VMware has released a first public preview of ESX for Arm systems. With this move, the virtualization company is explicitly exploring a future in which Arm processors play a greater role in data centers and edge environments.
The preview appeared without a major announcement, reports The Register, but documentation shows that VMware now has a working version of its hypervisor running on Arm-based servers. Supported systems include those from HPE and Gigabyte with Ampere processors and a Supermicro server with an Nvidia Grace chip.
For now, this is still a limited test version. Several well-known VMware components are still missing, including vSAN for hyper-converged storage and NSX for network virtualization. VMware also advises users to manage Arm environments separately from existing x86 infrastructure. An Arm cluster must therefore be managed from a separate vCenter installation on x86 hardware.
At the same time, however, VMware is expanding support in its desktop software. New versions of Workstation and Fusion can connect to external Arm-based ESXi systems. This makes it possible to access virtual machines on Arm servers directly from existing management environments.
Growing Interest in Arm
With this move, VMware is responding to a trend that has been visible in the infrastructure market for some time. Arm processors are gaining ground because they are generally more energy-efficient than traditional x86 CPUs. As a result, interest in Arm-based servers is growing, particularly for AI workloads and edge deployments.
In addition, hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Google are increasingly promoting their own Arm processors as an alternative to traditional server architectures. These chips are designed to offer a better balance between performance and energy consumption.
VMware previously stated that customers are primarily experimenting with Arm platforms but remain cautious about large-scale migrations of existing workloads for now. A date for the final release of ESX on Arm has therefore not yet been announced.
Competitors Seek an Opening
At the same time, pressure on VMware has continued to mount since its acquisition by Broadcom. Several competitors are trying to lure away customers who are struggling with VMware’s revised licensing model.
For example, Platform9 recently unveiled its own appliance-like private cloud solution designed to be easier to deploy. Australian company Netframe is also targeting smaller VMware environments with a free edition supporting up to three hosts.