VMware goes a bit less virtual with removal of vCenter Converter

The tool used legacy technology which had associated security risks, but a replacement is on the way

Virtualisation giant VMware has removed vCenter Converter from its list of product downloads: a seemingly strange move for a company that is, after all, all about virtualisation.

The company said the step was taken as a precautionary measure to protect the customers from using legacy technology, which has not been updated for years and may pose a security risk.

Before removing the tool, VMware offered vCenter Converter as a free programme that enabled users to take a physical machine and create a virtual version of it, while it was running.

Once installed, the Converter copied data on a computer's hard drive into a virtual disk file (.vmdk), which could then be used in other VMware products.

The last official release of vCenter Converter came in May 2018, and official support ended in December 2019.

VMware says the product no longer complied with its 'high standards for security and stability.' The risks associated with its use had reached a level where VMware had no option but to remove it, while apologising for the inconvenience.

VMware is working on a renewed version of the tool, although there's no news about when it will be available. The company says the new product will be more secure and stable, with improved functionality and support for the newest technologies available in vSphere virtual machines.

The day after taking down vCenter Converter, VMware introduced 'Application Transformer for VMware Tanzu' - a new tool designed to help customers plan migrations away from virtual machines to containers.

The new product enables users to discover, analyse and containerise legacy applications, helping them to simplify and speed up their app modernisation journeys.

However, the fact that VMware has already committed to building a new version of vCenter Converter implies that the timing of the release is probably coincidental, rather than a signal that it is moving away from virtualisation entirely.