When should we use this tool?

Use it as a Stage 0 readiness baseline before vendor calls: paste vCenter + backup CSVs to get per-VM readiness with reasons and exec rollups in minutes. It is vendor-neutral, runs locally, and helps shortlist move-sooner candidates versus stabilize/leave-for-now systems.

How do we decide which VMs to renew on VMware vs migrate to another platform?

Use the tool as a first-pass triage: per-VM readiness with Reasons (e.g., stale/missing backups, no offsite, short retention, uptime >180 days, production/critical/compliance tags) highlights move-sooner candidates versus stabilize or leave-for-now systems. Deeper economics and dependency analysis follow in Stage 1.

Is there a free VMware migration readiness tool that runs locally?

Yes. This is a Google Sheets workbook that runs entirely in your Google Drive; no data leaves your environment. Paste vCenter inventory and backup CSVs to get per-VM readiness with reasons and an exec-ready dashboard.

What inputs does it need?

Two CSVs: vCenter inventory and backup inventory. Paste them into the provided tabs with the exact header order listed on the Start page.

Which backup exports work?

Any CSV matching the listed headers works. Commonly used exports include Veeam, Rubrik, and Commvault backup job inventories, which map cleanly to the tool’s Backup_Inventory fields.

What does it produce?

Per-VM readiness bands with a Reasons field (e.g., stale/missing backup, short retention, irregular frequency, uptime >180 days, production/critical/compliance tags) plus exec-ready rollups by cluster, OS family, uptime range, and backup posture.

Which VMs look risky because of backups?

The tool flags missing jobs, stale last_backup_time, short retention, and irregular frequency at the VM level, and surfaces these issues in a Reasons field and dashboard rollups.

Which long-uptime systems might be change-averse?

It classifies uptime (for example, >180 days—tunable in Settings) and shows the distribution on the dashboard to highlight change-averse candidates for additional planning.

Can we brief executives without exporting data to a third-party site?

Yes. The workbook runs in your Google Drive and produces an exec-ready dashboard; no data leaves your environment.

Is there an Excel/offline version?

Yes. An offline .xlsx version is available with equivalent logic and editable thresholds; it runs locally with no uploads.

Does VMware provide a built-in way to analyze migrating away from VMware?

VMware’s native tools provide telemetry and CSV export; they do not offer a single migrate-away readiness view. Those exports can be used with this Sheet to produce a quick, exec-ready baseline.

How do we highlight production, critical or compliance-sensitive VMs?

It normalizes tags from vCenter and backup jobs (lowercase/trim) and applies an any-tag logic for production, critical (e.g., DB/AD/DNS) and compliance keywords, so these attributes appear consistently in the results.

Where are the riskiest clusters or OS families?

Results include rollups by Cluster and OS family with clear percentages, helping you see where readiness issues cluster at a glance.

Does this map VM-to-VM application dependencies?

No. This is a Stage 0 readiness baseline. It surfaces signals (e.g., shared backup jobs, uptime class, role tags) to target dependency mapping in Stage 1 Deep Assessment using agentless flow tools or logs.

Does this estimate migration cost or TCO?

No. Stage 0 highlights cost drivers (deduped counts, OS/role mix, backup posture). Detailed cost/TCO scenarios happen in Stage 1 with dependency, capacity, and overlap assumptions.

Does it predict performance or capacity after migration?

No. Stage 0 provides risk and inventory signals; performance/capacity modeling is part of Stage 1 using workload profiles and target platform assumptions.

Can this be used to schedule migration waves and timelines?

Not directly. Use readiness + reasons to shortlist low-risk candidates. Wave sequencing and timelines require dependency and capacity inputs in Stage 1.

Does the tool recommend platforms (Hyper-V, Nutanix, cloud)?

No. It is vendor-neutral. Use the baseline to narrow approaches (on-prem hypervisor, cloud-hosted VMware, refactor/rebuild) and engage vendors with clearer scope in Stage 1.

How does this relate to agentless dependency mapping tools?

This Sheet is Stage 0—fast, local baseline from vCenter + backup CSVs; it does not map live flows. Agentless mapping tools are used in Stage 1 to discover dependencies and group move sets. Use Stage 0 to shortlist and scope what needs deeper mapping.

How does this relate to cloud provider migration assessment tools?

Cloud assessments estimate target sizing/costs and often require connectors or agents. This is a vendor-neutral Stage 0 baseline to prep those conversations with deduped counts, OS mix, backup posture, and top reasons.

