Advanced snapshot and backup capabilities
- Xen Orchestra centralized web interface - Multi-cluster management from single dashboard - RESTful API for automation (Terraform, Ansible, Packer) - Comprehensive monitoring and alerting - Resource usage analytics and capacity planning - Native backup with incremental and differential support
- iSCSI, NFS, FC protocol support - Integration with Open-e Jovian DSS, StorONE, Infortrend - ZFS, Ceph, distributed storage options - Thin provisioning and deduplication - Multi-tier storage architecture support
- VLAN segmentation and network bonding - SR-IOV for high-performance networking - SELinux security hardening - Virtual TPM (vTPM) for Windows 11 compliance - Monthly security updates and patches - Xen Security Advisories (XSA) tracking
- GPU passthrough for AI and compute workloads - NVIDIA, AMD GPU support - VDI optimization for desktop virtualization - Container support via LXC - Nested virtualization (experimental)
Professional VMware to XCP-ng Migration Services
We’ve successfully migrated dozens of organizations from VMware to XCP-ng.
Our structured approach minimizes risk and business disruption while ensuring your team is fully trained and confident with the new platform.
Migration Process (VMware → XCP-ng)
Assessment, pilot, phased production migration, handover, and continuous support
Assessment & Planning
• Complete inventory of current VMware environment
• Workload compatibility analysis
• Migration risk assessment and mitigation strategy
• Detailed migration timeline and phasing plan
• Cost-benefit analysis with TCO comparison
Pilot Deployment
• XCP-ng installation on test hardware
• Xen Orchestra management setup
• Storage and network configuration
• Test migration of non-critical VMs
• Performance validation and team familiarization
Production Migration
• V2V migration tool execution (VMware → XCP-ng)
• Phased migration starting with non-critical workloads
• Validation testing after each phase
• Minimal downtime migration strategies
• Rollback procedures for mission-critical systems
Training & Handover
• Administrator training on XCP-ng and Xen Orchestra
• Backup and recovery procedures
• Monitoring and maintenance best practices
• Complete documentation delivery
• Level 1 & 2 MSP support activation
Ongoing Support
• Professional Level 1 & 2 MSP support
• Performance optimization and tuning
• Capacity planning and scaling guidance
• Quarterly infrastructure reviews
• 24/7 emergency support available
Free 60-minute consultation to assess your VMware infrastructure and migration feasibility.
Official Vates MSP Support: Level 1 & Level 2 Professional Services
As certified Vates MSP partners, Virtualtek provides enterprise-grade support for your XCP-ng infrastructure. This isn't community forum support—it's direct professional assistance with escalation paths to Vates engineering.
Tier 1: Essential Support
Reliable support coverage for stable environments with internal IT capabilities.
- Business hours support (9-5 local time)
- Email and phone support channels
- Level 1 troubleshooting and guidance
- Software updates and patch management
- Knowledge base access
- Quarterly system health checks
Tier 2: Professional Support
Priority response and advanced troubleshooting for production environments.
- Extended hours support (8-8, Mon-Fri)
- Priority email, phone, and ticket support
- Level 1 & Level 2 advanced troubleshooting
- Direct escalation to Vates engineering
- Performance optimization consulting
- Monthly infrastructure reviews
- Emergency hotfix coordination
Tier 3: Enterprise Support
Always-on support and proactive services for mission-critical infrastructure.
- 24/7 support availability
- Dedicated support engineer assignment
- On-site support visits included
- Proactive monitoring and alerting
- Custom SLA agreements available
- Architecture consulting and capacity planning
- Migration project management
VMware Infrastructure Optimization
& Strategic Planning
15+ years VMware expertise.
We help organizations maximize their current VMware investment while planning for strategic alternatives when licensing renewals approach.
VMware remains powerful virtualization technology. vSphere, vMotion, vSAN, and NSX deliver robust enterprise features.
The challenge isn’t technical capability—it’s strategic fit in Broadcom’s new licensing model.
For organizations with active VMware licenses, we provide optimization, troubleshooting, and strategic planning to maximize ROI while preparing for eventual transition when renewals become economically unfeasible.
Infrastructure Optimization
CPU/RAM contention analysis, scheduling improvements, latency reduction, and best-practice alignment for stable cluster behavior.
Policy review, disk group design, cache sizing, network validation, and performance remediation for predictable IO behavior.
NSX setup and validation, resource allocation and capacity planning, storage optimization, thin provisioning strategy, and DRS/HA best practices.
