Presales SME → Migration Lead: VMware → HPE VM Essentials (KVM), 500 VMs

Overview We're a services provider pursuing a migration of ~500 VMs off VMware/Broadcom onto HPE VM Essentials (VME) — HPE's KVM‑based hypervisor with the Morpheus management layer. We need a hands‑on virtualization engineer/architect to come in as a presales subject‑matter expert during the pursuit, then lead or co‑lead the migration once the deal is awarded. This is a two‑phase engagement. Right now we need someone credible enough to sit in a customer‑facing technical conversation and shape a migration‑readiness assessment. When the deal lands, that same person carries into the migration itself. We're looking for a long‑term working relationship, not a one‑off call. Phase 1 — Presales / bid support (immediate, paid) Participate in a customer‑facing technical conversation as our SME — establish credibility on VMware‑to‑KVM migration and the realities of the VME target Help shape and pressure‑test the scope of a ~2‑week migration‑readiness assessment Advise on approach, sequencing, and risk so our proposal is technically defensible — especially timeline realism given VME's offline conversion path and a firm cutover deadline Help us honestly represent what's achievable vs. what isn't Phase 2 — Migration execution (on award) Lead or co‑lead the current‑state assessment: VM inventory/sizing, guest‑OS and driver readiness, storage and network mapping, dependency analysis Build the migration wave plan and cutover‑window schedule against the deadline Design the target VME landing zone (host/cluster sizing, external storage over FC/iSCSI) Execute or oversee the VMware → VME conversion waves A DR/replication project is on the roadmap as a further follow‑on Must‑have experience Real, hands‑on VMware‑to‑KVM migration work (KVM, OLVM, Proxmox, RHV, or similar) — not just VMware administration Guest conversion mechanics: virtio driver readiness for Windows and Linux guests, offline/boot‑disk conversions, and common V2V failure modes External storage integration over Fibre Channel and iSCSI; boot‑from‑SAN a plus Cutover planning and wave sequencing for large estates under downtime constraints Client‑facing polish — you can explain your approach to a technical customer and inspire confidence without overclaiming Strong pluses Direct HPE VM Essentials / HPE Morpheus VM Essentials experience (any version) Morpheus Data platform familiarity DR/replication design (RPO/RTO, failover/failback) Backup design in KVM/VME environments (aware the native ecosystem is still maturing) Engagement Remote contract. Phase 1 is a short, paid advisory/presales engagement, expanding into the full migration on award. Please share your rate for both the presales phase and migration execution, plus availability over the next several weeks. NDA required before any environment or client detail is shared. Screening questions (please answer in your proposal) Describe a VMware‑to‑KVM migration you personally executed: target platform, approximate VM count, and your specific role. Have you worked with HPE VM Essentials specifically? If so, what version, and what did you do? Have you been client‑facing in a presales or SME capacity? How do you build customer confidence when a platform is new and you're being asked hard questions? Given an offline conversion tool and a firm cutover deadline, how would you approach wave planning for ~500 VMs?