Veeam adds support for six more hypervisors in case you are up for a new one
Data protection vendor Veeam has expanded its Data Platform to support six additional hypervisors, a move largely aimed at reassuring organisations considering moving away from VMware. Many small VMware customers have been left seeking alternatives since Broadcom's acquisition shifted focus to its Cloud Foundation suite, which requires licensing at least 72 cores. By ensuring backup and data protection tools work across a wider range of hypervisors, Veeam aims to remove one of the barriers to switching, since migration projects often prompt customers to reconsider their entire toolset.
Version 13.1 of Veeam's Data Platform, released today, adds support for Red Hat OpenShift Virtualization, Sangfor aSV, XCP-ng, Citrix XenServer, VergeIO and Platform9. Veeam's president of products and technology, Rehan Jalil, said customers would value being able to protect VMs across different hypervisors from one console. The company also launched Cloud Archive, a service that moves backups to an unnamed third-party cloud, likely AWS or Azure, intended for storing low-priority backups with better performance than tape but recovery times stretching to several hours.
In short
- Veeam adds backup support for six more hypervisors, easing VMware migration fears
- New hypervisors include Red Hat OpenShift, XenServer, XCP-ng and Platform9
- Veeam also launches Cloud Archive for cheap, low-priority backup storage
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Broader hypervisor support gives organisations more choice and may reduce the risk and cost of leaving VMware by letting them protect workloads across platforms from one console. For customers unsettled by changed licensing terms, this flexibility could make it easier to compare alternatives and avoid dependence on a single vendor.
The case against
Adding backup support does not by itself make a hypervisor migration straightforward: organisations still need to weigh compatibility, operational needs, skills and the wider costs of changing platforms. Some may reasonably prefer VMware’s established environment, while support for several alternatives in one product could add complexity and does not guarantee that each option meets their requirements.
Explained simply
A hypervisor is the software that allows organisations to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical server. Veeam makes backup and data protection software for these virtual environments. When Broadcom acquired VMware, it substantially increased licensing costs for smaller customers, requiring them to license at least 72 cores regardless of actual usage, which prompted many businesses to seek alternatives.
Switching hypervisors normally requires organisations to replace their entire toolkit, including backup and data protection software. When a data protection vendor like Veeam supports multiple hypervisors, it removes a significant migration barrier. This matters because organisations seeking to escape expensive VMware licensing can keep their existing backup system, making the transition less disruptive and costly.