Troubleshooting & Support
Rapid isolation of CPU, memory, storage, and network constraints using telemetry, logs, and workload profiling.
ESXi host health checks, VM performance analysis, configuration validation, and remediation planning with minimal disruption.
Storage and network issue resolution, backup and recovery validation, disaster recovery planning/testing, and emergency support for critical incidents.
Strategic Planning
Inventory-based licensing review, cost modeling, and renewal scenario analysis to inform decision-making.
Support for renewal preparation, option comparison, and negotiation positioning based on technical and financial evidence.
Alternative platform evaluation, hybrid infrastructure strategies, migration roadmap development, and risk assessment/mitigation planning.
VMware Optimization: Maximizing Current Investment
If you have active VMware licenses with support through 2026-2028, abandoning them immediately may not be cost-effective. Instead, we help you:
**Optimize current infrastructure** to reduce the number of hosts and licenses required at renewal.
**Implement hybrid strategies** where new workloads deploy on XCP-ng while VMware handles mission-critical legacy systems.
**Plan strategic migration timelines** aligned with your license expiration dates and budget cycles.
**Negotiate Broadcom renewals** with full knowledge of alternatives and leverage to achieve better terms.
Two Migration Paths, One Outcome: Eliminate Renewal Risk
Choose the approach that matches your licensing timeline and financial constraints—both end with a controlled transition to XCP-ng.
Optimize & Prepare
Best when you still have time on your VMware agreement.
- 1 Optimize current infrastructure to reduce host count
- 2 Deploy new workloads on XCP-ng to contain VMware footprint
- 3 Train teams on XCP-ng in parallel
- 4 Migrate non-critical VMs gradually
- 5 Complete transition before renewal deadline
Immediate Migration
Best when renewal pressure demands a fast, controlled exit.
- 1 Rapid migration to XCP-ng (6–12 weeks)
- 2 Aggressive V2V (Virtual-to-Virtual migration) conversion project
- 3 Intensive team training
- 4 Parallel systems during cutover
- 5 Complete VMware decommission
Hybrid VMware + XCP-ng Infrastructure Strategies
Not every organization needs to migrate 100% immediately. Hybrid approaches reduce risk while building toward independence.
**Development/Test on XCP-ng** – New projects and non-production workloads deploy on XCP-ng, preserving VMware licenses for production systems.
**Workload-Based Segregation** – Mission-critical legacy applications remain on VMware while modern cloud-native workloads run on XCP-ng.
**Geographic Distribution** – Primary datacenter on VMware, DR site on XCP-ng, or vice versa. Cross-platform replication strategies available.
**Gradual Transition** – Migrate workload types incrementally (web servers first, databases later, legacy apps last) based on risk tolerance and team readiness.
AI-Optimized Virtualization
GPU Infrastructure for Machine Learning
Enterprise GPU virtualization for multi-tenant AI workloads.
Maximize expensive GPU hardware through intelligent resource sharing and isolation.
GPU servers cost €50K-€200K+ per unit. Without proper virtualization, these expensive resources sit idle or underutilized. AI-optimized virtualization enables multiple teams to share GPU infrastructure efficiently while maintaining isolation and security.
Both VMware (vGPU) and XCP-ng (GPU passthrough) support GPU virtualization, but implementation strategies differ significantly based on your workload requirements and budget.
Maximize Utilization
Transform single-user GPU servers into shared infrastructure.
Typical utilization improvement: 40-60% in multi-tenant environments.
Make 5 GPUs work like 8 through intelligent sharing.
Fair Resource Allocation
Resource pools and quotas prevent individual users from monopolizing GPU resources.
Priority queuing for critical workloads.
Chargeback capabilities for cost allocation across departments.
Workload Isolation
Complete isolation between AI projects and teams.
No interference between workloads.
Security boundaries for confidential model development. Independent failure domains.
GPU Virtualization Options:
vGPU vs Passthrough
Choosing the Right Approach
Choose between shared GPU slicing for density (VMware vGPU) or full GPU assignment for maximum AI performance (XCP-ng passthrough).
VMware vGPU
Optimized for multi-user graphics and VDI density with mature ecosystem support.
