VMware Cloud Foundation 4.0 – Quick Overview

COMPONENTS

• Cloud Builder
  The VMware Cloud Builder appliance automates the deployment of the entire software-defined stack. 
  
• SDDC Manager
  SDDC Manager automates the entire system lifecycle (from configuration and provisioning to upgrades and patching), and simplifies day-to-day management and operations.
  
• VMware vSphere
  VMware vSphere uses virtualization to transform individual data centers into aggregated computing infrastructures that include CPU, storage, and networking resources. VMware vSphere manages these infrastructures as a unified operating environment and provides you with the tools to administer the data centers that participate in that environment.
  
• VMware vSAN
  VMware vSAN™ aggregates local or direct-attached data storage devices to create a single storage pool shared across all hosts in the vSAN cluster. vSAN eliminates the need for external shared storage, and simplifies storage configuration and virtual machine provisioning. Built in policies allow for flexibility in data availability. 
  
• NSX-T Data Center
  The management domain and VI workload domains support the NSX-T Data Center platform. 
  
• vRealize Suite
  Cloud Foundation supports automated deployment of vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager. You can then deploy and manage the lifecycle of the vRealize Suite of products (vRealize Log Insight, vRealize Automation , and vRealize Operations Manager) through vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager.

VMware Cloud Foundation 4.0 contains the following VMware SDDC Products.

Cloud Foundation Architecture

Cloud Foundation supports two architecture models – standard and consolidated. 

• Consolidated Architecture Model
  Compute workloads co-reside in management workload domain
  Shared vSphere cluster with resource pools

• Standard Architecture Model
  Management domain is dedicated to running infrastructure workloads
  Compute workloads run in VI domain(s) and are managed by separate vCenter servers