Cross-Cloud Architecture and VMware Cloud Foundation, One SDDC Management Platform / Cloud4Y's Blog

This week at VMworld 2016 announced it was developing its own strategy in the field of hybrid cloud-based innovative cross-cloud architecture of the VMware Cross-Cloud Architecture; Such an architecture makes it possible to create a unified environment in which the entire cycle of managing applications that are physically located in different cloud environments and on different devices will be implemented. To implement this strategy, the company proposed a number of software components that increase the efficiency of using cloud models: VMware Cloud Foundation (a platform for managing SDDC - software-defined data centers), Technology Preview of  Cross-CloudServices (preview of private and public cloud management services from various vendors), VMware vCloud Availability (a new line of backup tools) and the new version of VMware vCloud Air Hybrid Cloud Manager (which makes it possible to instantly migrate applications from vSphere to vCloud Air). Today we talk about the VMware Cloud Foundation.

One platform for software-defined data centers

The VMware Cloud Foundation provides the next generation hyper - converged framework for building private clouds, which for the first time combines VMware's scalable hyper-converged software (for VMware vSphere and VMware Virtual SAN) with the world's leading virtualization platform, VMware NSX.

VMware SDDC Manager, a core component of the VMware Cloud Foundation, helps customers and service providers automate the deployment and management of VMware cloud software. SDDC Manager helps create and maintain the entire stack of VMware cloud software, freeing cloud administrators from the complex and time-consuming task of installing, configuring, managing and updating the cloud infrastructure, which allows you to build a full cloud in a matter of hours. As a result, deployment time is reduced 6–8 times, and savings of 30–40% of the total cost of ownership (TCO) are achieved.

For the first time, the VMware Cloud Foundation offers a new as-a-service option, which provides full data center power in a hybrid cloud environment. For a private cloud, customers can use VxRack's comprehensive turnkey solutions from EMC, or combine Cloud Foundation software with VMware Virtual SAN Ready Nodes from Dell, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and QCT.

VMware Cloud Foundation can run any traditional or cloud application. Regardless of whether they reside in virtual machines or containers, the VMware Cloud Foundation is a consistent infrastructure platform that delivers high performance, resiliency, security, and manageability — all of the benefits of vSphere, Virtual SAN, and VMware NSX. VMware Cloud Foundation integrates with existing VMware solutions to support cloud flexibility and freedom of choice, and enables business mobility; including the following products are supported:

• VMware vrealize Suite provides a comprehensive enterprise-level cloud management platform that can accelerate the delivery of IT services , improve them and provide a choice in the field of controlled, heterogeneous multi-cloud environments (vSphere and  non-vSphere ).
  
  
• VMware vSphere Integrated Containers enables developers to innovate faster with secure multi-tenant access to containers, while IT will be able to leverage existing tools, knowledge, and processes for deploying and managing container services.
  
  
• VMware Integrated OpenStack gives customers the shortest path to deploying the OpenStack cloud on top of VMware's software-defined infrastructure.
  
  
• VMware Horizon enables customers to quickly deliver virtual desktops and applications through a single platform, creating a secure digital workstation.

IT departments are working hard to find solutions to simplify their infrastructure by removing barriers that today make their ability to respond quickly to business needs difficult. From the wishes of customers, it becomes clear that in many cases, building a cloud becomes a bottleneck, and that customers need an integrated approach for its passage. This is exactly what you plan to achieve with the VMware Cloud Foundation.

Simply put, the Cloud Foundation integrates with vSphere, VSAN, and NSX into a single, unified stack that can be provided on demand or run as as a service in the cloud.

The secret ingredient to building such a platform is VMware SDDC Manager, a key component of the Cloud Foundation that allows cloud administrators to manage their cloud infrastructure software as a single stack. SDDC Manager provides end-to-end automation of the cloud infrastructure software life cycle, reducing the time required to build and run a cloud environment by more than 80% compared to traditional approaches. The first field trials proved that customers can create a private cloud in a matter of hours.

From an architectural point of view, the Cloud Foundation is building the next-generation hyper-converged infrastructure software platform by combining computing, storage, and network virtualization into an initially integrated stack from a single vendor. This is much more than any hyperconverged infrastructure provider can offer. The client not only benefits from the industry’s most mature and reliable virtualization stack, but also provides significant cost savings (30–40% compared to other hyper-converged solutions in all flash deployments ), coupled with the benefits of NSX.



Another unique feature of the VMware Cloud Foundation is on-demand deployment and first-time work in the “as a service” format in the cloud. For a private cloud, customers can combine the Cloud Foundation with a range of qualified VSAN Ready Nodes from Dell, QCT and HP and Cisco and Arista switches, or purchase a turnkey VCE VxRack 1000 SDDC system.

So what does all this mean?

We all know how server virtualization has simplified the provision of computing resources for applications. VMware ushered in this data center revolution. With the Cloud Foundation, we are moving up to the next level and we can easily provide software-defined data centers on demand in the cloud. This is an important step forward, which allows you to take full advantage of the stack of software-defined data centers VMware for building a hybrid cloud.