VMware Migration Readiness (Google Sheets Tool) vs Application-centric Planners

Stage-0 baseline (vCenter + backup CSVs, local) and application-centric planning: how they fit together.

TL;DR

  • urpose: Stage-0 = fast, local readiness baseline; application-centric planners = dependency-aware move-set & wave planning with guardrails.

  • Inputs: Stage-0 uses vCenter + backup CSVs; planners ingest flow/telemetry + inventory/tags/CMDB to discover applications and dependencies.

  • Outputs: Stage-0 delivers per-VM readiness with reasons + exec rollups; planners deliver application maps, move-sets, waves, and policy/segmentation recommendations.

(This class includes “plan around the application” platforms and methods, such as dependency discovery, grouping, and wave/runbook generation.)

What each does

Stage-0 Readiness Baseline (this tool)

  • Inputs: vCenter inventory CSV + backup job inventory CSV.

  • Runs locally: Google Sheets (and Excel) — no agents, no SaaS ingest.

  • Normalization: deduped VM names, OS family, any-tag production/critical/compliance, uptime class.

  • Backup posture: missing/stale, short retention, irregular frequency, no offsite.

  • Output: Per-VM readiness with reasons and exec-ready rollups by Cluster / OS family / Uptime / Backup posture.

  • Why first: quickly separates move-sooner vs stabilize/leave-for-now cohorts and flags anchors/rebuilds before heavier dependency work.

Application-centric planners (class)

  • Goal: build dependency-aware move-sets and waves around applications/services, with segmentation and risk guardrails.

  • How: discover apps from flow/process data + metadata; map who-talks-to-whom, propose groupings, simulate policy/segmentation, and output runbooks.

  • Output: Application maps, move-set proposals, wave plans, pre/post checks, and policy recommendations (e.g., firewall rules, micro-segmentation).

When to use each

  • Use Stage-0 when you need a vendor-neutral triage baseline in hours—no connectors—to brief stakeholders and narrow scope.

  • Use application-centric planners when you’re ready to confirm dependencies, group services, and sequence waves with change-window and policy guardrails.

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

  1. Stage-0 shortlist: Identify cohorts by cluster/OS/role with readiness + reasons, backup posture, uptime class, and anchors/rebuilds.

  2. Targeted app discovery: Point the planner at shortlisted cohorts to build application graphs, validate hidden ties, and propose move-sets.

  3. Waves & guardrails: Turn move-sets into waves with segmentation/policy recommendations and pre/post checks; keep Stage-0 flags as the audit trail for scope.

What carries forward from Stage-0 (not throwaway)

  1. Deduped VM inventory with normalized names & OS family.

  2. Any-tag normalization for production / critical (DB/AD/DNS) / compliance.

  3. Backup posture flags informing RPO/RTO and rehearsal depth.

  4. Uptime class to plan change windows and test rigor.

  5. Cohort shortlist (move-sooner / stabilize / rebuild / leave-for-now) to limit discovery scope.

  6. Assumptions register and readiness rules table for governance.

Can we continue guiding beyond Stage-0?

Yes. We’ll help scope discovery windows, ensure Stage-0 artifacts are reused with planner outputs (no re-keying), and keep assumptions consistent across dependency mapping, waves, and policy guardrails. Vendor-neutral.

What this page is not

A vendor review or endorsement. “Application-centric planners” refers to a class of solutions/methods that create dependency-aware move plans.

Micro-FAQ

  • No. Stage-0 provides a readiness baseline and shortlists cohorts; planners build dependency-aware move-sets and waves with policy guardrails.

  • Deduped counts, OS/role mix, backup posture, uptime class, and cohort selection—plus thresholds/rules—focus discovery and planning on the systems that change outcomes.

  • Lower friction and faster signal; you avoid estate-wide discovery and target planning to workloads that will actually move.

See also

Legal & attribution

This page compares a Stage-0 readiness baseline with a class of application-centric planning tools/methods. Product names mentioned as examples are trademarks of their respective owners. We are not affiliated with, endorsed, or sponsored by those vendors. Descriptions of third-party capabilities are based on publicly available information and typical deployments as of September 2025 and may change without notice.

Nothing here is legal, financial, or professional advice. Use of third-party products is governed by those vendors’ terms and privacy policies. Our tool runs locally in your Google Drive.

Last reviewed: September 8, 2025.