Broadcom has removed public, general-access download pages for VMware's Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK), making it harder for customers to obtain the library used in many migration and backup tools.

Support teams reportedly told some customers that the VDDK is no longer available for use or download, directing them to alternative options through authorized partners or backup solutions.

Even with the VDDK access changes, Proxmox migrations remain unaffected because Proxmox’s import utility can move VMware VMs without requiring VDDK, though third-party tools tied to VDDK are impacted.

Platform9 noted the impact on vJailbreak and migration tooling, explaining that VDDK access restrictions disrupt traditional VDDK-based migration paths and offering storage-assisted migration as an alternative.

Analysts describe the changes as a strategic move to tighten VMware’s ecosystem, potentially accelerating customer exits and complicating migration paths, while VMware reportedly reintroduced a Standard edition amid the developments.

ShapeBlue observed on August 25, 2026, that VDDK pages referenced in migration guides returned 404 errors, with no Broadcom transition or deprecation notice publicly published.

Microsoft’s Azure Migrate documentation now warns that Broadcom may restrict VDDK access, suggesting agent-based migration as an alternative to agentless migration.

The lack of accessible VDDK affects numerous tools and workflows—including Azure Migrate, Red Hat MTV, Nutanix Move, VMware-to-KVM migrations, virt-v2v, and nbdkit—potentially hindering exit paths from VMware.

Nutanix users report 404 errors when downloading specific VDDK versions for Nutanix Move, with notes that Broadcom/VDDK access changes may push users toward VMware’s Technology Alliance Program.

Red Hat published a support article in late August 2026 indicating VDDK download access issues and advising customers to contact Broadcom for access while exploring long-term workarounds that don’t rely on VDDK.