Arquitectura en la Nube: Understanding VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF)

As a VMware enthusiast, I am excited to share my knowledge of VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), an innovative solution that integrates all the technologies I love in the stack of VMware. VCF is a “stack” of products that includes vSphere, vSAN, NSX, and different product versions for managing the lifecycle of the platform, all of which have been tested and listed in a Bill Of Materials (BOM). This article will delve into the unique aspects of VCF and its features, as well as discuss Workload Domains (WLDs) and Management Workload Domain (MGMT WLD).

VCF Overview

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VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) is an integrated stack of products that includes vSphere, vSAN, NSX, and different product versions for managing the lifecycle of the platform. The following image shows the different versions of components included in VCF 4.0:

[Image: VCF 4.0 Components]

The advantage of having a BOM is that it eliminates the need to verify compatibility between the different components we want to include in a design, as VMware engineering has already spent countless hours verifying compatibility, scalability, and identifying potential bugs. This ensures that the setup and operation of a VCF environment are predictable.

Two Unique Components of VCF

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There are two unique components in VCF: vCenter Server and NSX-T. All other components are familiar to us, such as vSAN, NSX, and vSphere. We can deliver solutions like PKS and Workspace ONE within VCF following what is known as “prescriptive guidance” (VVD) or a “Manual Guidance.”

What is a Workload Domain?

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From the perspective of VCF, a Workload Domain (WLD) is considered a logical SDDC that can be composed of one or more vSphere clusters. There are two types of WLDs:

1. Management WLD (MGMT WLD): This is configured during the initial “bring-up” and includes an instance of vCenter Server dedicated to each WLD.

2. Workload WLD (VI WLD): These are computing WLDs that can be composed of one or more vSphere clusters.

Management Workload Domain

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The Management Workload domain is where all management components execute, such as SDDC Manager, vCenter, the NSX Manager instance, and a cluster of NSX Edge for admitting virtual networks (if enabled during bring-up). Some considerations for MGMT WLD include:

* There is a consolidated architecture model where we can execute VI workloads within the same Management WLD. In this case, resource pool segmentation will be used to separate resources between management components and workloads. We will discuss the different topologies supported by VCF in a separate article.

Virtual Infrastructure Workload Domain

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The VI WLDs are where we execute workloads, assuming a standard VCF architecture (MGMT + VI WLDs) and not a collapsed one. Creating these VI WLDs is done through SDDC Manager, and once created, they will appear in the vSphere inventory as follows:

[Image: vSphere Inventory with MGMT and VI WLDs]

I hope this article provides a good introduction to VCF and its features. Stay tuned for more technical and design-related articles on VCF.

Best regards!