All Posts

In this session, Ryan Johnson provides an overview of what’s new in the VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center 4.0 that went GA in March 2017. The session addresses the major bill of materials and design updates from the prior 3.x releases.

We're happy to announce that on 02 March 2017 we released an the VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center 4.0. The VMware Validated Designs provide our customers prescriptive guidance and tools, to plan, build, and operate a Software-Defined Data Center. The designs are extensively tested to ensure all components and their specific versions are validated to work in unison, to scale to predetermined design objectives, and operate as our customers expect. Unlike Reference Architectures which may focus on an individual product or purpose without lifecycle management guidance, the VVD for SDDC is a holistic approach to designing a full SSDC stack, applicable to a broad set of uses with a commitment to ongoing upgrade guidance. What's New? Version 4.0 is the first release to incorporate the vSphere 6.5 wave of products. The Bill Of Materials (BOM) has been completely refreshed to all new versions of the SDDC products. This means VVD customers are able to take advantage of the new performance enhancements, scalability, and robustness which is included in these latest versions.  This substantial platform uplift in 4.0, the first major vSphere version refresh since the 1.0 design launch, demonstrates the strength and flexibility inherent to the VVD design, enabling existing customers to seamlessly upgrade their full SDDC stack. Product Group and Edition Product Name Product Version VMware vSphere Enterprise Plus ESXi 6.5 a vCenter Server Appliance 6.5 a vSphere Update Manager 6.5 a VMware vSAN Standard or higher vSAN 6.5 VMware vSphere Replication VMware vSphere Replication 6.5 VMware Site Recovery Manager Enterprise VMware Site Recovery Manager 6.5 VMware NSX for vSphere Enterprise NSX for vSphere 6.3 * VMware vRealize Automation Advanced or higher vRealize Automation 7.2 vRealize Orchestrator 7.2 vRealize Orchestrator Plug-in for NSX 1.0.4 VMware vRealize Business for Cloud Advanced vRealize Business for Cloud 7.2 VMware vRealize Operations Manager Advanced or higher vRealize Operations Manager 6.4 vRealize Operations Management Pack for NSX for vSphere 3.5 vRealize Operations Management Pack for vRealize Log Insight 1.0.1 vRealize Operations Management Pack for vRealize Automation 2.1 vRealize Operations Management Pack for Storage Devices 6.0.5 VMware vRealize Log Insight vRealize Log Insight 4.0 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for NSX for vSphere 3.5 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for vSAN 2.0 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for vRealize Automation 7 1.5 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for vRealize Orchestrator 7.0.1+ 2.0 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for vRealize Operations Manager 6.x 1.7 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for Microsoft SQL Server 3.1 VMware vSphere Data Protection vSphere Data Protection 6.1.3 * Shortly before VMware Validated Designs 4.0 released, VMware released the NSX for vSphere 6.3.1 patch which includes an important hotfix. VMware Validated Designs supports this hotfix and VMware recommends that you apply it immediately. VMware makes available patches and releases to address critical security issues for several products. Verify that you are using the latest security patches for a given component when deploying VMware Validated Design. This release provides the following new features: Updated Bill of Materials that incorporates new product versions All new SDDC roles and personas guidance Platform Services Controllers in each region are now behind an NSX load balancer Use of host profiles to deploy ESXi on the hosts in the management and the shared edge and compute pods. New operational guidance for certificate replacement of the SDDC management cluster Support for SHA-2 Certificates NSX distributed logical router for the shared edge and compute cluster Improved free space recommendations for vSAN and NFS datastores Less nodes required for the analytics cluster of vRealize Operations Manager Now using syslog to send log data from vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller to vRealize Log Insight Implemented SSL for log forwarding Incorporated the use of vSphere Update Manager for upgrading ESXi hosts Adoption of service accounts for secure application-to-application communication For more information, and to get started: Read the Documentation in PDF or HTML Read the Release Notes Learn What's New by Watching the What's New in 4.0 Video

Since we released the VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center 4.0 we've had an amazing level of response from our customers and partners who are excited about the new updates to the bill of materials and the design updates. We want to make it even easier for you to get started. We're excited to announce a simple, easily referenceable version of all 290+ design decisions found in the VMware Validated Design for SDDC 4.0 Architecture and Design. Use this document for your own quick reference and architecture review with your teams. It also includes columns for determining your level of adherence to the architecture and any justification for deviations. Get started today: Download the Design Decision Checklist Read the Documentation in PDF and HTML Read the Release Notes

Updated 06 April 2017 This document provides you all 290+ decisions in the VMware Validated Design for SDDC 4.0 Architecture and Design into a simple spreadsheet for quick reference. It includes columns for determining your level of adherence to the architecture and any justification for deviations.

