VMware Cloud – VMware Cloud on AWS (VMC on AWS) is a hybrid cloud service that enables organizations to run their VMware workloads on the AWS cloud infrastructure. It is a fully managed service that provides a familiar VMware environment with the scalability, agility, and cost-effectiveness of AWS.
What is VMware Cloud
VMware Cloud is a broad term encompassing various cloud computing services offered by VMware. It’s not a single cloud platform, but rather a suite of tools and services designed to help organizations manage and run applications across different cloud environments. Here’s a breakdown of key aspects of VMware Cloud:
Core Function:
- Manage and Secure Applications Across Clouds: VMware Cloud provides tools and services to integrate, manage, and secure applications running on various cloud resources. This includes both public cloud environments (like AWS, Azure) and private clouds.
Benefits:
- Consistent Operations Across Clouds: VMware Cloud allows you to use a single set of tools and processes to manage applications across different cloud environments. This simplifies management and reduces complexity for IT teams.
- Flexibility and Choice: You’re not locked into a specific cloud provider. VMware Cloud lets you choose the cloud environment that best suits your needs for a particular application.
- Hybrid and Multi-Cloud Support: VMware Cloud caters to hybrid and multi-cloud deployments. You can seamlessly extend your on-premises VMware environment to the cloud or manage applications running across multiple public clouds.
Services under VMware Cloud:
VMware Cloud encompasses various services, some of the most prominent include:
- VMware Cloud Foundation (on-premises or public cloud): This is a complete software-defined data center (SDDC) platform that integrates core VMware technologies like vSphere (virtualization), vSAN (storage), NSX (networking), and vRealize Suite (management) for consistent infrastructure management.
- VMware Cloud on AWS: This is a specific service offering that allows you to run your VMware workloads on the AWS cloud infrastructure. It provides a familiar VMware environment with the scalability and benefits of AWS.
- VMware Tanzu: This set of tools helps you build, run and manage containerized and modern applications across any cloud environment, including public clouds, private clouds, and even bare-metal infrastructure.
Overall, VMware Cloud empowers organizations to navigate the complexities of cloud computing by providing a consistent and flexible way to manage and secure applications across different cloud environments.
Benefits of VMware Cloud on AWS
VMware Cloud on AWS (VMC on AWS) offers several advantages for organizations looking to leverage the combined power of VMware’s tools and the AWS cloud platform. Here are some of the key benefits:
1. Familiar VMware Environment: For organizations already using VMware technologies on-premises, VMC on AWS provides a smooth transition to the cloud. You can migrate existing workloads without significant code changes, minimizing disruption and leveraging existing expertise in your IT team.
2. Access to AWS Services: VMC on AWS doesn’t lock you into a silo. It allows you to seamlessly integrate your VMware workloads with a vast library of AWS services like Amazon S3 for storage, Amazon EC2 for compute instances, or Amazon RDS for relational databases. This opens doors to enhanced functionality and scalability for your applications.
3. Scalability and Agility: One of the key strengths of the cloud is its ability to adapt to changing needs. VMC on AWS inherits this advantage. You can easily scale your resources (VMs, storage, etc.) up or down based on demand, eliminating the need for over-provisioning on-premises infrastructure. This translates to cost savings and improved resource utilization.
4. Cost-Effectiveness: While there are costs associated with VMC on AWS, it can potentially lead to overall cost reduction. By eliminating the need for managing physical infrastructure, you can save on hardware costs and IT staff dedicated to maintenance. Additionally, the pay-as-you-go model of AWS allows you to only pay for the resources you use.
5. Security and Compliance: Security is a top concern for any cloud migration. VMC on AWS leverages the robust security features of both VMware and AWS, providing a multi-layered approach to protecting your workloads. Additionally, VMC on AWS can be compliant with various industry regulations, making it suitable for organizations with strict data security requirements.
6. Hybrid Cloud Management: VMC on AWS facilitates a hybrid cloud strategy. You can maintain your existing on-premises VMware environment while extending it to the AWS cloud. This allows for workload portability and efficient management across both environments through a familiar VMware interface.
7. Simplified Operations: VMC on AWS is a managed service, meaning VMware handles the underlying infrastructure management. This frees your IT team from routine maintenance tasks and allows them to focus on higher-level strategic initiatives.
Overall, VMware Cloud on AWS offers a compelling solution for organizations seeking a secure, scalable, and cost-effective way to leverage the benefits of both VMware technologies and the AWS cloud platform.
How VMware Cloud on AWS Works
VMware Cloud on AWS (VMC on AWS) combines the familiar world of VMware with the scalable infrastructure of AWS to create a hybrid cloud environment. Here’s a breakdown of how it works:
Underlying Infrastructure:
- AWS Infrastructure: VMC on AWS leverages the physical infrastructure of AWS data centers. This includes compute resources, storage, and networking capabilities.
- Dedicated vs Shared: While AWS offers various shared services, VMC on AWS provides a dedicated environment. This means your resources (compute, storage, network) are isolated for your use within the AWS infrastructure, offering better security and performance predictability.
VMware Stack:
- VMware Cloud Foundation: On top of the dedicated AWS infrastructure, VMC on AWS deploys a VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) environment. This software stack includes core VMware technologies:
- vSphere: Manages virtual machines (VMs) where your applications run.
- vSAN: Provides software-defined storage for your VMs.
- NSX: Takes care of virtual networking and security for your workloads.
- vRealize Suite (optional): Offers additional tools for managing and monitoring your VMC on AWS environment.
Management and Control:
- VMware Responsibilities: VMware manages the underlying VCF environment, including provisioning, patching, and maintaining the software stack.
- Your Responsibilities: You are responsible for managing your workloads (VMs, applications) deployed within the VCF environment. Additionally, you manage and configure AWS resources (like S3 buckets or EC2 instances) you choose to integrate with your VMware workloads.
Benefits of this Architecture:
- Familiarity: IT teams accustomed to VMware tools can easily manage the VCF environment within VMC on AWS, minimizing the learning curve.
- Scalability: You can leverage the inherent scalability of AWS to easily adjust resources (VMs, storage) based on your needs.
- Security: The dedicated environment within AWS and the security features of the VMware stack offer a robust security posture for your workloads.
- Flexibility: VMC on AWS allows you to integrate your VMware workloads with a wide range of AWS services, unlocking additional functionalities for your applications.
Overall, VMware Cloud on AWS provides a well-integrated solution for organizations seeking to extend their existing VMware environment to the AWS cloud while maintaining control and leveraging the scalability and services offered by AWS.
VMware Cloud on AWS
To get started with VMware Cloud on AWS, you will need to create a VMware Cloud on AWS account and provision a SDDC environment. Once you have provisioned a SDDC environment, you can deploy your workloads to the cloud.
Pricing
VMware Cloud on AWS is priced based on the size of the SDDC environment. There are two pricing models:
- Pay-as-you-go: With the pay-as-you-go pricing model, you are only charged for the resources that you use.
- Reserved: With the reserved pricing model, you commit to using a certain amount of resources for a one- or three-year term. In return for your commitment, you receive a discount on the price of the resources.
Conclusion
VMware Cloud on AWS is a powerful hybrid cloud solution that can help organizations modernize their IT infrastructure, extend their on-premises VMware environments to the cloud, and build new cloud-native applications.