The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →VMware migration can be a practical first step toward AWS modernization, but the right storage target depends on how each workload accesses data and what it must preserve. As of AWS’s September 3, 2026 announcement, AWS Transform supports migrating block storage directly to Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP in supported Regions, coordinating storage with compute and networking in a migration wave. FSx for ONTAP is worth evaluating when ONTAP data-management features, shared file access, or continuity with existing ONTAP operations matter—not as a default destination for every workload.
Can VMware storage migrate directly to FSx for ONTAP?
Yes, for eligible workloads using AWS Transform’s documented migration path. AWS announced general availability of direct block-storage migration to FSx for ONTAP on September 3, 2026. AWS describes the service as coordinating storage migration with compute and networking in a migration wave, with FSx for ONTAP available as an additional target alongside Amazon EBS.
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The regional condition is specific: AWS Transform migration and FSx for ONTAP must both be supported in the target Region. The announcement does not mean every VMware workload, storage layout, or source environment is automatically eligible. Confirm current service availability and workload prerequisites before designing a cutover.
Which AWS architecture are you moving to?
Move workloads from VMware to EC2
In an EC2-based modernization, virtual machines leave the VMware environment and run as Amazon EC2 instances. AWS’s AWS Transform workflow describes migrating block storage directly to FSx for ONTAP alongside the compute and network changes. This creates an opportunity to reconsider application dependencies and storage interfaces as part of the move, rather than assuming the existing VMware layout should be reproduced unchanged.
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- Set Your Devices Free, Expand Your Digital World: This unified storage hub supports massive capacity up to 64TB.*Storage drives not included. Stop Deleting, Start Storing. You can store 22 million 3MB images, or 2 million 30MB songs, or 43K 1.5GB movies or 67 million 1MB documents! UGREEN NAS is a better way to free up storage across all your devices such as phones, computers, tablets and also does automatic backups across devices regardless of the operating system—Window, iOS, Android or macOS.
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Keep VMware on VMware Cloud on AWS
This is a different architecture: VMware workloads remain on VMware Cloud on AWS, while FSx for ONTAP can provide supplemental datastore capacity. AWS’s 2022 integration announcement described scaling that storage separately from SDDC hosts. That announcement was later corrected on October 20, 2023, regarding earlier claims about GovCloud availability, so it should not be treated as proof of availability in a particular Region today.
AWS Prescriptive Guidance states that AWS stopped reselling VMware Cloud on AWS as of April 30, 2024, and directs customers to Broadcom for details. Verify current commercial availability and terms with the provider for your geography and account. Do not conflate supplemental datastores for VMware Cloud on AWS with the AWS Transform path for migrating workloads to EC2.
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What does FSx for ONTAP provide as a data foundation?
Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP is an AWS-managed file-storage service built on NetApp ONTAP data-management software. AWS documents access from Linux, Windows, and macOS compute in AWS or on premises. Capabilities include shared file access, snapshots, clones, replication, and data tiering. AWS describes submillisecond latency as a service capability; that statement is not a guarantee that a particular workload will meet its performance objectives.
A file system is placed in a VPC and configured with one or more high-availability (HA) pairs. Storage design includes primary SSD storage and a capacity-pool tier, with automatic tiering described by AWS. Those capabilities may fit organizations that need ONTAP features or want to continue familiar ONTAP data-management practices. They do not remove the need to design for workload performance, availability, recovery, and operational requirements.
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When should you choose FSx for ONTAP instead of EBS, EFS, or S3?
