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Over the last few years I’ve seen loads of companies talk about “multicloud” as if it were the most natural thing in the world. In reality, in practice, it’s often a nightmare: different environments, different ways of managing VMs, networks that don’t talk to each other, a thousand control panels.
It’s more or less in this context that Nutanix NC2 comes into play, and here I want to tell you how I experienced it myself, rather than rewriting the datasheet.
What Nutanix NC2 is, from a user’s point of view
If I had to explain it in a nutshell, I’d say that NC2 is:
“Classic” Nutanix, but running on the clouds of the big providers (like AWS or Azure), with the idea of giving you the same management experience both on‑prem and in the cloud.
In other words: you get the same Nutanix interface, concepts and way of working you already know from your datacenters, but you can also use them on top of public cloud infrastructure.
For me the point isn’t so much “bringing Nutanix to the cloud” as making the jump less traumatic from on‑prem → cloud → hybrid.
Why I wanted to try it
In my case, the need was fairly typical:
- on‑prem Nutanix environments already in production
- my customers needing to use cloud resources for extra capacity (temporary bursts, testing, new projects)
- a clear request from the business: no never-ending migration projects, no revolutions in the day-to-day management of the systems
What I was looking for (and what my customers were asking me for), basically, was:
- consistent management across on‑prem and cloud
- avoiding, as far as possible, having to retrain the customers’ staff from scratch
- a middle ground between “everything in-house” and “everything in the cloud”
NC2 looked like a credible candidate, so we put it to the test.
First impressions: “it really is Nutanix”
The first thing I appreciated was almost trivial: once NC2 is deployed, you really feel at home, with the same Nutanix experience you already know.
- the same Prism interface
- the same concepts for clusters, storage and VM management
- operational logic very similar to the on‑prem environment
In practice, this drastically shortened the learning curve for the teams. There was no need to “evangelize” the cloud heavily:
I could simply tell them:
“Whatever you know how to do on Nutanix in the datacenter, you do here too, but the resources live in AWS/Azure.”
For an IT team whose days are already full, that’s no small detail…plenty of engineers would have gladly “made me a saint”.
What I actually did with NC2
To keep this from staying theoretical, let me tell you about some scenarios we handled with NC2.
1. Extending the environment for load peaks
I have a customer whose applications every now and then need more resources (campaigns, temporary projects, POCs).
Instead of adding on‑prem hardware, we:
- created NC2 clusters in the cloud
- moved or started some VMs there
- used the cloud as a “pressure relief valve” for the peaks
The same example can also apply to Citrix customers who need to extend into the Cloud for DR or for temporary periods during the year.
From an operational point of view, the way we managed the VMs stayed familiar. The real advantage, in my opinion, was mental: you don’t get the feeling that you’re managing “two separate worlds”.
2. Less painful test/dev environments
Test environments are often the first to end up in the cloud. With NC2 we created:
- test environments that more faithfully replicate the on‑prem ones
- the ability to power them on and off more easily, without buying dedicated hardware
In practice, we used the cloud for what it does best (elasticity), but without having to change the operational stack and tools every time.
3. Gradual migrations instead of big‑bang
Instead of the classic “everything to the cloud” or “everything to a new data center” migration, NC2 allowed us a more gradual approach:
- moving specific groups of workloads
- testing how they live in the cloud
- keeping the option to roll back without drama
I’m not saying it was all automatic and painless, but compared to more “rigid” migrations it was definitely more manageable.
What I liked most
Here I’ll go straight to my personal impressions.
1. Operational continuity for the team
NC2’s strongest point, in my opinion, is continuity:
- the same tools
- the same way of thinking about clusters
- the same logic for managing VMs and storage
This greatly reduces internal resistance. You’re not telling the team: “starting tomorrow we work in a completely different way because we’re moving to the cloud”, but rather:
“Starting tomorrow some things run on AWS/Azure, but we manage them with the same platform.”
It makes a huge difference in terms of adoption.
2. Multicloud without the split personality
The other thing I appreciated is how multicloud is handled.
Not so much for “marketing” reasons, but for a practical one: every cloud has its own strengths and its own costs.
With NC2 you can:
- choose where to run your workloads (on‑prem, cloud A, cloud B)
- keep a more uniform management foundation
- avoid multiplying tools and skills for every single environment
It doesn’t eliminate the complexities of multicloud (they’re still there), but it makes them more manageable.
3. Less traumatic migration and reversibility
I always shudder a bit when I hear “irreversible migration”: in reality, requirements change.
NC2 puts you in a somewhat more comfortable position, because:
- you can move workloads to the cloud
- you can keep part of them on‑prem
- you can rebalance over time based on cost and performance
It’s not child’s play, but it’s more flexible than an “all or nothing” approach.
Where I saw the limits (or the things to evaluate carefully)
Obviously it’s not all perfect; in fact, there are aspects to consider carefully.
1. It’s not a shortcut to “understanding the cloud”
NC2 makes your life easier on the operational side, but:
- you still need a good understanding of the costs and pricing of the underlying cloud
- you need to carefully design networking, security and identity in the cloud provider
- you need to be clear about what makes sense to keep on‑prem and what doesn’t
If you use it with the idea “this way I don’t have to learn the cloud”, you risk doing damage in terms of cost or architecture.
2. Overall complexity of the ecosystem
Having NC2, on‑prem Nutanix and one or more clouds means:
- more moving parts
- the need for well-thought-out governance, monitoring and processes
- particular attention to networking and security between environments
It’s not a “set it and forget it” solution. It has to fit into a clear hybrid/multicloud strategy.
3. Not always the right choice for those who are 100% cloud‑native
If you’re already:
- all-in on a single cloud
- running applications written in a cloud‑native way (serverless, microservices tightly integrated with the provider’s PaaS services)
then using NC2 might make less sense. Its value really shows when you have a mix of on‑prem and cloud, or when you want to stay fairly provider-neutral.
How I compare it with other options
Without going into the details of every single competitor, here’s how I see NC2 compared to other routes I’ve seen/evaluated.
Compared to “rebuilding everything natively in the cloud”
- NC2 pros: less impact on the team, reuse of existing skills, more gradual migration
- Cons: less suitable if your goal is to become super cloud‑native, taking advantage of every single managed service from the provider
Compared to plain “lift & shift” without a unified platform
- NC2 pros: more consistent management, less fragmentation, better overall visibility
- Cons: you still need to invest time to properly put the platform and processes into practice
Compared to doing nothing and staying on‑prem only
- NC2 pros: the chance to take advantage of the cloud’s flexibility without turning everything upside down
- Cons: it’s still a cultural and architectural change, so you need internal sponsorship and a clear roadmap
My personal verdict on NC2
If I have to sum up my experience, I’d say that Nutanix NC2 is:
a powerful tool for those who really want to do hybrid/multicloud the smart way, without forcing the team to completely change the way they work.
I see it as particularly well suited when:
- you already have Nutanix on‑prem
- you want to start or expand your use of the cloud without leaping into the void
- you need flexibility (bursts, testing, gradual migrations) but don’t want to manage a thousand different stacks
Less suitable, on the other hand, if:
- you’re already comfortable inside a single cloud and doing well there
- your goal isn’t hybrid but going full cloud in the “purest” possible way
All in all, when used with a clear strategy, NC2 can become a great ally for evolving your infrastructure without losing control and without stressing the team more than necessary.
And, at least in my experience, this combination of evolution and continuity is perhaps its real strength.