** Updated 02 March 2017 *** The VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center is GA as of 02 March 2017. Read the Documentation in PDF and HTML Read the Release Notes - - - - - - - - - - VMware Validated Design 4.0 | 15 December 2016 |  Early Access As many of you may know, we opened the Early Access sub-community to provide you an opportunity to download and discuss pre-released design materials for the VMware Validated Designs. We want you discover the latest content for blueprints that are in development and learn about the direction of the next generation architectures and advance operational guidance. Today it's my pleasure to announce the early access materials for the VMware Validated Design for SDDC 4.0. This design builds upon the success of the releases and introduces some key architecture and operations updates for the latest versions of the SDDC software components, such as vSphere 6.5, vSAN 6.5. vRealize Log Insight 4.0. vRealize Operations 6.4, and vRealize Automation 7.2 to name a few. What's in the Early Access Material? Introduction - The Introducing VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center guide provides directions on using the content of VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center. The guide also contains a high-level overview of the Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) design supported in this VMware Validated Design version. The document includes a detailed listing of the design objectives, document structures and purpose, and an overview of the design. Reference Architecture Guide - The VMware Validated Design Reference Architecture Guide contains a validated model of the Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) and provides a detailed design of each management component of the SDDC stack. The document includes over 240 design decisions along with their justification, implications, and where applicable associated diagrams. Roles and Personas - The Introducing VMware Validated Design Roles and Personas Guide provides detailed information about the how customers can consume a VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center based deployment with an optimal set of role and personas  These are mapped to sets of requirements and relevent documents in the design that support these roles and personas. What Software Components are included in the VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center 4.0? VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center 4.0 is based on a set of individual VMware products with different versions that are available in a common downloadable package.         Product Group and Edition Product Name Product Version VMware vSphere Enterprise Plus ESXi 6.5 a vCenter Server Appliance 6.5 a vSphere Update Manager 6.5 a VMware vSAN Standard or higher vSAN 6.5 VMware vSphere Replication VMware vSphere Replication 6.5 VMware Site Recovery Manager Enterprise VMware Site Recovery Manager 6.5 VMware NSX for vSphere Enterprise NSX for vSphere 6.3 VMware vRealize Automation Advanced or higher vRealize Automation 7.2 vRealize Orchestrator 7.2 vRealize Orchestrator Plug-in for NSX 1.0.4 VMware vRealize Business for Cloud Advanced vRealize Business for Cloud 7.2 VMware vRealize Operations Manager Advanced or higher vRealize Operations Manager 6.4 vRealize Operations Management Pack for NSX for vSphere 3.5 vRealize Operations Management Pack for vRealize Log Insight 1.0.1 vRealize Operations Management Pack for vRealize Automation 2.1 vRealize Operations Management Pack for Storage Devices 6.0.5 VMware vRealize Log Insight vRealize Log Insight 4.0 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for NSX for vSphere 3.5 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for vSAN 2.0 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for vRealize Automation 7 1.0 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for vRealize Orchestrator 7.0.1+ 2.0 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for vRealize Operations Manager 6.x 1.7 vRealize Log Insight Content Pack for Microsoft SQL Server 3.1 VMware vSphere Data Protection vSphere Data Protection 6.1.3 VMware makes available patches and releases to address critical security issues for several products. Verify that you are using the latest security patches for a given component when deploying VMware Validated Design. VMware Solution Exchange and in-product marketplace store only the latest versions of the management packs for vRealize Operations Manager and the content packs for vRealize Log Insight. This table contains the latest versions of the packs that were available at the time this VMware Validated Design was validated. When you deploy the VMware Validated Design components, it is possible that the version of a management or content pack on VMware Solution Exchange and in-product marketplace is newer than the one used for this release.