The VMware Cloud Foundation product team is pleased to announce the upcoming release of VMware Cloud Foundation 4.1. This new release builds upon the industry momentum and traction from the March announcement of VMware Cloud Foundation 4.0 with Tanzu by introducing new features and functionality that deliver developer ready infrastructure, allowing customers to scale without compromise as well as providing key product enhancements that simplify operations.
In addition to incorporating key functionality* from the new releases of VMware vSphere 7 Update 1, vSAN 7 U1 as well as new VMware Tanzu Editions, there are the following new features that will be delivered with VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 4.1:
- vSAN Data Persistence Platform will provide a framework for modern stateful service providers to build deep integration with the underlying virtual infrastructure leveraging the Kubernetes operator method and vSphere Pod Service, allowing customers to run their stateful applications with lower TCO and simplified operations and management. VMware partners will develop their respective plug-ins in support of the platform for VMware customers to receive the benefits of vSAN Data Persistence platform. The platform is operational once the partner solution running on top is operational. Learn more in this Data Persistence platform blog.
Figure 1: VMware vSAN Data Persistence Platform
- VMware Cloud Foundation Remote Clusters, new configurations that will extend the operational capabilities of VCF into remote office and edge locations. For more information on VCF Remote Clusters check this blog from the PM team as well as a blog that highlights validation testing performed by the VMware Office of the CTO (OCTO).
Figure 1: VMware Cloud Foundation Remote Clusters
- vVols as Principal Storage in VCF Workload Domain, VMware Cloud Foundation now supports vVols providing a common storage management framework for external storage, providing automation for pre-defined storage including volume management and provisioning.
Figure 3: vVols as principal storage in VCF Workload domain
- vRealize Suite 8 Automation , VMware Cloud Foundation 4.1 will provide automated deployment of vRealize Suite 8.1, such that vRealize Suite Life Cycle Manager (vRSLCM) is automatically deployed by SDDC manager and is now VCF aware, providing simplified installations and deployments. Once installed, all of the vRealize components are deployed from vRSLCM.
- SDDC Manager Enhancements – There will be numerous enhancements to software lifecycle management within SDDC Manager that will allow admins to skip previous releases and allows NSX-T clusters to be upgraded in parallel for faster upgrades. SDDC Manager also adds new service accounts to streamline communications between SDDC manager and the products within Cloud Foundation. These new service accounts follow VVD guidelines for pre-defined usernames and are administered through the admin user account to improve inter-VCF communications within SDDC manager.
- VMware Skyline Support for VMware Cloud Foundation – VMware Skyline brings proactive intelligence to VMware Cloud Foundation by identifying management and workload domains, and proactively surfacing VMware Cloud Foundation solution findings.
VMware Cloud Foundation 4.1 will deliver important new functionality and enhancements that help to accelerate customers looking to build developer ready infrastructure and take full advantage of the capabilities delivered with VMware Tanzu.
In addition to the content that is being launched in advance of VMworld, there is an entire list of blogs and content listed below that you can reference to learn more about these new capabilities.
Blogs:
- VCF Remote Clusters
- Design Considerations for VCF Remote Clusters (OCTO Blog)
- Data Persistence Platform Blog
- Announcing VMware vSphere with Tanzu
Resources:
* Note that not all vSphere 7 U1 and vSAN 7 U1 features will be supported VMware Cloud Foundation 4.1. Refer to the release notes once VCF 4.1 is GA.
