Another day at VMware Explore on Tour 2025 is behind us

Another day at VMware Explore on Tour 2025 is behind us

Are you curious about what caught Marcin Rzepa's attention this time during VMware Explore on Tour 2025? Come and find out!

Three main topics for today:

  • 1. VCF 9.0
  • 2. vRA
  • 3. labs (I wanted to click around a bit and see what it’s like.😉)

So, let’s take it one by one:

VCF 9:

I had the opportunity to attend a session led by an interesting man who knows a lot about VCF and runs a good blog:

👌 https://williamlam.com

I saw him later in the main auditorium and wanted to talk to him, but I lost sight of him for a moment and he disappeared into the crowd.😉 He talked about VCF at a high level. He emphasised that the key to success is good environment planning. He talked about the concept of VCF (VCF Fleet, Instance, Domain).

VCF Fleet is nothing more than a collection of VCF instances managed by common components: #Operations and #Automation. He also presented:

  •  options for a fail-safe architecture.
  • several scalability parameters:
  •  max. 25 vCentres in one instance (1 x MGMT Domain, 24 Workload Domains)
  • and, consequently, max. 25 NSX Managers
  • max. 2,500 hosts in one instance.

vRA, or rather VCFA (VCF Automation):

  • In addition to creating VMs, VCF Automation introduces the option of creating so-called All Apps, which means that on the same infrastructure, using Supervisor, the user can create both a standard VM and a #k8s cluster. k8s cluster on the same infrastructure using Supervisor. Now it doesn’t matter how complex the environment is. Organisations can easily and simply create applications regardless of their architecture.
  • vSphere Supervisor provides compute, storage and networking through the Kubernetes API.
  • Organisational and design isolation through the use of Namespace.
  • There can be one or more supervisors in a given region.
  • And all this is available from a single location, which allows you to create services in different regions and projects, e.g. dev, tst, prd,
  • In addition, everything is stored in YAML: VMs, TKG, load balancers, disks. When you configure from the GUI, a YAML file is automatically generated.

lab hall

Well organised, quick access, smooth operation. They contain an easy description of the architecture and explain the terminology used in the introduction. In addition to clicking through, you can also run a simulation that will guide you and familiarise you with the specifics of VCF.

The photo shows the scale we are talking about, how many VMs, how much storage and how many networks were created today.

The top 3 places are taken by hol laby with VCF.

I clicked through the labs with vRA and VCF 😉

Of course, this is no substitute for working with the real VCF, but it provides a foundation for learning about and entering the world of Private Cloud, and we already have our first VCF 9.0 in our INDEVOPS lab, where we are constantly discovering something new.

That’s all for today. Thank you.” 🖐 🖐

I am adding a link to the VMware blog:

https://blogs.vmware.com/explore/vmware-explore-2025-las-vegas-day-4-recap/

VCF 9 and SDN: Revolutionizing private network management with Virtual Private Cloud

VCF 9 and SDN: Revolutionizing private network management with Virtual Private Cloud

With each passing day, I’m becoming more and more convinced of the vision Broadcom is showing for the development of VMware Cloud Foundation 9 (VCF9). What was a promise not so long ago is now starting to work in practice – and it’s working brilliantly. The concept of SDN and Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), which takes on a new dimension in VCF9, has particularly caught my attention recently.

👉 If this is your first contact with the series, be sure to also read the first introductory article to VCF9 here.

In this article, I’ll show you why it’s worth getting interested in it and what it all looks like in practice – step by step.

Why is it worth betting on VCF9 in a network context?

Let’s start with the basics. The very idea of building an SDN network using VPC is not new – it already appeared in VCF 5.2 and users have been using it ever since. What is changing is how this concept is being consumed and developed. Integration with the self-service portal – both within vCenter and the more modern approach, VCF Automation – is key here.

But one step at a time.

How does VPC work in VCF9?

VPC works at the SDN, or programmable network, level. Each physical server with vSphere is connected to a physical VLAN through which SDN packets flow. The whole thing is controlled by NSX, VMware’s flagship networking component. For simplicity’s sake, imagine that a VLAN is a highway on which data trucks travel. These trucks carry smaller packets – the actual network packets.

Creating VPCs - something nice for everyone

In the new approach, VPCs can be created in several ways:

  • vCenter – a familiar and well-loved interface, ideal for virtualization administrators who can create a VPC with literally a few clicks.

  • NSX – a more advanced console for network professionals who need full control over their SDN infrastructure.

  • VCF Automation – ideal for users outside the networking and virtualization world who also want to create their own network environments.