- VDI and desktop virtualization workloads
- Multiple concurrent light-to-medium GPU users
- Graphics workloads (CAD, rendering)
- Environments already standardized on VMware
- True GPU sharing (multiple VMs per physical GPU)
- Live migration with vMotion support
- Dynamic resource allocation
- Mature ecosystem and tooling
- NVIDIA vGPU licensing required (additional cost)
- Limited support for some AI frameworks
- Broadcom VMware licensing uncertainty
- Higher total cost of ownership
50 engineers sharing 10 NVIDIA RTX 6000 GPUs for CAD/rendering workstations
XCP-ng GPU Passthrough
Best for dedicated AI training workloads requiring full CUDA performance and predictable costs.
- AI training and deep learning workloads
- Maximum GPU performance requirements
- CUDA, PyTorch, TensorFlow workloads
- Cost-sensitive environments avoiding vGPU licensing
- Full GPU performance (no virtualization overhead)
- Direct hardware access for AI frameworks
- No NVIDIA vGPU licensing required
- Predictable XCP-ng licensing costs
- One GPU per VM (less flexibility than vGPU)
- No live migration of VMs with GPU assigned
- Requires sufficient physical GPUs per host
- Manual workload scheduling needed
8 data scientists with dedicated NVIDIA A100 GPUs for foundation model training
Complete AI Infrastructure: Virtualization + Storage + Networking
GPU virtualization is one component of AI infrastructure. Complete solutions require:
**High-Throughput Storage** – AI workloads demand storage that can feed data to GPUs at 10-430GB/s. We integrate Infortrend EonStor GSx, StorONE, and Open-e solutions.
**GPU Clusters** – Multi-node GPU infrastructure requires InfiniBand or 100GbE networking, NVLink fabrics, and distributed training orchestration. We deploy Gigabyte GIGAPOD solutions.
**AI Governance** – Enterprise AI requires RAIGF™ governance framework ensuring compliance with EU AI Act and GDPR.
AI Workstations
AI Servers
AI Datacenter / Factory
GPU Virtualization for AI Workloads
Design, Deployment & Cost Optimization
What we deliver
– AI-ready GPU infrastructure design
Architecture tailored for model training, inference and multi-user AI environments.
– GPU virtualization with cost control
VMware vGPU or XCP-ng GPU passthrough implementation to maximize GPU utilization and reduce vGPU licensing costs.
– Shared GPU strategy for teams
Secure multi-tenant GPU resource allocation for data science and AI engineering teams.
– High-throughput storage for AI pipelines
Storage integration optimized for large datasets and continuous model training, eliminating I/O bottlenecks.
– High-performance networking for GPU clusters
InfiniBand or 100GbE fabrics designed for distributed training and scalable AI platforms.
– Kubernetes orchestration for GPU workloads
GPU-aware Kubernetes clusters for containerized AI and MLOps pipelines.
– Operational visibility and performance tuning
Monitoring, alerting and performance optimization for predictable GPU usage and cost control.
– Team enablement
Training on GPU resource management, scheduling and AI workload governance.
Virtualization Platform Comparison
Making the Right Strategic Choice
| Feature / Consideration | XCP-ng Enterprise | VMware vSphere (Post-Broadcom) |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing Model | Per-socket, transparent pricing. LTS included. | Subscription bundles, forced multi-year commitments. |
| Cost Predictability | ✓ Stable, no surprise renewals. | ✗ Reports of 150-1000%+ increases at renewal. |
| Enterprise Features | Live migration, HA clustering, GPU passthrough, vTPM. | vMotion, DRS, vSAN, NSX, mature ecosystem. |
| Professional Support | ✓ Vates MSP Level 1 & 2 via Virtualtek. | Direct Broadcom support (reduced MSP network). |
| GPU Virtualization | GPU passthrough (full performance, no vGPU cost). | vGPU support (requires NVIDIA licensing). |
| Vendor Lock-in Risk | ✓ Open-source, active community, Vates backing. | ✗ Proprietary, Broadcom strategy uncertainty. |
| Migration Complexity | V2V tools available (VMware → XCP-ng). | N/A (current platform). |
| Storage Integration | iSCSI, NFS, FC. Open-e, StorONE, Infortrend ready. | vSAN, iSCSI, NFS, FC. Broad compatibility. |
| Ecosystem Maturity | Growing (Terraform, Ansible, Packer, Xen Orchestra). | Mature (extensive third-party integrations). |
| Long-Term Viability | ✓ Active development, €15M investment, Xen Project. | ? Broadcom focus on large enterprise bundles. |
The right platform depends on your current licensing status, budget constraints, and strategic infrastructure goals.
We help organizations make informed decisions based on TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) analysis, workload requirements, and risk tolerance.
