VMware Cloud Foundation is VMware's unified Software-Defined Data Center(SDDC) platform for the private and public cloud. It provides an integrated stack which bundles Compute Virtualization(vSphere), Storage Virtualization(vSAN) and Network virtualization(NSX) into a single platform. This software stack can be used on-premises for private cloud deployment or run as a service from the public cloud with consistent and simple operations.
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VMware Cloud Foundation also comes with VMware SDDC Manager that automates the entire system lifecycle and simplifies software operations. It can also be integrated with VMware vRealize Suite, VMware Horizon and VMware Integrated Openstack.
VMware Cloud Foundation Architecture
VCF has two architecture models - Standard and Consolidated
Standard Architecture Model -
With this model, management workloads run on a dedicated management domain and user workloads are deployed in separate virtual infrastructure(VI) workload domains. Each workload domain is managed by a separate vCenter Server which provides for scalability and allows for autonomous licensing and lifecycle management. It provides better long term flexibility and expansion options.
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Consolidated Architecture Model -
The consolidated architecture model is used for smaller VMware Cloud Foundation deployments and special use cases. As the name suggests in this design the management and user workload domains run together on a shared management domain. The environment is managed from a single vCenter Server and vSphere resource pools provide isolation between management and user workloads.
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Cloud Foundation Components
VCF consists of below components which includes the core infrastructure virtualization, vSphere, vSAN, and NSX-T Data Center.
1. Cloud Builder
The VMware Cloud Builder appliance automates the deployment of the entire software-defined stack
2. SDDC Manager
SDDC Manager automates the entire system lifecycle (from configuration and provisioning to upgrades and patching), and simplifies day-to-day management and operations.
3. VMware vSphere
VMware vSphere manages the infrastructures that includes CPU, storage and networking resources and provides you with the tools to administer the data centers that participate in that environment.
The two core components of vSphere are ESXi and vCenter Server. ESXi is the virtualization platform where you create and run virtual machines and virtual appliances. vCenter Server is the service through which you manage multiple hosts connected in a network and pool host resources.
4. VMware vSAN
VMware vSAN aggregates local or direct-attached data storage devices to create a single storage pool shared across all hosts in the vSAN cluster. vSAN eliminates the need for external shared storage, and simplifies storage configuration and virtual machine provisioning.
5. NSX-T
The management domain and VI workload domains support the NSX-T Data Center platform. NSX-T Data Center is focused on providing networking, security, automation, and operational simplicity.
6. vRealize Suite
VCF supports automated deployment of vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager. You can then deploy and manage the lifecycle of the vRealize Suite of products (vRealize Log Insight, vRealize Automation , and vRealize Operations Manager) through vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager.
VMware Cloud Foundation Features
Let's discuss some of the key features offered by VCF
1. Automated Software Bring-Up
You prepare your environment for VCF by installing a ESXi on vSAN ReadyNodes. Once the ESXi hosts are ready, Cloud Foundation uses the physical network details such as DNS, IP address pool, and so on to automate the bring-up and configuration of the software stack. During bring-up, the management domain is created on the four hosts you specified. When the bring-up process completes, you have a functional management domain and can start provisioning VI workload domains.
2. Simplified Resource Provisioning with Workload Domains
In VCF there are two types of workload domains - the management domain and VI workload domains.
The management domain is created during the bring-up process. It contains the management components which includes an instance of vCenter Server and a three-node NSX Manager cluster for the management domain. The management domain uses vSAN storage.
We can create Virtual Infrastructure (VI) workload domains for user workloads. For each VI workload domain, we can choose the storage option (vSAN, NFS, or VMFS on FC). A VI workload domain can consist of one or more vSphere clusters. Each cluster starts with a minimum of three hosts and can scale up to the vSphere maximum of 64 hosts. SDDC Manager automates creation of the workload domain and the underlying vSphere cluster(s).
For the first VI workload domain in environment, SDDC Manager deploys a vCenter Server and an NSX Manager cluster in the management domain. For each subsequent VI workload domain, SDDC Manager deploys an additional vCenter Server. New VI workload domains can share the same NSX Manager cluster as an existing VI workload domain, or deploy a new NSX Manager cluster. VI workload domains cannot share the management domain NSX Manager cluster.
3. vSphere Lifecycle Management
VCF offers automated lifecycle management on a per-workload basis. Available updates for all components are tested for interoperability and bundled with the necessary logic for proper installation order. The update bundles are then scheduled for automatic installation on a per-workload domain basis. vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM), a vCenter service, is now integrated with VCF. vLCM enables you to create cluster images for centralized and simplified lifecycle management of ESXi hosts including firmware.
4. Multi-Instance Management
Multiple Cloud Foundation instances can be managed together by grouping them into a federation, such that each member can view information about the entire federation and the individual instances within it. Federation members can view inventory across the Cloud Foundation instances in the federation as well as the available and used aggregate capacity (CPU, memory, and storage). It also simplifies patch management by showing the number of patches available across sites in the global view.
With this, I'll wrap up this introductory post on VCF.
Thank you for reading!
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