This article was originally posted here, August 24 2018, by Ari Paul
Today, VMware is thrilled to announce a new product that will revolutionize the deployment of Cloud Provider environments through the first flexible, validated VMware cloud stack with 1-click deployment: VMware Cloud Provider Pod
Cloud Provider environments are complex to deploy thanks to interoperability, scalability, reliability and performance issues that constantly plague cloud admins and architects. It is a time-consuming process that takes weeks to months. Yes, there are “one-click” deployment products out there, but these are rigid, have stringent hardware compatibility requirements, and end up creating yet another datacenter silo for you to manage.
Cloud Providers have told us that they need flexibility in their cloud deployment choice, while at the same time get a cloud stack that is easy to deploy and is tested and validated. VMware Cloud Provider Pod is the answer.
Introducing the Cloud Provider Pod
The Cloud Provider Pod has been designed to deliver three key capabilities:
- Allows Cloud Providers to design a custom cloud environment of their choice
- Automates the deployment of the designed cloud environment in adherence with VMware Validated Designs for Cloud Providers (targeted)
- Generates customized documentation and guidelines for their environment that radically simplifies operations
Cloud Provider Pod saves potentially months of cloud deployment effort, and the deployed stack is thoroughly tested for interoperability and performance. It is also tested for cloud-scale and is built to handle rigorous cloud provider workloads. It deploys technologies with core provider capabilities such as datacenter extension, cloud migration, multi-tenancy and chargeback, and realizes the fastest path to VMware-based cloud services delivery. Cloud Provider Pod is the fastest and most reliable way for a Cloud Provider to get to a fully software-defined, multi- tenant datacenter, with capabilities such as operations visibility, cloud management, metering and chargeback, thereby accelerating time-to-market.
The new Cloud Provider Pod automates the deployment of the complete SDDC stack with the following:
- vSphere 6.5u2
- vSAN 6.6.1
- NSX 6.4.1
- vCloud Director 9.1.0.1
- vCloud Director Extender 1.0.1
- vRealize Orchestrator 7.4
- vRealize Operations 7.0
- vRealize Log Insight 4.6.1
- vRealize Network Insight 3.8
- Usage Meter 3.6.1
Lower Risk and Increase Standardization with Validated Designs
The Cloud Provider Pod adheres to the VMware Validated Designs for Cloud Providers (targeted), which are blueprints for building and operating cloud infrastructure for a wide range of cloud provider use cases. They adopt the proven software-defined datacenter design principles of VMware Validated Designs and add validation and testing to suit Cloud Provider environments.
The Cloud Provider Pod-generated documentation will be based on VMware Validated Designs for Cloud Providers. Cloud Provider Pod will be released with every refresh of VMware Validated Design for Cloud Providers. VVD for Cloud Providers will have a targeted refresh of every six months, in close alignment with every new release of vCloud Director. To see the latest, visit: https://www.vmware.com/products/cloud-provider-pod.html
2 Key Innovations in Cloud Provider Pod
The Cloud Provider Pod has 2 key technology pieces, the first of which is the Cloud Provider Pod Designer that provides an online tool for the Cloud Provider to input their custom cloud design. There are two ways to go about designing a custom cloud: (1) a simple designer interface, where one enters general information such as storage type, availability zones and host details, and sizing parameters, and (2) a more advanced view, which allows the provider to edit network configurations, addressing for management and resource clusters, NICs and License Keys.
Once the design is entered, the Pod Designer generates an automation package, which includes the detailed guidance on design and operations adhering to VMware Validated Designs, and the core automation bits.
Next, the Cloud Provider logs in to myVMware and downloads the Cloud Provider Pod Deployer. Once downloaded, the automation package that was generated from the Designer is imported into the Cloud Provider Pod Deployer ova, and the Pod Deployer does the rest. Right from preparing the management cluster, deploying management cluster resources including databases, to deploying the resource cluster—all of it is automated. The number of iterations on resource cluster deployment—and the overall deployment time—depends on the size of the environment.
The Cloud Provider Pod will be updated with every refresh of VMware Validated Design for Cloud Providers. VVD for Cloud Providers have a targeted refresh of every six months, in close alignment with every new release of vCloud Director.
Coming to a Cloud Provider Near You Soon
Cloud Provider Pod is a result of listening closely to Cloud Provider feedback over the past year, and we’re excited about the early results we’ve been seeing at our beta sites. Terry Morrison, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at TierPoint, one of our beta partners, said “We’re proud to be an early tester of VMware Cloud Provider Pod, an exciting and innovative next step in bridging automation and enhancing ease of use for clients. By working with VMware to test and move forward new technology, we can offer our more than 5,000 clients the best connectivity, performance and reliability available in the industry.”
Cloud Provider Pod will be generally available in the next couple of months – we will be sharing walkthroughs, resources and more content soon!
For more information on Cloud Provider Pod, please visit: https://www.vmware.com/products/cloud-provider-pod.html
For more information on VMware’s solutions for Cloud Providers, please visit: http://vcpp.cloud/