Start with the application’s storage interface and access pattern. Block, shared file, and object storage are different models, not interchangeable versions of the same service. AWS Prescriptive Guidance distinguishes these categories; the specific fit depends on application behavior and requirements.
| Workload need | Storage to evaluate | What to validate |
|---|---|---|
| Persistent block storage attached to EC2 or containers | Amazon EBS; AWS also identifies EBS as a block-storage migration target. | Application and guest compatibility, performance profile, availability and recovery objectives, and operational model. Source: AWS announcement, September 3, 2026, and AWS Prescriptive Guidance. |
| Shared file access across compute or on-premises servers | Amazon EFS or an appropriate Amazon FSx service, including FSx for ONTAP. | Required protocols, sharing pattern, ONTAP features, and fit with current operations. FSx for ONTAP is one shared-file option, not the only one. Source: AWS FSx for ONTAP documentation and AWS Prescriptive Guidance. |
| Object storage | Amazon S3. | Whether the application can use an object-storage access model rather than block or shared file storage. Source: AWS Prescriptive Guidance. |
Evaluate candidates against the same workload-specific criteria: interface and protocol, compatibility, performance profile, availability and recovery objectives, data-management features, migration method, regional support, operational familiarity, and total cost. The AWS service-category guidance does not establish a workload-neutral performance or cost winner. Cost and performance conclusions require workload requirements and current pricing or benchmark evidence.
Rank #4
- Value NAS with RAID for centralized storage and backup for all your devices. Check out the LS 700 for enhanced features, cloud capabilities, macOS 26, and up to 7x faster performance than the LS 200.
- Connect the LinkStation to your router and enjoy shared network storage for your devices. The NAS is compatible with Windows and macOS*, and Buffalo's US-based support is on-hand 24/7 for installation walkthroughs. *Only for macOS 15 (Sequoia) and earlier. For macOS 26, check out our LS 700 series.
- Subscription-Free Personal Cloud – Store, back up, and manage all your videos, music, and photos and access them anytime without paying any monthly fees.
- Storage Purpose-Built for Data Security – A NAS designed to keep your data safe, the LS200 features a closed system to reduce vulnerabilities from 3rd party apps and SSL encryption for secure file transfers.
- Back Up Multiple Computers & Devices – NAS Navigator management utility and PC backup software included. NAS Navigator 2 for macOS 15 and earlier. You can set up automated backups of data on your computers.
How does the AWS Transform migration sequence work?
AWS’s September 3, 2026 Storage Blog describes a vendor workflow for block-storage migration. Treat it as a high-level sequence, not a guarantee of eligibility or a substitute for current service prerequisites.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- Define the target. Select the EC2 and storage architecture, then provision the target and configure network and security access.
- Deploy replication agents. The described workflow installs a guest-level replication agent inside each source virtual machine.
- Replicate the data. AWS describes an initial replication followed by continuous incremental replication.
- Test the migrated workload. Validate application behavior, data access, performance, and recovery assumptions against the target.
- Cut over and finalize. Schedule the production transition, verify the workload on the target, and complete the migration’s finalization stage.
Confirm the current supported-Region list, workload eligibility, source and target prerequisites, and cutover requirements in AWS service documentation before implementation. The described steps are AWS’s workflow; the available announcement and blog do not establish that every VMware estate can use it unchanged.
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What should you validate before selecting a target?
Inventory the workload before choosing storage. A migration plan that starts with the service name rather than the data-access requirements risks carrying forward an unsuitable design.
Quick Recap
- Workload and business reason: Identify the application, its dependencies, migration objective, and acceptable downtime or migration window.
- Storage profile: Record interfaces and protocols, data volumes, sharing patterns, and any required ONTAP data-management capabilities.
- Recovery and availability: Define recovery objectives and test how the proposed design supports them; do not infer service-level outcomes from a feature list.
- Target architecture: Decide whether the destination is EC2-based modernization or VMware Cloud on AWS, and keep the migration plan aligned to that choice.
- Eligibility and Region: Check AWS Transform migration prerequisites and confirm both AWS Transform migration and FSx for ONTAP are supported in the target Region.
- Network, identity, and security: Design VPC placement, connectivity, access controls, and agent deployment as part of the migration plan.
- Operations and cost: Assess team familiarity, monitoring and recovery practices, and current service pricing against the workload rather than relying on generalized savings claims.
- Commercial terms: For VMware Cloud on AWS, verify current availability and terms with the provider for the intended geography and account.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
