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This document describes the deployment of VMWare PKS on VMware Cloud Foundation. PKS is a container services solution to put Kubernetes in operation for multi-cloud enterprises and service providers. It simplifies the deployment and management of Kubernetes clusters with Day 1 and Day 2 operations support. PKS manages container deployment from the application layer all the way to the infrastructure layer according to the requirements for production-grade software. PKS supports high availability, auto-scaling, health-checks and self-repairing of underlying virtual machines, and rolling upgrades for Kubernetes clusters. Because of the compatibility with Google Container Engine (GKE), PKS provides the latest stable Kubernetes release so that developers can have the latest features and tools available. PKS integrates with VMware NSX-T for advanced container networking, including micro-segmentation, ingress controller, load balancing, and security policy. By using VMware Harbor, PKS secures container images through vulnerability scanning, image signing, and auditing. PKS exposes Kubernetes in native form without adding any layers of abstraction or proprietary extensions. Developers can use the native and familiar Kubernetes CLI. PKS can be easily deployed and made operational through Pivotal Operations Manager. Operations Manager supports a common operating model to deploy PKS across multiple IaaS abstractions, such as VMware vSphere. The container services layer enables enterprises and service providers to simplify the deployment and operations of Kubernetes-based container services within the VMware SDDC. In the container services layer, access to production-grade Kubernetes distribution with advanced networking, built-in private registry, and full lifecycle management support of the clusters is provided on top of and integrated with the SDDC.

With each release of the VMware Validated Designs, the Solutions Architecture and Information Experience teams create or update the diagrams provided in the Architecture and Design sections of the documentation. These are created as vector files with which we export the PNG files you see in the official documentation.   It's my pleasure to now share the diagrams from VMware Validated Design for SDDC 5.0 in Microsoft Visio format with the community. If you have deployed or plan to deploy the VMware Validated Design, you can use these diagrams to update hostnames, IP addresses, and the like for your environment.   The set includes: Standard Architecture, plus Multi-AZ Consolidated Architecture Download from the GitHub repository.   NOTE: All official diagrams for the VMware Validated Design are provided in the product documentation found at vmware.com/go/vvd-docs.

As many of you may know, this Early Access sub-community provides you an opportunity to download and discuss pre-released design materials for the VMware Validated Designs. We want you discover the latest content that is in development and learn about the potential directions in these designs. I'm please to share the work that we recently completed, Design and Deployment of VMware Skyline within the VMware Validated Design for SDDC. This early access material covers the architecture and design elements, plus deployment guidance, for adding Skyline Collector 1.4 to the VMware Validated Design and is applicable to single-region, dual-region, and multi-availability zones. VMware Skyline is a technology for proactive support. VMware Skyline uses automation to securely collect data and perform environment-specific analytics on configuration, feature, and performance data. The resulting information improves visibility in your environment. As a result, VMware and your organization interact without extensive time and investment by support administrators. As a result, proactive, predictive, and prescriptive recommendations by VMware improve the stability and reliability of the environment. In addition, reactive support issues can be resolved more quickly. Got feedback? We want to hear from you. So dive into this latest early access content and share your feedback directly with our solutions architects and product managers!

As many of you may know, this Early Access sub-community provides you an opportunity to download and discuss pre-released design materials for the VMware Validated Designs. We want you discover the latest content that is in development and learn about the potential directions in these designs. I'm please to share the work that William Lam and I had the pleasure to develop recently, VMware Pivotal Container Service for Workload Domains. This early access material covers the architecture and design elements for adding PKS 1.1.x to a VMware Validated Design workload domain for a new container services layer. The container services layer enables enterprises and service providers to simplify the deployment and operations of Kubernetes-based container services within the VMware SDDC. In the container services layer, access to production-grade Kubernetes distribution with advanced networking, built-in private registry, and full lifecycle management support of the clusters is provided on top of and integrated with the SDDC. Got feedback? We want to hear from you. So dive into this latest early access content and share your feedback directly with our solutions architects and product managers!

With each release of the VMware Validated Designs, the Solutions Architecture and Information Experience teams create or update the diagrams provided in the Architecture and Design sections of the documentation. These are created as vector files with which we export the PNG files you see in the official documentation.   It's my pleasure to now share the diagrams from VMware Validated Design for SDDC 4.3 in Microsoft Visio format with the community. If you have deployed or plan to deploy the VMware Validated Design, you can use these diagrams to update hostnames, IP addresses, and the like for your environment.   The set includes: Standard Architecture, plus Multi-AZ Consolidated Architecture Download from the GitHub repository.   NOTE: All official diagrams for the VMware Validated Design are provided in the product documentation found at vmware.com/go/vvd-docs.

Updated: 09 May 2018 This document provides all 246 decisions in the VMware Validated Design for Management and Workload Consolidation 4.2 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.

