VMware pulls public VDDK SDK downloads, citing backup-only licensing

VMware has discontinued public downloads of its Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK), a set of libraries used to access and manipulate virtual disks. The SDK, long employed by third-party tools like Nutanix Move, Red Hat’s migration toolkit and ShapeBlue’s CloudStack guides, is now said to be available only to select technology alliance partners for licensed backup and recovery functions. VMware emphasized that VDDK was never included with a Broadcom software purchase and that customers can rely on existing partner solutions for backup needs.

Rivals criticize the silent removal, arguing it may hinder migration projects already underway, though workarounds are possible. The decision aligns with recent licensing shifts that have caused some channel partners to reassess VMware deployments. Analysts view the move as a defensive measure to limit competitor use of the SDK without fundamentally changing the complexity of large-scale virtualization migrations.