VMware out, infrastructure stays: KSM Castings migrates 200+ VMs to Proxmox VE

4 sites, 14 servers, and more than 200 virtual machines: KSM Castings has fully replaced its VMware environment with Proxmox Virtual Environment. In doing so, the company retained its existing Fibre Channel storage systems and established Veeam backup infrastructure. The migration was executed without significant issues or interruption to ongoing operations.

KSM Castings Group is an automotive supplier that develops and produces light-alloy cast components for the international automotive industry, including powertrain, chassis, and body parts as well as components for electric mobility. As a subsidiary of CITIC Dicastal, the company supplies well-known automakers and suppliers through a global production network, with several manufacturing sites in Germany alone.

At its German production sites, nearly all enterprise applications run on virtualized systems, including business-critical applications for foundry production control. The virtualization platform is therefore a core part of the production IT infrastructure.

The challenge

KSM Castings wanted to replace its VMware environment and reduce ongoing license costs. However, a complete overhaul of the IT infrastructure was not an option. Existing storage and backup systems were to stay in use, along with the in-house team know-how and established processes. The primary requirement was clear: adopt a new virtualization platform without having to rebuild proven infrastructure from scratch.

The solution: Proxmox VE on existing infrastructure

Together with Proxmox Partner comNET GmbH, KSM Castings analyzed the existing environment and designed the target architecture around Proxmox VE. Today, KSM Castings runs 4 separate Proxmox VE clusters at 4 sites with a total of 14 production servers. The cluster at the main site has 5 servers, while the remaining 3 sites operate 3-node clusters each.

The existing central shared storage systems remain in use and connect directly to the virtualization platform over Fibre Channel, eliminating the need for new storage infrastructure. This enabled KSM Castings to switch hypervisors without replacing its existing hardware and storage at the same time.

200+ VMs migrated – zero operational interruption

As part of the full VMware replacement, more than 200 VMs were migrated to the new Proxmox environment. Nearly all of the company's applications run on these VMs, including business-critical systems for foundry production control. Minimizing operational risk during migration was paramount.

The migration went smoothly, allowing KSM Castings to fully modernize its virtualization platform without interrupting production at its 4 manufacturing sites.

Retaining existing backup, controlled updates

KSM Castings also prioritized continuity in its data protection strategy, continuing to use Veeam as its primary backup solution. The existing backup and recovery workflows were seamlessly integrated into the new Proxmox environment.

A key highlight of the implementation is the use of the Proxmox Offline Mirror. Required package repositories and software updates can be mirrored locally in a staging environment before being deployed to production systems. This ensures a predictable update lifecycle – vital in mission-critical manufacturing environments – and minimizes reliance on direct internet connectivity.

The results: lower costs, protected investments

With the move to Proxmox VE, KSM Castings achieved several goals at once:

• Reduce license costs: Moving from VMware to Proxmox VE led to substantial savings in license costs.
• Preserved infrastructure: Existing Fibre Channel storage systems remained fully utilized without replacement.
• Retained backup workflows: Veeam and established backup and recovery processes were successfully maintained.
• Protected production operations: Over 200 VMs were migrated without affecting day-to-day operations.
• Unified 4 sites: The 4 Proxmox clusters now serve as the standardized virtualization foundation across all German locations.

Next step: centralized management

Further development is already planned. With Proxmox Datacenter Manager, KSM Castings plans to centralize administration across all 4 clusters, significantly improving cross-site visibility and governance.

comNET continues to support KSM Castings beyond the initial migration. As an official Proxmox Partner, comNET assisted throughout the project – from initial analysis and technical design to hands-on migration, ongoing support, and provisioning the required Proxmox VE Enterprise Support Subscriptions.

KSM Castings was able to fully replace VMware, migrate more than 200 VMs to Proxmox VE, and protect its existing storage and backup investments, all without disrupting production.

Johannes Opitz
IT Systems Administrator, KSM Castings Group GmbH

About KSM Castings Group GmbH
KSM Castings Group is one of the leading manufacturers of light-alloy cast components for the international automotive industry. The company produces aluminum parts for powertrain, chassis, body, and e-mobility applications, supplying major automakers and suppliers through multiple German manufacturing plants and an international production network. This makes KSM Castings an important partner to the global automotive industry. Learn more: https://www.ksmcastings.com

About Proxmox Partner comNET GmbH
comNET GmbH, headquartered in Hanover, Germany, is an IT system integrator with over 35 years of experience. Specializing in open-source solutions, IT security, and monitoring, comNET designs tailored infrastructure, communication, and virtualization environments. As an official Proxmox Partner, the company guides migration projects from initial assessment through to ongoing operational support. Learn more: https://www.comnet-solutions.de