VMware Datacenter Administrators can perform several operations on Workload Domains, including:
- Creation – Rapidly deploy VMware Cloud Foundation components (vSphere, VSAN, and NSX).
- Expansion – Add Storage, Compute, and Network capacity to an existing Workload Domain quickly.
- Deletion – Repurpose Workload Domain resources that are no longer being utilized.
- Lifecycle Management – Keep Workload Domains up-to-date with the latest VMware Software and Patches.
In this post, I want to discuss the benefits of the Workload Domain Deletion workflow.
Prior to VMware, I spent a few years working in a large datacenter where Business Units (BU) regularly conducted software application proof-of-concept (PoC) and usability testing. Whether the deployment of resources was physical or virtual, once the testing had been completed the requested resources typically remained idle. Lack of a centralized management tool made it difficult to determine what resources were available or consumed and who owned them. Thus, the datacenter began to exhaust its resources – rack space, network ports, VLANs, storage, etc.
The Workload Domain Deletion workflow attempts to resolve this problem. VMware Cloud Foundation allows customers to rapidly deploy new Workload Domains for Production, QE, or Test/Dev. When the resources are no longer required, they can be returned in minutes to be repurposed for new Workload Domains.
SDDC Manager provides a centralized view of available resources on the main dashboard. Here we can see the physical resources that are currently allocated.
SDDC Manager also displays the Workload Domains currently created, allowing you to review resource consumption and ownership.
When a VMware Cloud Foundation Datacenter Administrator determines that the Workload Domain is no longer required it can be deleted.
Deleting a Workload Domain is simple, and fast!
The Workload Domain deletion workflow gracefully removes the VMware Cloud Foundation components installed and deletes the physical network configuration.
Here is a list of some of the tasks automated by the Delete Domain workflow:
Physical Networking
Delete VLANs used exclusively by the Workload Domain
Return IP Addresses back to the pool
Restore switchport configuration to default
vSphere
Shutdown vCenter
Remove vCenter reference in PSC
*Remove vCenter references in vRealize Operations and vRealize Log Insight
Destroy VMs on host
Delete vCenter
Virtual SAN
Destroy Virtual SAN on hosts
NSX
Delete NSX Controllers
Delete NSX Manager
*Remove LogInsight NSX References
* for those Customers who licensed the vRealize Suite with VMware Cloud Foundation
Once the Delete Domain workflow is finished the resources are available to be repurposed. I was able to delete a single Workload Domain in my environment in under 30 minutes. You no longer need to spend hours or even days coordinating efforts between multiple resources teams to uninstall software and delete network and storage configurations. Automation ensures that the process is completed quickly, consistently, and in the correct order every time. Best of all, you can work on other responsibilities while the workflow is running – you could take lunch, or maybe read another blog post on VMware Cloud Foundation.
To learn more about VMware Cloud Foundation visit vmware.com/cloudfoundation