Miss a VMware Cloud Foundation session at VMworld or didn't have an opportunity to attend? We got you covered. This quick post includes links to the related session recordings at VMworld 2017 US. PBO3135SU - Simple, Agile, Secure: VMware Cloud Foundation, the Next-Generation Hybrid Cloud Platform PBO1222BU - VMware Cloud Foundation Architecture Deep Dive PBO1677BU - VMware Cloud Foundation Disaster Recovery Options PBO1757BU - Configuring a Hybrid Cloud with VMware Cloud Foundation: A Technical Deep Dive PBO2073BU - Enterprise Protection and Reliability for VMware Cloud Foundation with Cohesity PBO2695BU - VMware Cloud Foundation Operational Management PBO2182BU - VMware Cloud Foundation: Real-World Deployment Experiences from Professional Services Engineering PBO2797BU - VMware Cloud Foundation Futures PBO1064BU - VxRack SDDC Deep Dive: Inside VxRack SDDC Powered by VMware Cloud Foundation PBO2541BU - IBM Cloud: Delivering Key Value Services Using VMware Cloud Foundation PBO1437BU - Infrastructure Automation in VMware Cloud Foundation Using vRealize Automation LHC3384BUS - Lessons Learned: VMware Cloud Foundation on IBM Cloud

Miss a VMware Validated Design session at VMworld or didn't have an opportunity to attend? We got you covered. This quick post includes links to the related session recordings at VMworld 2017 US. PBO2686BU - Best Data Center Practices: How VMware Validated Designs Can Simplify Your Life PBO1721BU - VMware Validated Design for SDDC Architecture Deep Dive PBO1295BU - VMware Validated Design for Remote/Branch Office Technical Overview PBO2631BU - A Base Design for Everyone’s Data Center: The Consolidated VMware Validated Design PBO1480BU - Moving into Your New Software-Defined Data Center! Migrating and Integrating Workloads

Multiple Availability Zones - VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center 4.1 | 28 August 2017 |  Early Access As many of you may know, we opened this 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 Multiple Availability Zones in the VMware Validated Design for SDDC 4.1. The documentation contains a validated model of the Software-Defined Data Center and provides a detailed design of each management component of the stack. Within this documentation, you'll find an Architecture Overview section that discusses the principles of the multi-availability zone design along with a Detailed Design section that includes all design decisions along with their justification, and implications. Where applicable, we also include associated architecture diagrams like logical design of the availability zones for a protected region, as seen below. This design also uses two regions, and three availability zones - two availability zones reside in Region A and a single availability zone resides in Region B (LAX). The following diagram shows the how the current design could also be expanded to include multiple availability zones in the future. Got feedback? We want to hear from you. So dive into this latest early access content and share your feedback directly with our architects and product managers here in this early access community.

On August 22nd 2017 we released the VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center 4.1 - continuing VMware commitment to delivering our standardized, proven, and robust data-center level designs for the Software-Defined Data Center. As we talk to customers and partners on a daily basis, there are many questions about the design. We wanted a way to provide a quick architecture reference as you get started with the design. It is my pleasure to share the architecture reference poster for the VMware Validated Design for Software-Defined Data Center 4.1. This poster depicts many portions of the fundamental architecture for both quick reference and discussion. The poster has six major sections. Let’s highlight these below. Logical Components Architecture – This section illustrates the logical architecture and the how the solutions are deployed and integrated across a full-stack, dual-region Software-Defined Data Center. From vCenter Servers and load-balanced Platform Services Controllers, to cross-region and cross-vCenter NSX, through cloud operations and automation with the vRealize Suite, this section touches it all. Core and Pod Architecture – This section illustrates the pods used in the design and how they are constructed and deployed to provide a common set of scalable building blocks for your Software-Defined Data Center. Distributed Logical Networking and Application Virtual Networks – This section illustrates the design’s use of distributed logical routing across a dual-region Software-Defined Data Center by incorporating VMware NSX into the management stack. It also depicts the deployment of the full-stack of SDDC solutions with Application Virtual Networks and network services provided by NSX. Storage – This section illustrates the use of vSAN and NFS in the design. VMware Validated Designs are designed and tested with VMware vSAN in the management & shared edge and compute pods for primary storage and NFS for secondary storage (templates, archives, and backups.) While previous releases of the design required vSAN as the management pods’s primary storage, in 4,1 we’ve relaxed this requirement. We highly recommend the use of vSAN, but any supported storage solution may be used when using the design. Pods and Clusters – This section illustrates, at a high-level, how the design pulls together the pods, solutions, and the use of distributed logical routing. Region Protection and Disaster Recovery – This section illustrates how the design protects vRealize Automation, vRealize Orchestrator, vRealize Operations, and vRealize Business for Cloud in management stack using Site Recovery Manager along with NSX. Want representation of the poster for a discussion or meeting? Get it at SpeakerDeck. If you’d like to see the poster hanging on your office wall, the PDF size is 51in x 31in. Stay tuned for more coming soon, but in the mean time you can find all VMware posters at vmware.com/go/posters. If you have any questions or have feedback, reach out to me on Twitter as @tenthirtyam. VMware Validated Design for SDDC 4.1 Release Notes What’s New in the VMware Validated Design for SDDC 4.1 Blog Read the documentation at vmware.com/go/vvd-docs

Product Page / Release Notes and Documentation / Product Download Twitter @vmwCF Cloud Foundation Playlist on YouTube / Blog FAQ / Datasheet / Compatibility Guide / Architecture Poster Hands On Labs Both Hands-on-Labs cover VCF 3.0 in the same way. The first one is live, the second is a simulation: HOL-1946-01-SLN - VMware Cloud Foundation 3.0 – Getting Started HOL-1944-01-ISM - VMware Cloud Foundation 3.0 – Getting Started: Interactive Simulation Key VMworld 2018 Sessions Standardized, Automated an Adapted. The Future of the Private Cloud Is Here. - product overview VMware Cloud Foundation Architecture Deep Dive VMware Cloud Foundation Simplifies Disaster Protection Cloud Foundation and Composable Infrastructure: The Best of Both Worlds Feedback/Questions Leave a comment on the VMware Cloud Foundation community or feel free to reach out to the VMware Cloud Foundation Technical Marketing team on Twitter @tenthirtyam @kyle_gleed @joshuatownsend. Thanks Thanks to @lamw for inspiring me to create this quick reference. Message was edited by: Frank Wegner (added VMworld 2018 sessions)