Migrating Without VDDK: Inside Nutanix Move 6.3.3 DirectPath

Nov 5, 2026

For years, moving VMware workloads to another platform relied on a small but critical piece of software: VMware’s Virtual Disk Development Kit, or VDDK. When public VDDK downloads disappeared, migration tools that depended on it lost their way in, and plenty of teams planning a move off VMware found their exit suddenly blocked.

In this episode of Nutanix Weekly, XenTegra’s Chris Calhoun is joined by Nutanix SE Marcus Barton and XenTegra Solutions Architect Andy Greene to walk through Nutanix’s answer: Nutanix Move 6.3.3 DirectPath. They cover how it works, what it supports, and how to plan a migration that goes smoothly from pilot to cutover.

Why VDDK Mattered

VDDK gave third-party tools, including Nutanix Move, a supported way to read VMware virtual disks during a migration. When it was no longer available to download, migrations that depended on it stalled, and organizations looking for alternatives to VMware faced a new obstacle on the way out.

Rather than wait, Nutanix built a new path that doesn’t need VDDK at all.

How Move DirectPath Works

With DirectPath, a Move appliance runs on the source cluster, local to the datastore where the VMs live. Move takes a snapshot of each VM and attaches it to the appliance as a block disk, so the appliance can read the VM’s data directly and send it to the target environment.

A few things to know before you start:

• Move 6.3.3 is its own release. DirectPath requires a fresh Move 6.3.3 installation. The 6.3.1 branch remains the release for other migration scenarios.
• Place an appliance on each source cluster, local to the datastore that holds the VMs you’re migrating.
• The workflow stays familiar. Migrations still start with an initial seed, follow with smaller differential syncs, and finish with a planned cutover.

Where You Can Migrate

Move supports a wide range of migration paths, depending on the scenario and version, including:

• VMware to Nutanix AHV
• Moves to and from Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2) and public cloud
• Hyper-V to AHV
• AHV to AHV, such as between clusters

Not Every Workload Should Be Migrated

Some workloads are better rebuilt than moved. The team’s guidance:

• Domain controllers: stand up a new domain controller on the target platform and let it replicate, rather than migrating the existing one.
• Large databases: consider the database’s own native replication instead of a VM-level migration.
• Direct hardware access: VMs that depend on USB devices, GPUs, or raw device mappings need special planning before they move.

How to Prepare for a Smooth Migration

• Consolidate any pending snapshots and confirm guest tools are installed and current
• Check that source datastores have enough free capacity for snapshots and replication changes
• Account for the performance impact of snapshots, and schedule around backup windows
• Start with a small pilot wave of a handful of VMs
• Bring business stakeholders into testing so the cutover is coordinated, not just technically complete
• Review the Move documentation for supported configurations

More in the Move 6.3 Family

Marcus also highlights other recent Move features, including network policy migration and zero-copy migration workflows with Pure Storage.

Why Partner with XenTegra?

XenTegra helps organizations plan and run migrations to Nutanix, from sizing the target environment and choosing the right Move release to piloting, cutover, and day-two support. Our team has been through these migrations many times, so yours doesn’t have to be a leap of faith.

Ready to Plan Your Migration?

Whether you were blocked by the VDDK change or you’re just starting to evaluate alternatives to VMware, our team is ready to help. Reach out to start the conversation.