VMware to OpenStack Migration Case Study: GDMS & Levi9

Company:

Country:

Singapore

Industry:

Service:

“

We chose Levi9 because of their proven expertise in infrastructure as code. They were the most qualified to support us in migrating and converting our code.

Mathieu Ploton

CTO at Global Digital Management Solutions

How GDMS got acquainted with Levi9

GDMS first got acquainted with Levi9 through a mutual customer project. During that collaboration, Levi9 demonstrated a high level of professionalism, technical expertise, and clear communication. When they faced the task of migrating their infrastructure from VMware to OpenStack, GDMS turned to Levi9 for support.

Project approach

For Levi9, this project was particularly interesting as it allowed them to broaden the portfolio of platforms where Kubernetes are successfully run, now including OpenStack (EasyStack), and to demonstrate the ability to deliver solutions beyond VMware.

The project required refactoring deployment code, implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC), and ensuring smooth operation on OpenStack. Although the scope was ambitious, the project was delivered in just 10 weeks with a focused team.

A dedicated Levi9 project manager provided structure, coordinated tasks, and ensured timely delivery. This organized approach gave GDMS clarity and confidence throughout the engagement. On the technical side, the project relied on a modern stack, including OpenStack (EasyStack), Terraform, Ansible, Kubernetes (K3s), ArgoCD, Couchbase, Elasticsearch, MinIO, Grafana, Prometheus, Keycloak, Consul, ActiveMQ, and Helm.

What made the collaboration unique?

What stood out to GDMS was Levi9’s ability to combine a strong business focus with reliable and effective technical delivery. Communication was clear and transparent, open points were resolved quickly, and the team showed high level of ownership and a proactive mindset by going beyond the original scope when needed to ensure quality. Above all, Levi9 demonstrated flexibility and a customer-first attitude, making the partnership both productive and enjoyable.

Delivery & results

At the end of the 10 weeks, GDMS had a fully automated Infrastructure as Code setup running on OpenStack (EasyStack). Levi9 successfully deployed and configured Kubernetes clusters along with supporting services, making the initial setup scalable and reproducible.

While this was GDMS’s first exposure to IaC and OpenStack, the project served as a showcase of how modern cloud-native infrastructure can be built and managed. Levi9’s approach gave GDMS the confidence to embrace this new way of working and to explore how they could bring the same benefits to their other customers.

Mathieu Ploton, GDMS:“This was our first real exposure to infrastructure as code. With Levi9’s support, we now plan to use it more broadly and encourage our customers to do the same.”

Lessons learned

The project proved that a smooth and cost-effective migration from VMware to OpenStack is achievable, even within a tight timeframe. By building a highly available Kubernetes (K3s) cluster on OpenStack, Levi9 demonstrated that open-source, more cost-effective alternatives can deliver the same level of reliability and performance.

It also showed Levi9’s ability to adapt quickly and solve complex integration challenges, a valuable capability for customers seeking flexibility and independence from commercial platforms.

Why GDMS recommends Levi9

GDMS looks back on the collaboration as smooth and highly effective. Communication was seamless, Levi9 consistently accommodated their needs, and the team proved to be skilled, cost-effective, and solution-driven.

Mathieu Ploton, GDMS: “The collaboration was smooth and on point. Communication is seamless, and Levi9 makes a real effort to accommodate customer needs. They are highly skilled, cost-effective, and solution-driven.”