One of the more common questions we receive regarding the Service is around data availability; specifically, how does VMware Cloud on AWS protect from failure and deliver its stated guarantee. The answer is relatively simple; the Service assumes loss and plans accordingly. All of the minutiae that goes into running a production-grade environment within the AWS cloud is encompassed within the Service, as explained in the VMware Cloud on AWS Service Description. As a customer, you focus on your workload, trusting that VMware is handling the rest. VMware SRE keeps a watchful eye on every SDDC. This proactive management enables the Service to guarantee your data within the Service.
How does it work?
Hardware serviceability isn’t possible within the AWS cloud. Regardless of how large or small the problem may be, the solution is the same. Deploy a new host and replace any problematic hardware. The VMware Cloud on AWS service leans into this reality.
Auto Remediation
The primary tool used to protect from failure is an automated system that we call auto-remediation. This collection of services monitors the entire VMware Cloud on AWS fleet. Whenever it detects any problem anywhere in the Service, it responds. First, attempting to repair the error, if unsuccessful, it replaces the host in question.
This proactive approach, combined with VMware SRE, enables VMware to mitigate the problem. As a customer, the first you’ll learn of a problem may be when the Service sends the auto-remediation notification. More importantly, all of this has been taken into account in the VMware Cloud on AWS Service Level Agreement. As a customer, this frees you up to worry about your workload – Trusting VMware to manage the vSphere cluster on your behalf.
Deep Dive
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our Availability Deep Dive from VMworld 2020. We’ve also published an Availability White Paper that goes into the Services architecture, both detail how VMC overlaps vSphere capabilities with VMware Operations to mitigate volatility within the AWS Cloud. Failure is still possible, but it requires a catastrophic loss for a VMC on AWS customers to feel any impact.
Summary
The VMware Cloud on AWS Service is just that, a Managed Service. In comparison, it is understandable how some would want to compare VMC to traditional hosting or virtualization solutions. These comparisons often focus on point technical differentiations while glossing over the SRE personnel, a critical part of the VMC service. And the linchpin, which enables our customers to shift their focus up the stack. Letting go of mundane infrastructure management and focusing instead on valuable work.
Availability
To view the latest status of features for VMware Cloud on AWS, visit https://cloud.vmware.com/vmc-aws/roadmap.
Resources:
- Learn more about VMware Cloud on AWS and watch this VMware Cloud on AWS: Overview (video)
- Follow us on Twitter at@vmwarecloudaws and at @VMwarevSAN and give us a shout with #VMWonAWS
- Try the VMware Cloud on AWS Hands-on Lab for a first-hand immersive experience
- Read our latest VMware Cloud on AWS blogs
- Obtain the VMware Cloud on AWS Solution Brief and VMware Cloud on AWS TCO 1-pager
- Follow the VMware Cloud on AWS release notes on continuing updates
- Connect with me on Twitter at @glnsize