VCF Automation - what does it look like in practice?

We create regions – e.g. one for the Data Center in Warsaw, another for the DC in Poznan.

  • We create organizations (tenants) – we assign administrators to each organization.

  • Organizational administrators create projects, namespaces and, of course, VPCs.

  • End users – can then divide the VPCs into smaller network segments, establish addressing and run services.

What used to take days or weeks (configuring VLANs, changing switches, assigning to vSphere), today users can do themselves in 2-3 minutes.

      Control, history, security

      Every operation in VCF Automation is recorded. Every step can be analyzed and accounted for. VPC can be easily scaled, assigned to different projects and network segments. We can also easily control whether a user has access to the outside world or only to internal resources. What’s more – communication between different VPCs is also possible.

      Now let’s think: doesn’t all this remind you of a public cloud? Regions, organizations, VPCs, network segmentation – after all, these are classics of public cloud. Only that with VCF9 we have it all at home – in our own Data Center, under full control, without compromising on security, and – importantly – with much lower operating costs than in the public cloud.

      I’ve seen it in action – it’s no longer a vision, it’s a reality. And I have to admit: I really like it.

      We will soon look at another important aspect – how to implement advanced security mechanisms in our VCF9 private cloud environment, which security professionals still often only dream about.

        Here’s a rundown of official sources from Broadcom’s website detailing what’s new in VMware Cloud Foundation 9 (VCF9), including features related to SDN, VPC and automation:

        1. **Broadcom unveils the future of VMware Cloud Foundation**.
        Official announcement of VCF9, including simplified management, self-service portal and native VPC support.

        https://investors.broadcom.com/news-releases/news-release-details/broadcom-unveils-future-vmware-cloud-foundation

        2 **Broadcom announces new version of VMware Cloud Foundation**.
        Information on simplified deployments, management console consolidation, and support for multi-tenancy and network services.

        https://news.broadcom.com/releases/vmware-cloud-foundation-9-0

        3 **Broadcom’s strategic shift: VMware’s return to the private cloud**.

        A description of VMware’s shift in strategy to the private cloud and VCF9’s role in this transformation.

        Broadcom’s Strategic Shift: VMware’s Return to Private Cloud Emphasized at VMware Explore 2024 Las Vegas

        4 **VMware Cloud Foundation delivers private cloud platform**.

        Details on VCF9’s support for AI, digital sovereignty and security.

        https://investors.broadcom.com/news-releases/news-release-details/vmware-cloud-foundation-delivers-private-cloud-platform

        5 **Broadcom announces deprecation of VCF Automation Pipelines**.

        Information on the withdrawal of the VCF Automation Pipelines feature in version 9.

        https://news.broadcom.com/releases/vmware-explore-2024-barcelona-vmware-cloud-foundation

        These sources provide comprehensive information on the new features and changes introduced in VMware Cloud Foundation 9, especially in the context of SDN, VPC and private cloud management automation.

        #VMwareCloudFoundation #VCF9 #PrivateCloud #SDN #VPC #NSX #ITAutomation #VMwareNSX #DataCenter #PrivateCloud #vSphere #DevOps #NetworkVirtualization #InfrastructureAsCode #CloudManagement #CloudOps #VMware #Broadcom #DigitalTransformation #VCFAutomation

          Automating application deployment on VM and Kubernetes

          Automating application deployment on VM and Kubernetes

          Today, we want to tell you how Marek regained control.

          Marek, head of IT at a large company, was fed up with manual application deployment. Each new launch meant an avalanche of tickets, manual configuration of VMs, Kubernetes, IPs, load balancers… and finally still opening network traffic. Deployment time? Days, and often weeks.

          Problems:

          ➡ Long wait times and multi-step approvals

          ➡ Errors due to manual operations

          ➡ Lack of standardisation

          ➡ Overloaded IT team

          The solution? Automation.

          Marek implemented application and infrastructure standards, automated appointment and approval processes, and launched a self-service portal. As of now:

          ➡  Applications are available in a several minutes

          ➡  Processes are repeatable and compliant with standards

          ➡  IT team focuses on strategic activities

          Automated has been, among other things:

          ➡ VM/K8s creation and configuration

          ➡ Assignment of IPs, subnets, LBs

          ➡ Acceptance process, monitoring and auto-scaling

          ➡ Integration with CMDB and data updating

          The result

          ➡ Faster deployments

          ➡ Fewer errors

          ➡ More time for the IT team

          ➡ Better quality and control

          The effect

          Marek has achieved all this with a private cloud based on VMware Cloud Foundation, enhanced with our add-ons and the team’s experience, coming soon in version  🔗  9 (VCF 9)

          🔗 Sprawdź jak to działa

          🔗 Our Addons for VCF

          Don’t waste your time manually deploying applications. Be like Marek.

