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Azure Local

Moving From Public Cloud to Azure Local with RevNet

Many organizations start in Azure Public Cloud for its agility and global reach, but quickly encounter rising costs from compute, storage, data transfer/egress fees, and unpredictable billing—especially for steady-state or latency-sensitive workloads. Repatriating these workloads to a more cost-effective, Azure-consistent environment can deliver substantial savings without losing hybrid cloud benefits.

RevNet’s Azure Local IaaS offering provides a powerful alternative: dedicated, fully managed server clusters and networking switches hosted securely in our high-availability data center. We deploy and manage the entire infrastructure for you, so you get the full power of Azure Local (powered by Azure Stack HCI) without the hardware ownership, on-site maintenance, or operational overhead.

Why Choose RevNet's Hosted Azure Local IaaS?

  • Up to 50% Savings vs. Azure Public Cloud: By renting dedicated infrastructure from RevNet, customers typically save up to 50% on equivalent VM, storage, and compute workloads compared to running them natively in Azure Public Cloud. Avoid variable cloud pricing, egress charges, and overprovisioning penalties—enjoy predictable, flat monthly costs with no surprises.
  • Dedicated & Fully Managed Infrastructure: We provide purpose-built clusters tailored to your needs, including servers, storage, and switches. RevNet handles full deployment, core OS patching/updates, hardware support, and advanced monitoring—freeing your team to focus on applications rather than infrastructure.
  • Azure-Native Experience in a Hosted Model: Run VMs, containers (via AKS on Azure Local), and modern apps with seamless integration to Azure services like Azure Arc for centralized management, Azure Monitor for insights, Azure Site Recovery for DR, and Azure Backup for long-term retention—all from the familiar Azure portal.
  • Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD): Many companies spend heavily on AVD workloads in public cloud due to per-user licensing, scaling compute/storage, and ongoing management costs. With Azure Virtual Desktop on Azure Local (fully supported in RevNet’s hosted clusters), you can deploy and manage session hosts in our data center for dramatic cost optimization—reducing expenses on virtual desktops and apps while maintaining Azure’s secure, scalable VDI experience, multi-session capabilities, and easy user access controls. This is ideal for remote/hybrid workforces needing persistent or pooled desktops without public cloud’s variable pricing.
  • Data Sovereignty, Low Latency, and Compliance: Hosting in RevNet’s U.S.-based data center gives you full control over data location for regulatory needs (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, state-specific rules), while keeping latency minimal for performance-critical apps—ideal for hybrid scenarios or edge-like use cases without managing your own facility.
  • 3-Year Commitment for Maximum Value: Our rental model requires a 3-year term, unlocking the deepest discounts and ensuring long-term cost predictability. This commitment aligns perfectly with stable, production workloads that don’t need frequent public cloud elasticity.
  • Easy Migration Path: Use proven Azure-native tools like Azure Migrate and Azure Site Recovery to move workloads seamlessly from public cloud to your RevNet-hosted Azure Local cluster. For even more automated and low-disruption options, leverage third-party solutions such as Cirrus Migrate Cloud (CMC) from Cirrus Data—a purpose-built, block-level Migration-as-a-Service tool with patented technologies for secure, near-zero-downtime VM and data migrations. CMC excels at automating compute migrations from Azure (or other clouds) to Azure Local / Azure Stack HCI environments, minimizing risk and complexity while preserving business continuity. Scale back to Azure during peaks via cloud bursting, maintaining true hybrid flexibility.

With RevNet’s hosted Azure Local IaaS, you combine the best of both worlds: dramatic cost reductions (up to 50% off public cloud equivalents), enterprise-grade management and support, and full compatibility with the Azure ecosystem—including high-value AVD deployments—all without investing in or maintaining your own hardware.

Ready to evaluate your public cloud spend (especially AVD-heavy workloads) and see potential savings? Contact us for a no-obligation workload assessment and custom quote. Let’s move your workloads to a more efficient, predictable home.

Replacing Traditional Hypervisors With Azure Local

An organization currently operates a diverse virtualized environment using various hypervisors, including Hyper-V, VMware, and open-source solutions like KVM. While these platforms have served well, the organization is now facing challenges in managing and scaling its infrastructure. The existing setup incurs high operational costs, lacks integration with cloud services, and requires significant resources for management, disaster recovery, and modernization.

