VMware Cloud Community
MasterWayZ
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Ways to evaluate VMC on AWS.

Dear community,

For the past while I've been interested in the VMware Cloud on AWS offering. However, when setting money aside to evaluate it and calculating how much this would be, I came across a part in the documentation that shows that when you deploy your first SDDC, your creditcard will be charged $2,000 and this will be used as credit for it.

This is a bit over the top for my evaluation use-case on which I was not planning to spend two grand on it (that I'd have to get first), is there a way around this?

vExpert 2020
12 Replies
pkremer
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

Do you know who your VMware account rep is? It's potentially a way to get around the credit card issue.

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MasterWayZ
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi,

I don't think I have one. I'm just an individual, not an employee from a large company that is a customer of VMware. (Though I wish I was.)

That makes things like this many times harder, which is why I made a post here to see if there was a way around it.

(PS: I'm aware of the HOL labs, I just wanted to see if there was a way that I could test it out myself, and I don't mind spending some money on that, but two grand is too much.)

vExpert 2020
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daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

I think it would really "depend" on what you want to test and why as to how much value there would be, and also how willing VMware might be to work with you. At the end of the day VMC on AWS is just hosted vSphere, so if the tires you want to kick regard specific integration/solution concerns which that makes sense in trialing, it's just vSphere you have.

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MasterWayZ
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I fully understand. It seems a bit like a weird question to others most likely and I fully understand if VMware doesn't want to work with me, but I figured I could always try to ask here and see what comes from it.

I get it's just hosted vSphere with vSAN and NSX-T, but it's still different with things like HCX, a different GUI, vCenter HLM, the VPN connections you can make, how different the deployment and management is, etc.

I do hope we can somehow make it work, but I understand if no one is interested to. (I'm aware that for some things there are also charges on the AWS side, I have account credit for that to cover that.)

vExpert 2020
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pkremer
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

It is, but it's not identical to on-prem vSphere. For instance, 3rd party products that require VIB installation, or that require full Administrator rights, will not function in VMC. Building firewall rules, creating segments, routing, it's not the same on-prem with NSX-T as it is with NSX-T in VMC.

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MasterWayZ
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

I know, which is why I'm so interested in it.

EDIT: oops, I don't think that reply was meant for me.

vExpert 2020
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daphnissov
Immortal
Immortal

No, I realize that, but those are just unique constraints imposed by VMConAWS that could have impact with certain integrations or automation. It doesn't change it fundamentally from being vSphere hosted by someone else. It's just that there are certain limitations, or capability removals, from on-prem vSphere.

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pkremer
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

I'm not entirely sure what we can make happen but shoot me an email (pkremer) and let me see what I can find out.

MasterWayZ
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Okay! That would be that with -at- vmware.com?

vExpert 2020
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pkremer
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

Yes!

scott28tt
VMware Employee
VMware Employee

You could always try this for free: VMware Cloud on AWS - Getting Started Hands-on Lab

If you do get some sort of access organised, this should help: VMware Cloud on AWS Evaluation Guide


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Although I am a VMware employee I contribute to VMware Communities voluntarily (ie. not in any official capacity)
VMware Training & Certification blog
MasterWayZ
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thanks, I've already taken that HOL and the interactive simulations are great, though I wanted to try to get a bit more experience than that.

For the guide you send, thank you very much. I'll definitely use it if I do get access.

vExpert 2020
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