How is this different from VMware native tools (vCenter, Aria, Skyline)?

Native tools surface telemetry and configuration health per domain. This Sheet joins vCenter inventory with backup job data, normalizes and dedupes VMs, and outputs per-VM readiness with reasons and exec-level rollups—without agents or uploads.

How is this different from discovery platforms or CMDBs?

Discovery platforms typically require agents or SaaS ingestion and often return opaque scores; CMDBs catalog assets. This tool is free, local, and transparent—purpose-built for a pre-renewal readiness baseline you can audit and adapt in cells, with faster time to result.

VMware Migration Readiness (Google Sheets Tool) vs. Agentless Dependency Mapping Tools

Stage-0 baseline (vCenter + backup CSVs, local) and Stage-1 mapping: how they fit together.

TL;DR

Purpose: Stage-0 = fast, local readiness baseline; agentless dependency mapping = deep application flow maps for grouping and wave planning.
Inputs: Stage-0 uses vCenter + backup CSVs; mapping tools inspect live network/process flows (typically without agents).
Outputs: Stage-0 delivers per-VM readiness with reasons + exec rollups; mapping tools deliver dependency maps, move-set grouping, and inputs to timelines/cutovers.

Looking for the main VMware Migration Readiness (Google Sheets Tool) page where you can download the tool? Click here.

What each does

Stage-0 Readiness Baseline (this tool)

Inputs: vCenter inventory CSV + backup job inventory CSV.
Runs locally: Google Sheets (and an Excel version) — no agents, no SaaS ingest.
Normalization: deduped VM names, OS family, any-tag production/critical/compliance, uptime class.
Backup posture: missing/stale backups, short retention, irregular frequency, no offsite.
Output: Per-VM readiness with reasons (only causes that apply) and exec-ready rollups by Cluster / OS family / Uptime / Backup posture.
Why first: minutes-to-signal once set up; vendor-neutral triage (move-sooner vs stabilize/leave-for-now) before heavier tools.

Agentless dependency mapping tools (class)

Goal: discover live application dependencies across VMs/hosts (who talks to whom, ports/protocols, volumes).
How: observe network/process flows (typically via collectors/appliances or integrations) without installing agents on each VM.
Output: Dependency maps, tier grouping, suggested move sets, evidence for change control and wave sequencing.
Why later: requires access, scoping, and time; best applied to cohorts you’ve already shortlisted.

When to use each

Use Stage-0 when you need a triage baseline in hours to brief stakeholders and scope vendor conversations — with no infrastructure changes.
Use agentless mapping when you’re ready to validate dependencies, group move sets, and build wave plans/timelines with confidence.

How they work together (handoff 1-2-3)

Stage-0 shortlist: Identify move-sooner cohorts and stabilize/leave-for-now systems using readiness + reasons.
Targeted mapping: Apply agentless dependency mapping to the shortlisted cohorts to confirm flows, uncover hidden ties, and form move sets.
Planning: Use mapping outputs to finalize waves, timelines, and change windows; carry Stage-0 artifacts forward to avoid re-work.

What carries forward from Stage-0 (not throwaway)

Deduped VM inventory with normalized names and OS family.
Any-tag normalization for production / critical (DB/AD/DNS) / compliance.
Backup posture flags (missing/stale/retention/offsite).
Uptime class for change-averse candidates.
Cohort shortlist by cluster/OS/role for targeted mapping.
Assumptions register (thresholds) and a readiness rules table (audit trail).
Optional CSV bundle (inventory + flags + cohorts) ready to hand to Stage-1 tools.

Can we continue guiding beyond Stage-0?

Yes. If deeper assessment is warranted, we’ll help scope the right next step, ensure Stage-0 artifacts are reused by mapping/capacity/cost workflows, and keep assumptions consistent across phases. Vendor-neutral.

What this page is not

A vendor review or endorsement. “Agentless dependency mapping tools” refers to a class of solutions that inspect live flows to derive application dependency graphs.

FAQ

Stage-0 vs. agentless dependency mapping tools

No. Stage-0 prepares it by cleaning data, flagging risks, and shortlisting cohorts so mapping time is focused.
No. The deduped inventory, flags, and cohorts from Stage-0 become inputs to mapping and wave planning.
Lower friction and faster signal for executives; you avoid scoping/mapping the entire estate and focus on the right systems first.

Legal note

All product names are trademarks of their respective owners. This page describes how a Stage-0 baseline complements a class of tools; it is not an evaluation of any specific vendor.