The organization is considering Azure Stack HCI as a VMWare replacement for its existing hypervisors. We will outline the use case for adopting Azure Stack HCI, including the benefits of cost savings, enhanced management through Azure services, robust disaster recovery, and integration with modern application platforms.

Challenges with the Current Environment

  • High Operational Costs:
    • Licensing fees for VMware and other commercial hypervisors.
    • Maintenance costs for multiple hypervisor environments.
    • High storage costs due to traditional SAN/NAS systems.
  • Complexity in Management:
    • Diverse hypervisor environments require different management tools.
    • Lack of centralized monitoring and management, leading to increased administrative overhead.
    • Difficulty in integrating on-premises infrastructure with cloud services.
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  • Limited Disaster Recovery Capabilities:
    • Manual processes for disaster recovery, leading to prolonged downtime.
    • Lack of seamless integration with cloud-based disaster recovery solutions.
  • Inability to Scale Modern Workloads:
    • Limited support for containers and modern application platforms.
    • Challenges in deploying hybrid cloud solutions that integrate with existing infrastructure.

Our Solution - Azure Local

Azure Stack HCI (now Azure Local) offers a hyperconverged infrastructure solution that integrates seamlessly with Azure services, providing a unified platform for managing virtual machines (VMs), containers, and modern applications.

Key Benefits:

  • Cost Savings:
    • Reduced Licensing Costs: Azure Stack HCI eliminates the need for separate licensing for Hyper-V or VMware. Organizations pay only for the infrastructure and Azure services they consume.
    • Lower Storage Costs: With Azure Stack HCI’s built-in storage capabilities, there is no need for expensive SAN/NAS storage solutions.
    • Consolidation: By consolidating multiple hypervisor environments into a single Azure Stack HCI cluster, the organization can reduce hardware, cooling, and power costs.
  • Enhanced Disaster Recovery:
    • Azure Site Recovery: ASR integration ensures that critical workloads are protected and can be quickly recovered in the event of a disaster. This is particularly important for organizations that require high availability and minimal downtime.
    • Geographically Distributed Clusters: Azure Stack HCI supports stretched clusters, enabling high availability and disaster recovery across different sites.
  • Scalability and Modern Workloads:
    • Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS): Deploy and manage containers using AKS on Azure Stack HCI, facilitating the deployment of modern, cloud-native applications within the on-premises data center.
    • Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD): Support remote work and virtual desktop scenarios with AVD on Azure Stack HCI, providing users with a consistent and secure desktop experience.  The company plans to use AVD as a replacement for their VMWare Horizon Deployment.
    • VMs and Hybrid Cloud: Azure Stack HCI supports traditional VMs and hybrid cloud scenarios, allowing workloads to be seamlessly moved between on-premises and Azure environments as needed.
  • Future-Proofing Infrastructure:
    • Hybrid Cloud: Azure Stack HCI offers a hybrid approach, allowing the organization to utilize both on-premises and cloud resources efficiently.
    • Cloud Bursting: During peak demand, workloads can be burst to Azure, ensuring scalability without the need for additional on-premises hardware.
  • Simplified Management with Azure Integration:
    • Centralized Management: Azure Stack HCI integrates with Azure Arc, allowing centralized management of on-premises and cloud resources through the Azure portal.
    • Azure Monitor: Use Azure Monitor for comprehensive insights, diagnostics, and monitoring of the entire infrastructure, ensuring optimal performance.
    • Azure Site Recovery (ASR): Azure Stack HCI provides native integration with Azure Site Recovery, enabling automated and efficient disaster recovery processes. This integration ensures minimal downtime and faster recovery times.
    • Microsoft Azure Backup Server (MABS): MABS can be deployed on Azure Stack HCI to provide robust backup solutions for on-premises workloads, with seamless integration into Azure Backup for cloud-based retention.

The Result

By replacing traditional hypervisors like VMWare with Azure Stack HCI, the organization can achieve significant cost savings, streamline management, enhance disaster recovery, and support modern workloads. Azure Stack HCI not only addresses the challenges of the current environment but also positions the organization for future growth with its hybrid cloud capabilities and integration with Azure services.