Written by Maxime Roth Fessler, DevOps & Backend Developer at TrackIt
Kubernetes is playing an increasingly central role in modern infrastructure strategies, enabling consistent application delivery and operational efficiency. VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid, designed to manage Kubernetes clusters across both private and public clouds, was initially a strong choice for enterprise environments. However, evolving DevOps practices, the rise of Infrastructure as Code and GitOps, and concerns about vendor lock-in are prompting many organizations to reassess their platform strategy.
The sections below explore why migrating from VMware Tanzu to Amazon EKS (Elastic Kubernetes Service) or its on-premises alternative, EKS Anywhere, is not only a logical progression but also a strategic move toward a more flexible, scalable, and modern Kubernetes infrastructure.
Contents
The Challenges of Tanzu Kubernetes Grid
VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG) was developed to bring enterprise-grade Kubernetes to organizations already invested in VMware infrastructure. However, several limitations have emerged over time:
- Rigid, opinionated architecture: TKG enforces strict defaults across networking, monitoring, and other components, often limiting architectural flexibility and increasing operational complexity.
- Limited support for modern automation practices: The platform’s integration with Infrastructure as Code and GitOps workflows is minimal. Cluster management is typically imperative, relying on CLI tools rather than declarative, version-controlled definitions.
- Dependency on ticket-based support: Troubleshooting often requires engaging VMware support through tickets, which can delay resolution and reduce operational autonomy.
- High licensing costs: TKG’s pricing model can be cost-prohibitive, particularly for organizations looking to scale.
- Post-acquisition uncertainty: The Broadcom acquisition has raised concerns about product direction, roadmap clarity, and long-term support for Tanzu, prompting many to reconsider their platform choice.
This combination of technical and strategic challenges is leading many teams to explore more flexible, open, and cloud-aligned Kubernetes solutions.
Why Amazon EKS Offers a Modern Alternative
Amazon EKS provides a modern, cloud-native Kubernetes platform that aligns closely with current DevOps practices and infrastructure-as-code principles. Key advantages include:
- Declarative cluster management: Supports tools like Terraform, eksctl, and the AWS CLI, enabling consistent, version-controlled, and automated infrastructure provisioning.
- GitOps-ready architecture: Integrates seamlessly with tools such as Argo CD and Flux to support declarative, reproducible deployments and streamlined CI/CD workflows.
- EKS Auto Mode for hands-off infrastructure: Auto Mode is a fully managed Kubernetes runtime option where AWS manages core operational components—provisioning, scaling, patching, networking (VPC CNI), DNS, load balancing, and storage—using managed Karpenter and Bottlerocket AMIs.
- Nodes are automatically created, rotated after 21 days, and scaled dynamically based on workload demands.
- This offloads much of the undifferentiated heavy lifting, allowing teams to focus on application development rather than infrastructure management.
- Nodes are automatically created, rotated after 21 days, and scaled dynamically based on workload demands.
- Native AWS ecosystem integration: Tight integration with services like IAM, CloudWatch, and KMS enhances security, observability, and access control without additional tooling.
These features make Amazon EKS a scalable, secure, and developer-centric platform—well-suited for both cloud-native and hybrid environments. For a deeper dive into EKS Auto Mode and its operational benefits, refer to the dedicated article on the topic.
EKS Anywhere: Extending AWS Kubernetes On-Premises
While Amazon EKS delivers a fully managed Kubernetes experience in the cloud, EKS Anywhere extends that consistency and tooling to on-premises environments. Built on open-source technologies such as Kubernetes, Cluster API, and Bottlerocket, EKS Anywhere enables deployment of Kubernetes clusters on infrastructure like vSphere, bare metal, or edge devices, without relying on AWS-managed control planes.
This approach allows for full control over physical infrastructure while maintaining compatibility with EKS tooling. It supports GitOps-based workflows and a declarative, infrastructure-as-code model through tools like Terraform and Flux. The primary distinction lies in the operational model: EKS is fully managed by AWS in the cloud, whereas EKS Anywhere gives complete ownership of the cluster lifecycle and operations.
Infrastructure as Code and GitOps
EKS and EKS Anywhere provide native support for Infrastructure as Code and GitOps workflows, making them easier to implement and scale. These practices are tightly integrated into the platform rather than treated as optional add-ons.
Infrastructure can be defined using tools like Terraform and managed declaratively. GitOps tools such as Argo CD and Flux ensure that deployed environments match what is stored in source control (Github for example), reducing configuration drift and manual intervention. This approach improves collaboration, supports compliance through code reviews, and enables consistent disaster recovery.
In contrast, platforms like Tanzu often require workarounds to adopt these workflows, making it harder to establish reliable, version-controlled infrastructure operations.
Reducing Cost and Complexity
Migrating from Tanzu Kubernetes Grid to Amazon EKS or EKS Anywhere results in a leaner, more cost-effective Kubernetes footprint that scales with business needs. Key factors contributing to this include:
- No control plane management: With Amazon EKS, the Kubernetes control plane is fully managed by AWS, removing the burden of manual setup, maintenance, and upgrades.
- Elimination of high licensing costs: Moving away from Tanzu helps avoid expensive VMware and Tanzu licensing fees, which can significantly impact infrastructure budgets.
- Pay-as-you-go pricing: EKS follows a usage-based pricing model, aligning costs with actual consumption and eliminating upfront commitments.
- Built-in AWS service integrations: Native integration with AWS services—such as CloudWatch, IAM, and Auto Scaling—reduces the need for custom tooling or third-party solutions.
- Streamlined operations: Out-of-the-box capabilities and simplified architecture lead to more predictable environments, enabling better collaboration between operations and development teams.
Industry Trend
The move away from VMware Tanzu reflects a broader shift as organizations reassess their Kubernetes strategies in favor of more open and flexible platforms. One notable case is Michelin, which publicly documented its migration from Tanzu to a fully open-source Kubernetes stack. The decision was shaped by several key factors:
- Greater control: Moving away from a proprietary platform gave Michelin more flexibility over its infrastructure and tooling choices.
- Reduced complexity: Simplifying the Kubernetes stack helped streamline operations and improve maintainability.
- Alignment with open standards: Embracing open-source technologies enabled better integration and long-term adaptability.
- Avoiding vendor lock-in: The shift minimized dependence on a single vendor, addressing long-term strategic risks.
This example illustrates a growing industry preference for platforms like Amazon EKS and EKS Anywhere, which offer modern operational models, robust automation, and strong ecosystem support.
Conclusion
As infrastructure strategies evolve and application delivery demands greater efficiency, the constraints of proprietary platforms like VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid are becoming increasingly apparent. In contrast, Amazon EKS and EKS Anywhere offer modern, cloud-native alternatives that reduce operational complexity and support scalable, GitOps-enabled workflows. forthcoming article will explore the technical implementation in detail through a step-by-step, hands-on guide.
About TrackIt
TrackIt is an international AWS cloud consulting, systems integration, and software development firm headquartered in Marina del Rey, CA.
We have built our reputation on helping media companies architect and implement cost-effective, reliable, and scalable Media & Entertainment workflows in the cloud. These include streaming and on-demand video solutions, media asset management, and archiving, incorporating the latest AI technology to build bespoke media solutions tailored to customer requirements.
Cloud-native software development is at the foundation of what we do. We specialize in Application Modernization, Containerization, Infrastructure as Code and event-driven serverless architectures by leveraging the latest AWS services. Along with our Managed Services offerings which provide 24/7 cloud infrastructure maintenance and support, we are able to provide complete solutions for the media industry.