Broadcom Restricts VMware VDDK Downloads, Complicating Migration Paths

The download pages for VMware's Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK) versions 8 and 9 have been taken offline by Broadcom, displaying generic error messages in their place. No formal statement has accompanied the removal.

The takedown occurred in August, when users on Reddit and industry forums began reporting inaccessible links. ShapeBlue, a provider of Apache CloudStack services, documented the change on August 25, followed by a support note from Red Hat regarding its Migration Toolkit for Virtualization.

Existing installations relying on VDDK will continue to function without interruption. However, organizations seeking fresh downloads now have no official source.

Why VDDK Matters

VDDK is a software library that enables backup and migration tools to access VMware virtual disks without requiring access through the hypervisor itself. VMware introduced it in 2008 as an open SDK for customers developing disk management utilities, and it became foundational to image-level backups and agent-free migrations across the industry.

The library's licensing terms prohibit redistribution, meaning Linux distributions cannot package it and open-source projects cannot bundle it for end users. This design forced everyone to rely on Broadcom's official download portal—a dependency that has now become a liability.

The restriction effectively blocks a pathway that many organizations use to transition away from VMware infrastructure, a benefit to Broadcom's interests as the platform's owner.

Immediate Fallout

Microsoft's Azure Migrate documentation instructs administrators to download VDDK 8.0 or 9.0 from Broadcom's portal for agent-free migration, but the embedded links now lead nowhere. The documentation recommends switching to agent-based migration as a workaround when VDDK becomes unavailable.

Red Hat faces the same predicament. Its support documentation reports customers encountering "not found" and "access denied" errors when attempting to retrieve VDDK from public links. Red Hat has stated it cannot host or redistribute the toolkit and is directing customers to contact Broadcom support while its engineering team explores alternatives.

A Reddit user named bobdrakken contacted Broadcom support directly and received this response:

Hi ****, Greetings from Broadcom Customer Care.To ensure the highest standard of security, reliability, and product features, the Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK) is no longer available for use or download. Broadcom continues to actively maintain a variety of APIs and SDKs to enable authorized technology alliance partners to build backup and recovery software solutions that are validated and authorized to integrate, interoperate, or be compatible with Broadcom products.For all backup and recovery requirements, customers should rely on such solutions from Broadcom authorized technology alliance partners.

Broadcom Customer Care

Part of a Larger Strategy

The VDDK restriction aligns with decisions Broadcom has made since completing its $69 billion acquisition of VMware in November 2023. Within weeks of the deal closing, the company overhauled VMware's licensing model, eliminating perpetual licenses and consolidating standalone products into subscription bundles.

European customers subsequently reported steep renewal costs, prompting formal complaints from industry associations. Broadcom has also made some conciliatory moves: Workstation Pro and Fusion Pro became free to all users in November 2024, and a limited free ESXi offering returned in 2025.

Each individual action—licensing restructuring, pricing adjustments, access restrictions—can be justified independently as standard business practice. Collectively, however, they suggest a pattern: while VMware itself operates normally, organizations attempting to exit the platform face additional friction and barriers to doing so.