VMware Cloud Briefing: Driving Cloud Initiatives with Complete Vision and Hybridity

Today, VMware held its first-ever VMware Cloud Briefing, an online global event featuring a keynote from Pat Gelsinger, new announcements, and demos related to VMware Cloud, as well as discussions on cloud trends and market momentum. The main theme of the event was the fact that applications are driving cloud initiatives, whether it be delivering new SaaS or cloud applications or extending networks beyond traditional barriers while modernizing the data center.

VMware Cloud: A Complete Vision

The VMware Cloud is looking like a complete vision at this point, with multiple partners offering VMware-based cloud infrastructure, public cloud, and SaaS providers. The company now talks about a complete cloud management layer underpinned by vSphere and NSX technologies. This layer provides a seamless experience across hybrid environments, allowing customers to manage their applications and workloads consistently across on-premises and cloud environments.

VMware Cloud on AWS: Expansion and New Features

One of the significant announcements made during the event was the expansion of VMware Cloud on AWS into new regions, starting with the UK and Germany, and later in the year in the APAC region. This service will also support stretch clusters using the same vSAN and NSX technologies used on-premises on top of the underlying AWS compute and networking platform. This feature aims to extend application uptime across AWS Availability Zones within AWS regions, providing customers with high availability and disaster recovery capabilities.

In addition to these new features, VMware Cloud on AWS will also introduce vSAN Compression and Deduplication, which can save up to 40% in storage costs. This feature is designed to optimize storage usage and reduce the overall cost of cloud storage.

HCX Hybrid Cloud Extension: Any-to-Any vSphere Migration

Another exciting announcement made during the event was the expansion of HCX (Hybrid Cloud Extension) to include on-premises offerings and availability through VMware Cloud Provider Partners. This includes VMware Cloud on AWS, IBM Cloud, and OVH. The promise here is an any-to-any vSphere migration that crosses version while still maintaining security.

This feature allows customers to migrate their vSphere workloads seamlessly across different environments, including on-premises and cloud environments. This hybridity feature is a significant advantage for customers looking to adopt a cloud-first strategy without sacrificing the flexibility and control of on-premises infrastructure.

Log Insight: Real-Time Log Management for VMware Cloud on AWS

VMware also introduced Log Insight, a real-time big data log management platform for VMware Cloud on AWS. This new SaaS application provides real-time visibility into infrastructure and application logs for faster troubleshooting. It supports any SYSLOG source and can ingest over the internet in theory, making it an attractive option for customers looking to improve their log management capabilities.

Cost Insight: Assessment Tool for Private Cloud to VMware Cloud on AWS Migration

To help customers migrate from private cloud to VMware Cloud on AWS, VMware introduced Cost Insight, an assessment tool that calculates the capacity required to migrate from on-premises to VMC. The tool integrates with Network Insight to calculate networking costs during migration, providing customers with a comprehensive view of their migration costs.

Wavefront: Enhanced Visibility and Monitoring

Finally, VMware updated Wavefront, expanding inputs and integrations to enhance visibility and monitoring. The platform now supports 45 new integrations, including monitoring of native AWS services and integration into vRealize Operations. This feature provides customers with a more comprehensive view of their cloud infrastructure and applications, allowing them to identify and resolve issues more quickly.

In conclusion, VMware Cloud Briefing was an exciting event that showcased the company’s commitment to driving cloud initiatives with a complete vision and hybridity. The new announcements and features introduced during the event demonstrate VMware’s continued focus on providing customers with the tools they need to succeed in their cloud journeys.