Cross-cloud architecture and VMware Cloud Foundation, a single platform for managing SDDC

This week at VMworld 2016, the development of the company's own hybrid cloud strategy based on the innovative cross-cloud architecture of VMware Cross-Cloud Architecture was announced; This architecture enables the creation of a unified environment in which the entire cycle of application management will be carried out, physically located in different cloud environments and on different devices. To implement this strategy, the company proposed a number of software components that increase cloud model utilization efficiency: VMware Cloud Foundation (SDDC management platform for software-defined data centers), Technology Preview of Cross-Cloud Services (preview of management services for private and public clouds from various suppliers), VMware vCloud Availability (a new line of backup tools) and a new version of VMware vCloud Air Hybrid Cloud Manager (allows instant migration of applications from vSphere to vCloud Air). Today we will talk about the VMware Cloud Foundation.

Unified platform for software-defined data centers

The VMware Cloud Foundation provides the next generation hyperconvergent structure for building private clouds that for the first time combine VMware's scalable hyperconvergent software (for VMware vSphere and VMware Virtual SAN) with the world's leading virtualization platform, VMware NSX.

VMware SDDC Manager, a core component of VMware Cloud Foundation, helps customers and service providers automate the deployment and management of VMware cloud software. SDDC Manager helps you create and maintain the entire VMware cloud software stack, freeing cloud administrators from the complex and time-consuming task of installing, configuring, managing, and updating cloud infrastructure, which allows you to build a complete cloud in a matter of hours. As a result, deployment time is reduced by 6–8 times, and savings of 30–40% of the total cost of ownership (TCO) are achieved.
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For the first time, the VMware Cloud Foundation offers a new “as-a-service” option that provides full data center capacity in a hybrid cloud environment. For a private cloud, customers can use EMC VxRack turnkey solutions, or combine Cloud Foundation software with Dell's VMware Virtual SAN Ready Nodes, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and QCT.

VMware Cloud Foundation can run any traditional or cloud application. Regardless of whether they are in virtual machines or containers, the VMware Cloud Foundation is a consistent infrastructure platform that provides high performance, resiliency, security and manageability — all 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 makes business mobility possible; 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 allows developers to innovate more quickly with secure multi-user access to containers, while IT will be able to leverage existing tools, knowledge, and processes to deploy and manage container services.
  
  
• VMware Integrated OpenStack gives clients the shortest path to deploying the OpenStack cloud on top of the VMware software-defined infrastructure.
  
  
• VMware Horizon enables customers to quickly deliver virtual desktops and applications through a single platform, creating a secure digital workplace.

IT departments are actively seeking solutions to simplify the infrastructure by removing barriers that today significantly impede their ability to respond quickly to business needs. From the wishes of customers it becomes clear that in many cases, the construction of the cloud becomes a bottleneck, and that customers need an integrated approach to its passage. This is exactly what is planned to be achieved with the help of 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 in “as a service” format in the cloud.

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

In terms of architecture, Cloud Foundation creates the next generation hyperconverged infrastructure software platform by combining computing resources, storage systems, and network virtualization into an initially integrated stack from a single provider. This is much more than any hyperconverged infrastructure provider can offer. The client not only benefits from the most mature and reliable virtualization stack in the industry, but also provides significant cost savings (30–40% compared to other hyperconvergent solutions in all flash deployments ) along with the advantages of NSX.



Another unique feature of VMware Cloud Foundation is on-demand deployment and for the first time working in “as a service” format in the cloud. For a private cloud, customers can combine the Cloud Foundation with a number 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 began this data center revolution. With the Cloud Foundation, we go up to the next level and can very simply provide a software-defined data center on demand in the cloud. This is an important step forward, which allows you to take full advantage of the stack of software-defined VMware data centers to build a hybrid cloud.