In this blog, we’ll look at how you can extend the concept of managing your SDDC as Code to also manage your vRealize implementation using the same principles and VMware infrastructure. This holistic approach will enable you to manage your entire IT estate more efficiently.
This is a simple and intuitive extension of the best practices which we’ve already outlined in Managing the SDDC as Software blog. The process works the same whether you are managing a business application or the IT code used to deploy or operate the environment.
Managing the SDDC as Code
Let’s quickly review the two basic principles of managing the SDDC as code:
- Define all constructs in software
The process starts by codifying everything in the environment parametrically. The prior blog outlined this process for managing your SDDC. For your vRealize deployment, VMware has already codified the vRealize data to make it possible to entirely manage your vRealize infrastructure in a similar fashion.
- Include all static and dynamic content
The second step of the process is to collect all of the static and dynamic content, along with all of the dependencies for this information. vRealize Code Stream Management Pack for IT DevOps delivers out-of-the-box content specifically for managing vRealize content.
SDDC Automation Challenges
There are several challenges to overcome in setting up the automation for your SDDC. Once you’ve overcome these basic challenges, you will have a repeatable process in place for version control, unit testing and the capability for continuous delivery. When you extend the automation to the IT code as well as your business applications, your team will have a consistent methodology for managing your entire infrastructure.
Key SDDC processes:
- Implement a process for merging development
- Track changes of code
- Automate the tracking of dependencies
- Manage and track versions
vRealize Code Stream Management Pack for IT DevOps addresses all of these challenges for your vRealize application infrastructure and services. This simplifies one more process for your team.
Applying DevOps Principles to Managing SDDC Content
The vRealize Code Stream Management Pack for IT DevOps automates the capture of content from multiple environments and in a consistent format. 
This enables the move to infrastructure as code as you can manage both text and binary content along with all of their dependencies. As an example, the tool allows the deployment of vRealize Automation content across multiple tenants on a single instance or across multiple instances of vRealize Automation and vRealize Orchestrator.
- Combine content from multiple environments in a consistent format
- Check content in to a common repository – one source of truth
- Automate progressions between environments
- Run automated tests before allowing the progression of any code
- Optional approval before releasing content to production environments
- Automated rollout and/or rollback of code
Advantages
The vRealize Code Stream Management Pack for IT DevOps delivers several advantages for your IT team.
- Out-of-the-box release pipelines to automate the capture of content
- Automates the lifecycle management of SDDC content
- Reduction in errors from manual processes
- Implement an automated and repeatable deployment process
- Higher quality code
- Faster time to implementation
- Visibility into Release Pipelines
Other Blogs in this Series
- Managing the SDDC as Code (Intro)
- Infrastructure as Code – The Developer’s Point of View
- Managing the SDDC as Software
Learn More
- Visit VMware vRealize product page
- Try our Automate IT Hands-on Labs
- Try our Intelligent Operations Hands-on Labs
- Learn more about vRealize Automation
- Learn more about vRealize Code Stream
- Learn more about vRealize Code Stream Management Pack for IT DevOps
