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Architecture Overview

High-level architecture for migrating Nutanix workloads to Azure Local.

Source Platforms

This documentation covers migrations from two Nutanix source configurations:

Nutanix AHV is Nutanix's native KVM-based hypervisor. VMs run as QCOW2/AHV disk images managed by Prism Element or Prism Central.

  • Veeam connects via the Prism API and deploys a temporary AHV Backup Proxy VM on the cluster
  • HYCU connects natively via the AHV snapshot API — no proxy VM needed
  • Commvault can be positioned as a policy-driven Hop 1 option when your release and licensed modules support Nutanix protection and restore workflows
  • Disk format: AHV (converted to VHDX during migration)

Nutanix ESXi runs VMware ESXi on Nutanix hardware with Nutanix managing the storage layer (AOS/AHV storage) while VMware manages the compute.

  • Veeam connects via the vCenter/ESXi API — no special Nutanix integration needed
  • HYCU supports ESXi as a source through the VMware vSphere API
  • Commvault can use VMware-side integration for ESXi-based sources in the same two-hop model
  • Disk format: VMDK (converted to VHDX during migration)

Two-Hop Architecture

All scenarios that use an intermediate staging host follow this pattern:

Detailed two-hop migration architecture

Draw.io source: migration-diagrams-common-two-hop-detailed.drawio

Hop 1 — Veeam replication, HYCU backup/restore, or Commvault-led protection and restore converts the source disk format to VHDX and lands VMs on the Hyper-V staging host. This serves as both a format conversion step and a validation checkpoint.

Hop 2 — Azure Migrate discovers the VMs on Hyper-V, replicates their VHDX disks to Azure Local CSV storage, and promotes them to Azure Local VMs integrated with the Azure portal.

Staging Options

Option Description Best For
Option A — Standalone Hyper-V A dedicated physical or virtual server running Windows Server with the Hyper-V role. Completely separate from Azure Local. Environments where Azure Local already has production workloads; highest isolation
Option B — Azure Local as Hyper-V Target the Azure Local cluster nodes directly as Hyper-V hosts. VMs land on CSV storage as plain Hyper-V VMs, then Azure Migrate promotes them to Azure Local VMs. New or empty Azure Local clusters; fewest data copies; fastest overall path

Final State

After all scenarios, VMs on Azure Local are:

  • Managed as Azure Local VMs visible in the Azure portal
  • Integrated with Azure Update Manager, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and Azure Monitor
  • Running on Hyper-V backed by S2D (Storage Spaces Direct) on the Azure Local cluster
  • Enrolled in Azure Policy and governance frameworks

Next Steps