By: Mike Corey, WWPS Partner Solutions Architect – AWS
By: John Stockard, Public Sector Hybrid Multi-Cloud Systems Engineer – Nutanix
Federal agencies and the Department of War (DoW) face distinct challenges in establishing secure and compliant cloud infrastructures. They must navigate stringent security requirements while modernizing IT systems, managing rising costs from VMware licensing, and minimizing data center footprints.
Many agencies struggle with legacy applications that operate on outdated systems, complicating migration to services like Amazon EC2. A solution is essential to transition these environments to the cloud without sacrificing security and compliance. At Amazon Web Services (AWS), we are dedicated to assisting our clients at every stage of their cloud journey.
Nutanix Government Cloud Clusters (GC2) on AWS GovCloud provides a secure pathway for federal customers to accelerate cloud adoption. This post discusses how GC2 facilitates the migration of virtualized and containerized workloads to AWS GovCloud (US) efficiently and securely.
GC2 enables federal customers to:
- Accelerate workload migrations to AWS GovCloud (US)
- Modernize applications while maintaining compliance
For further details, visit Nutanix Use Cases.
GC2 deploys the full Nutanix Cloud Platform directly on bare-metal EC2 instances, utilizing EC2 instance store for primary storage. It integrates seamlessly with Amazon VPC, allowing for direct access to cloud services from GC2-hosted workloads.
Familiar Nutanix tools can be used across hybrid environments, ensuring operational consistency between on-premises and AWS GovCloud (US) deployments. The Nutanix Move tool simplifies the migration of workloads from existing infrastructures to GC2, reducing operational disruptions.
The following diagram illustrates the architecture of Nutanix GC2, showcasing its integration with AWS services.
Figure 1: Nutanix GC2 architecture diagram
Key advantages of the GC2 solution include:
- Cluster management
- Seamless application mobility
- Flexible cost control
Organizations can adjust GC2 clusters to optimize cost and performance, selecting instance types that align with their workload requirements.
GC2 supports various AWS tenancy options:
- Default tenancy
- Dedicated host
Many enterprises benefit from automated VM conversion and orchestrated migration, simplifying the process of moving workloads to AWS.
Nutanix Move is a free tool that automates VM conversion from ESXi to AHV format, managing the entire migration process. This tool enables efficient lift-and-shift operations, reducing common migration challenges.
AWS GovCloud (US) offers the infrastructure necessary to meet compliance standards such as FedRAMP High, CJIS, ITAR, and DoW Impact Levels 4/5, crucial for safeguarding sensitive government workloads.
Nutanix GC2 enhances these capabilities by deploying directly to the customer’s Amazon VPC, ensuring security consistency across environments. Preconfigured with STIG settings and aligned with NIST 800-53 standards, GC2 supports federal agencies' security needs while embracing cloud scalability.
Ultimately, GC2 allows federal customers to migrate mission-critical workloads to AWS GovCloud (US) while upholding robust security controls and compliance standards. This solution empowers agencies to accelerate cloud adoption without compromising their operational security.
Nutanix GC2 on AWS GovCloud (US) offers federal agencies a reliable path to enhance cloud adoption while fulfilling mission requirements, combining Nutanix's operational familiarity with AWS's innovative capabilities.
