Exit VMware without leaving the Microsoft ecosystem you've already invested in
If your identity, security, and productivity stack already run on Microsoft, re-platforming to a third ecosystem just to escape VMware licensing risk adds cost and complexity you don't need. NC2 on Azure moves your existing Nutanix or VMware VMs onto Azure as-is — no refactor — while sitting natively alongside Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Policy, and the rest of your Azure landing zone.
Your Nutanix environment, running natively on Azure
Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) on Azure runs the full Nutanix stack — AOS, AHV, and Prism — on dedicated Azure bare-metal infrastructure, inside your own Azure subscription and virtual network. Workloads move across with the same VM structure, the same management tooling, and the same operational muscle memory your team already has.
For enterprises already standardized on Microsoft — Entra ID, Microsoft 365, Azure landing zones, Microsoft Defender — this matters because the VMware exit doesn't force a second, unrelated cloud ecosystem into the environment. Identity, policy, and security governance stay Azure-native from day one.
The decision looks different depending on your seat — NC2 on Azure answers all four
A VMware exit isn't one decision. It's four, made by four different people who each need to say yes.
Predictable cost, board-ready story
Replace an open-ended VMware licensing liability with a fixed, forecastable Azure spend and a migration timeline you can put in front of the board with confidence.
A modernization roadmap, not a lateral move
NC2 on Azure isn't just an exit — it's the on-ramp to Azure-native services, containers, and AI workloads on Azure Machine Learning or Azure OpenAI, without a forced refactor before you're ready.
Zero compromise on security posture
Every existing control — PAM, SIEM, firewall, microsegmentation — carries forward intact, layered with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and a Zero-Compute DR tier isolated from ransomware.
A budget line you can defend
NC2 on Azure spend counts toward your Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC), and Azure Hybrid Benefit applies to eligible Windows and SQL Server workloads — turning an open-ended licensing risk into a planned, board-approved investment.
How F9 Infotech deploys NC2 on Azure
The reference architecture behind F9 Infotech's NC2 on Azure engagements — adapted per environment, not templated.
Azure BareMetal Infrastructure
NC2 runs on dedicated Azure BareMetal nodes (AN36, AN36P, or AN64 — up to 32 cores per socket and 1TB memory) inside your own Azure subscription, starting from a minimum three-node cluster.
Nutanix Prism
Continuous replication between production and DR clusters, managed through the same Prism Central/Element interface and nCLI your team already knows.
Your Existing Azure VNets
NC2 deploys into your existing Azure subscription, VNets, and Subnets over VPN or ExpressRoute — no complex network overlay to design — layered with Nutanix Flow microsegmentation.
Veeam Integration
Enterprise backup and recovery integrated directly into the NC2 environment for compliance and reliability.
Azure Landing Zone
A governed Azure foundation wrapping the NC2 deployment — Microsoft Entra ID, Azure Policy, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and centralized Azure Monitor logging.
Zero-Compute DR Tier
Nutanix Multicloud Snapshot Technology with NC2 hibernation retains recoverable data on Azure, activating compute only on demand.
The benefits of NC2 on Azure
What NC2 on Azure actually delivers once it's running in production.
No application refactoring
Workloads move across as-is — same VM structure, same guest OS, same dependencies. Nothing to rebuild before cutover.
Native Microsoft ecosystem alignment
Identity, policy, and security governance run through Entra ID and Azure Policy from day one — no second identity plane to reconcile.
Familiar operational tooling
Prism, AHV, and AOS carry forward unchanged, with only minor differences in Prism and nCLI — your team operates day two the same way they operated day zero.
Fast procurement, flexible licensing
Provision clusters via the Azure Marketplace in minutes, with build times measured in hours. Bring your existing Nutanix capacity-based licenses or purchase through Azure — with Azure Hybrid Benefit available for eligible Windows and SQL Server workloads.
Built-in resilience with Nutanix MST
Nutanix Multicloud Snapshot Technology (MST) powers the Zero-Compute DR tier — near-zero RPO/RTO without paying for always-on standby infrastructure.
A real path to Azure-native
Once stable on NC2, modernize incrementally with Nutanix Kubernetes, database, and AI services alongside native Azure services — on your timeline, not a forced one.
Per Nutanix-published benchmark data, NC2 on Azure customers have seen up to 53% improved cost efficiency versus deploying native cloud VM instances — actual results vary by workload and configuration.
Where NC2 on Azure fits best
The scenarios F9 Infotech most commonly deploys NC2 on Azure for.
Microsoft-standardized enterprises
Organizations already running Entra ID, Microsoft 365, and Azure landing zones that want a VMware exit without a second cloud ecosystem to manage.
Large-scale VMware exits
Hundreds of production VMs that need off VMware fast, without a workload-by-workload rebuild.
Data center exit & colo consolidation
Retiring physical data centers or colocation contracts without re-architecting every application first.
Disaster recovery modernization
Replacing a single-site DR setup with multi-region replication and a Zero-Compute, cyber-resilient third tier.
Regulated, security-sensitive workloads
Environments where PAM, SIEM, and existing compliance controls must carry forward intact through the move.
Dev/test, EUC & seasonal bursting
Spin up Azure BareMetal capacity on demand for development, end-user computing, or seasonal workloads, then shrink back down without owning idle on-premises hardware.
From assessment to a running NC2 environment on Azure
Assess
Map your VMware environment, dependencies, and security controls that must carry forward.
Design
Size the NC2 cluster, DR tier, and Azure landing zone around your actual workload profile.
Migrate
Execute a phased, zero-downtime cutover using Nutanix Move, with continuous validation at every step.
Modernize
Establish the roadmap toward Azure-native services once the NC2 foundation is stable.
Deliverables from every NC2 on Azure engagement
- VMware-to-NC2 assessment — workload inventory, dependency mapping, and sizing for a minimum three-node NC2 cluster.
- Reference architecture — production, DR, networking, and governance design tailored to your existing Azure subscription and VNets.
- Zero-downtime migration execution — phased cutover using Nutanix Move, with validation at each stage.
- Licensing & procurement strategy — bring your own Nutanix capacity-based licenses or provision through Azure Marketplace, with MACC and Azure Hybrid Benefit applied where eligible.
- Zero-Compute DR tier (Nutanix MST) — where appropriate, a ransomware-resilient, cost-efficient third recovery tier powered by Nutanix Multicloud Snapshot Technology.
- Azure-native modernization roadmap — a documented path toward Azure VMs, AKS, and Azure AI services.
One team, both hyperscalers
NC2 sits at the intersection of two ecosystems, and most partners are genuinely strong in only one. F9 Infotech is both a Microsoft partner and a Nutanix Solutions Partner, with architects certified across both — meaning your migration is designed by people who understand the Azure infrastructure layer and the Nutanix software layer equally well. The same team also delivers NC2 on AWS, so if your strategy is genuinely multi-cloud, it's one architecture philosophy applied consistently, not two vendors improvising independently.
Under the Microsoft/Nutanix shared responsibility model, Microsoft maintains the Azure BareMetal hardware and Nutanix handles the initial software deployment — but day-to-day lifecycle management of Prism, AHV, and AOS after go-live is the customer's responsibility. F9 Infotech takes that ongoing responsibility on as your managed operations partner, so "who patches and maintains this?" never becomes an open question after cutover.
Results from real Nutanix-on-hyperscaler migrations
Give your board a VMware exit plan that fits the Microsoft stack you already run
A 30-minute executive briefing with an F9 Infotech NC2 architect: your risk, your timeline, your numbers — no disruption, no commitment.