VMware Migration Readiness (Google Sheets Tool) vs Workload Profiling Tools

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

TL;DR

  • Purpose: Stage-0 = fast, local readiness baseline; workload profilers = performance baselines to understand CPU/Memory/IO patterns and peaks.

  • Inputs: Stage-0 uses vCenter + backup CSVs; profilers ingest live utilization (via collectors, connectors, or lightweight agents/appliances).

  • Outputs: Stage-0 delivers per-VM readiness with reasons + exec rollups; profilers deliver time-series utilization, peaks/percentiles, and evidence for right-sizing & risk checks.

(Examples in this class include Live Optics–style workload profilers.)

Looking for the page where you can download the VMware Migration Readiness (Google Sheets Tool) — Stage-0 readiness baseline? Click here.

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 before heavier data collection.

Workload profiling tools (class)

  • Goal: capture performance baselines for selected systems; quantify peaks/percentiles for CPU, memory, storage IO, and sometimes network.

  • How: gather live measurements for a defined window; summarize with distributions, diurnal patterns, and headroom.

  • Output: Charts/tables of utilization, hotspots, recommended right-size bounds, and supporting artifacts for capacity & risk decisions.

When to use each

  • Use Stage-0 when you need a vendor-neutral triage baseline in hours—no connectors—to brief stakeholders and pick where deeper analysis matters.

  • Use workload profilers when you’re ready to measure actual behavior of shortlisted systems to validate right-size assumptions and performance risk.

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

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

  2. Targeted profiling: Point profilers at the shortlisted cohorts to collect time-bound baselines (e.g., 7–14 days) and capture peaks relevant to cutover windows.

  3. Planning: Use profiler outputs to refine right-size targets, capacity guardrails, and wave sequencing; 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 realities.

  4. Uptime class to anticipate change windows and test depth.

  5. Cohort shortlist that limits profiling scope to what affects decisions.

  6. Assumptions register and readiness rules table for governance.

  7. Optional CSV bundle (inventory + flags + cohorts) to align teams.

Can we continue guiding beyond Stage-0?

Yes. If deeper profiling is useful, we’ll help scope the right window and targets, ensure Stage-0 artifacts are reused with profiler outputs, and keep assumptions consistent across sizing, risk, and wave planning. Vendor-neutral.

What this page is not

A vendor review or endorsement. “Workload profiling tools” refers to a class of solutions that collect live utilization to build performance baselines.

Micro-FAQ

  • No. Stage-0 provides a readiness baseline and shortlists cohorts; profilers measure actual utilization to validate right-sizing and performance risk.

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

  • Lower friction and faster signal; you avoid estate-wide collection and target profiling to the VMs that matter for migration and capacity plans.

Legal & attribution

This page compares a Stage-0 readiness baseline with a class of workload profiling tools. Product names mentioned as examples (e.g., Live Optics) 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.