Professional Migration Services & Ongoing Infrastructure Support
Virtualtek has successfully deployed and migrated dozens of
virtualization environments over 15+ years.
Our structured approach minimizes business disruption
while ensuring your team is fully trained and confident.
Migration Project Management
- Complete current-state assessment
- Detailed migration plan with risk mitigation
- Phased execution timeline
- Minimal downtime strategies
- Testing and validation protocols
- Rollback procedures
- Post-migration optimization
Team Training
- Administrator training on new platform
- Backup and recovery procedures
- Monitoring and troubleshooting techniques
- Best practices documentation
- Hands-on lab sessions
- Knowledge transfer workshops
Professional Support
- Official Vates MSP Level 1 & Level 2 support (XCP-ng)
- VMware troubleshooting and optimization
- Performance monitoring and alerting
- Emergency response (phone, email, WhatsApp)
- Quarterly infrastructure health reviews
- Capacity planning and scaling guidance
From First Contact to Running Infrastructure
Proven deployment process refined over 15+ years
Initial Consultation
Free discussion about your needs, challenges, and budget parameters. We listen more than we talk.
30-45 minSolution Design
Detailed architecture proposal with multiple options. Clear pricing, no hidden costs.
3-5 daysValidation & Refinement
We adjust until it's perfect. Your feedback drives the final solution.
1-2 weeksProcurement & Assembly
Leveraging our partnerships for best pricing. Assembly and testing in Belgium.
2-4 weeksImplementation
Professional deployment with minimal disruption. We handle everything.
1-3 weeksHandover & Support
Complete documentation, training if needed, and ongoing support options.
OngoingFrequently Asked Questions
Virtualization Strategy
It depends on your license status. If renewal is imminent (within 12 months) and cost increases are significant, immediate migration may be cost-effective. If licenses extend beyond 2026, you have time to plan hybrid strategies or gradual migration. We provide TCO analysis to inform your decision.
XCP-ng is based on XenServer, which shares conceptual similarities with vSphere. Xen Orchestra management interface is intuitive. We provide comprehensive training (3-5 days) covering all essential operations. Most teams are productive within 2 weeks. Our Level 1 & 2 MSP support ensures ongoing assistance during the learning curve.
Yes. XCP-ng is based on Xen, the same hypervisor powering AWS, Alibaba Cloud, and IBM Cloud. It supports live migration, high availability clustering, and enterprise storage integration. Thousands of organizations run production workloads on XCP-ng. With our Vates MSP Level 1 & 2 support, you have professional escalation paths for any issues.
Vates, XCP-ng editor, uses per-socket licensing with no forced bundles. For a typical 3-host cluster (2 sockets each), Vates pricing with professional support is significantly lower than VMware's current subscription bundles—often 50-70% cost reduction. We provide detailed TCO comparisons during assessment.
Virtualization concepts (resource pools, live migration, HA) are transferable. Your infrastructure knowledge remains valuable. We help map VMware skills to XCP-ng equivalents. Many VMware administrators successfully transition and appreciate XCP-ng's open architecture.
Yes. XCP-ng supports GPU passthrough, providing full GPU performance to VMs for AI training and inference. While VMware vGPU offers more flexibility for VDI, XCP-ng passthrough delivers maximum performance for CUDA-based AI workloads without NVIDIA vGPU licensing costs.
Yes. Many organizations run hybrid infrastructures during transition or long-term. We design cross-platform strategies, backup/DR solutions spanning both platforms, and migration roadmaps aligned with your business cycles.
As certified Vates MSP partners, Virtualtek provides professional support directly to you (Level 1: troubleshooting, guidance, updates) with escalation to Vates engineering (Level 2: advanced issues, bugs, architecture consulting). This isn't community forum support—it's contractual professional service with SLAs.
Whether you’re evaluating XCP-ng alternatives, optimizing current VMware infrastructure, or planning GPU virtualization for AI workloads—we provide expert guidance backed by 15+ years infrastructure experience.
You bring the business challenges.
We design the ICT architecture to address them.
Partner
of Medium Business Success
AI Infrastructure & Virtualization Experts
Specialized in:
– AI Infrastructure (Official Gigabyte & NVIDIA Partner)
– Virtualization (VMware Expert + Official Vates MSP)
– Enterprise Storage (Open-e, StorONE, Infortrend, AIC)
– RAIGF™ Governance (Exclusive European Distributor)
Contact Info.
Offices.
- Belgium - France - USA
Headquarter.
- Ruelle des colons, 14 - 4252 OMAL - BELGIUM
