VMware Cloud Foundation

VMware Validated Solutions – September 2022 Update

Welcome to the September update for VMware Validate Solutions. We are excited to share the release of a brand-new solution this month as well as some automation improvements. Highlights for this update include:

Cloud-Based Automation for VMware Cloud Foundation

We are delighted to announce the release of this brand-new VMware Validated Solution.

The Cloud-Based Automation for VMware Cloud Foundation validated solution enables customers to consume a cloud-based infrastructure automation platform that delivers an agnostic self-service catalog for VMware Cloud Foundation and multi-cloud environments.

Following the solution guide, customers can easily and instantly connect vRealize Automation Cloud to their on-prem VMware Cloud Foundation infrastructure for the provisioning of services. As with all VMware Validated Solutions, implementation automation is provided for this solution using Terraform plans that are pulled from the GitHub repository.

Intelligent Operations Management for VMware Cloud Foundation Updates

Implementation

Additional PowerValidatedSolutions Automation

  • Create a vCenter Server Single Sign-On User for Integration with vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager (Add-SsoUser)
  • Configure Service Account Permissions in vSphere for Integration with vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager (Add-vCenterGlobalPermission)
  • Add the vCenter Server Password for the Additional VMware Cloud Foundation Instance to vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager (New-vRSLCMLockerPassword)
  • Import the New Certificate for vRealize Operations Manager to vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager (Import-vRSLCMLockerCertificate)

Private Cloud Automation for VMware Cloud Foundation Updates

Solution Interoperability

Additional PowerValidatedSolutions Automation

  • Integrate vRealize Automation with vRealize Operations Manager (New-vRAvROPSIntegrationItem)
  • Update Placement Policy for Cloud Zones in vRealize Automation (Update-vRACloudAccountZone)
  • Update the vRealize Automation Integration in vRealize Operations Manager (Update-vROPSvRAAdapterCredential)
  • Verify the Integration of vRealize Operations Manager with vRealize Automation (Test-vROPsAdapterStatusByType)

Site Protection and Disaster Recovery for VMware Cloud Foundation Updates

Detailed Design

  • Added design decisions on network segments, IP addressing scheme, name resolution, and time synchronization.

Solution Interoperability

Additional PowerValidatedSolutions Automation

  • Create vSphere Single Sign-On Users for Integration of vRealize Operations Manager with Site Protection and Disaster Recovery Solution Components (Add-SsoUser)
  • Configure Service Account Permissions in vSphere for the Integration of vRealize Operations Manager with Site Protection and Disaster Recovery Solution Components (Add-vCenterGlobalPermission)
  • Install the vRealize Operations Manager Management Packs for vSphere Replication and Site Recovery Manager (Enable-vROPSManagementPack)

General Availability of PowerValidatedSolutions v1.8.0

Release of PowerValidatedSolutions v1.8.0, a PowerShell module that we have developed to not only accelerate the implementation of Validated Solutions but ensure consistency and robustness. Here is a list of what has changed (this and previous updates can be tracked by reading the CHANGELOG.md file stored in the Git Hub repository):

  • Enhanced Request-CSPToken cmdlet to request a token from VMware Cloud.
  • Enhanced Update-vRACloudAccountZone and Update-vRACloudZone cmdlets to support placement policy for cloud zones in vRealize Automation.
  • Enhanced Confirm-PSModule cmdlet so the function is exported and can be executed on the command line.
  • Enhanced Enable-vROPSManagementPack cmdlet to support Site Recovery Manager and vSphere Replication Management Packs.
  • Renamed to Get-CSPPoxyAppliance cmdlet to Get-CloudProxy and added:
    • -environment switch to support Production and Staging VMC (VMware Cloud)
    • Support for both Cloud Proxy and Cloud Extensibility Proxy.
    • Support for either downloading or simply providing the URL path.
    • Support for downloading on Core (Linux, Windows, and Mac).
  • Added region blocks for easier code navigation.
  • Added the vRealize Automation Cloud to vSphere integration role for Cloud Assembly.
  • Added the vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager to vSphere integration role.
  • Added Test-vROPsAdapterStatus and Test-vROPsAdapterStatusByType cmdlets to test the status vRealize Operations adapters.
  • Added New-vRAvROPSIntegrationItem cmdlet to configure vRealize Operations Manager integration in vRealize Automation.
  • Added Undo-vRAvROPsIntegrationItem cmdlet to remove vRealize Operations Manager integration from vRealize Automation.
  • Added Add-vRAIntegrationItem cmdlet to add an external system to vRealize Automation.
  • Added Test-vRAIntegrationItem cmdlet to test an integration item in vRealize Automation.
  • Added Remove-vRAIntegrationItem cmdlet to remove an integration item from vRealize Automation.
  • Added Get-CloudProxyOtk cmdlet to retrieve the One Time Key (OTK) for both the Cloud Proxy and the Cloud Extensibility Proxy.
  • Added Get-vROVersion cmdlet with support for standalone, embedded, and cloud extensibility proxy vRealize Orchestrator instance.
  • Added Get-CEPWorkflow cmdlet to return workflows from cloud extensibility proxy’s vRealize Orchestrator instance.
  • Added Invoke-CEPWorkflow cmdlet to start a Workflow on a cloud extensibility proxy’s vRealize Orchestrator instance.
  • Added Get-CEPWorkflowExecution cmdlet to return the Workflow Execution ID from a cloud extensibility proxy’s vRealize Orchestrator instance.
  • Added Get-CEPWorkflowExecutionState cmdlet to return the Workflow Execution State from a cloud extensibility proxy’s vRealize Orchestrator instance.
  • Added Add-CEPTrustedCertificate cmdlet to add a trusted cert to a cloud extensibility proxy’s vRealize Orchestrator instance.
  • Added Add-CEPvCenterServer cmdlet to add a vCenter server to a cloud extensibility proxy’s vRealize Orchestrator instance.
  • Added Update-vROPSvRAAdapterCredential cmdlet to support updating the vRealize Automation integration credential in vRealize Operations Manager.
  • Added Get-vRAAPIVersion and Get-vRAIntegrationDetail cmdlets to support updating the placement policy for cloud zones in vRealize Automation.
  • Added Get-ESXiPasswordPolicy cmdlet to return the password expiration policy for ESXi.
  • Added Get-VCServerPasswordPolicy cmdlet to return the password expiration policy for vCenter Server.
  • Added Set-EsxiPasswordExpirationPeriod cmdlet to set the password expiration period on an ESXi host in a number of days.
  • Added Sample Script in SampleScripts\ppm folder, Password Policy Manager to enable auditing and configuration of password policies across VMware Cloud Foundation.
    • passwordPolicyManager.ps1 generates an audit report or configures the password policies.
    • sampleConfigurationFull.json configuration JSON covering all product configuration parameters.
    • sampleConfigurationSimple.json configuration JSON covering default configuration parameters.
    • README.md provides details on how to use Password Policy Manager.
  • Added Get-vRAvRLIConfig cmdlet to retrieve the vRealize Log Insight logging configuration (CFAPI) on vRealize Automation.
  • Added Set-vRAvRLIConfig cmdlet to configure the vRealize Log Insight logging configuration (CFAPI) on vRealize Automation.
  • Added Remove-vRAvRLIConfig cmdlet to remove the vRealize Log Insight logging configuration (CFAPI) on vRealize Automation.