           

          💚 INDEVOPS

          🔥 We got it! VMware vExpert Award 2025! 🔥

          🔥 We got it! VMware vExpert Award 2025! 🔥

          Indevops experts awarded the prestigious VMware vExpert Award 2025!

          “There were three of us, different blood in each of us, but one goal guided us” (quoting the classic Polish rock band Perfect ‘Autobiography’ 😊): to win VMware vExpert Award 2025! 💪🎉

              Huge congratulations to the entire Indevops team:
              🚀 Pawel Orzechowski
              🚀 Pawel Koper
              🚀 Marcin Rzepa

              This award is proof of our passion for VMware technology, knowledge sharing and continuous development. Thank you to the vExpert community and VMware for this prestigious award!

          This is just the beginning – we keep going! 🔥

           #vExpert #vExpert2025 #VMware #Indevops #CloudComputing #DevOps #ITAutomation 🚀

          Check out our video and our way to this title! 😊

          👉 Trust the specialists and optimize your IT with dedicated  INDEVOPS  solutions.

          📩 Want to find out how we can help your organization? Contact us and get IT that works!

          Which Indevops Addons for VCF Cloud Operations packages are most attractive to you?

          Which Indevops Addons for VCF Cloud Operations packages are most attractive to you?

          Which Indevops Addons for VCF Cloud Operations packages are most attractive to you?

          Indevops addons are magical extensions for your VMware Cloud Foundation (and also vSphere Foundation). You stick them on and boom! You see your applications, you see your data center, you see your hardware, in other words, you discover everything going on in your IT infrastructure – all in one VMware Cloud Operations console. We’ve been building it for 3 years – that’s how long we’ve been an official VMware TAP partner! 🔧✨

          Now it's time for your help to point them in the right direction!

          Hence the question to you: Which Indevops Addons packages for VCF Cloud Operations do you find most attractive?

          Your opinion will help us create better solutions! Fill out the survey on Linkedin

          If you are interested in others enter in the comments which ones.

          We would like to remind you that

          • VCF Application Observability – plugs directly into the code of your applications

          • VCF Data Center Inventory – presents 3D views of your data center

          • VCF Agent Management – manages any agents you have in your environment (monitoring, backup. antivirus)

          • VCF Network & Security – sees everything that is happening on your Cisco, Juniper, Checkpoints network devices from IP address management functionality

          The names of the extensions seem intuitive to us, but if you want to learn more about their capabilities visit the documentation:

          How would you like to choose an Addon dedicated to your needs, please visit:

          #VMware #VCF #VCF9 #addons #CloudOperations #Indevops #vSphere #PrivateCloud #CloudManagement #ITMonitoring #Automation #Observability #DataCenter #Storage #Networking #Security #VMwareTAP

          Indevops – Addons for VMware Cloud Foundation for Operations, or IT under control!

          Indevops – Addons for VMware Cloud Foundation for Operations, or IT under control!

          Hi!!! 👋 If you're looking for a way to embrace your IT chaos, you've come to the right place!

          At Indevops, we’ve been creating off-the-shelf Addons (Management Packs) for VMware Cloud Foundation for Operations (formerly Aria) that turn monitoring your IT infrastructure into… well, okay, we won’t say into a fairy tale, but certainly into something much less stressful! 😉

          Our solutions are like good coffee – they work quickly, effectively and can put even the most complex IT environments back on their feet. And speaking of complex environments – we work with Orlen, Pern, Polkomtel and many others. As a result, we know how to deal with the challenges that can keep you up at night. You can find more about our clients here: https://www.indevops.com/pl/

          What sets us apart?

          What sets us apart? We don’t just create off-the-shelf solutions, we do it together with Polish companies, tailoring them to your needs. That is, there is no place for “somehow it will be”. – with us everything is “tailor-made”. 🧵✨

          And if you’re wondering exactly what we offer, we’ll be showing you our Addons inside out in upcoming posts on LinkedIn. Also stop by our website to see what we already have in our portfolio:

          #65956 VCF & VVF Cloud Operations Addons- ENG

           Remember – IT is not about putting out fires, it’s about not starting fires at all. And we’ll help with that! 🔥🚒

          #VMware #AriaOperations #ManagementPack #ITblessStress #Indevops #ForWomenWIT too! 😊