While I have covered a number of popular topics across our vSphere+, vSAN+ and VCF+ Cloud Service in my recent 7-part blog series, which I definitely recommend folks check out first, direct links below:
- vCenter Cloud Gateway
- vCenter Lifecycle Management
- vCenter Desired State Configuration
- VM Provisioning & Management
- Cloud Consumption Interface (CCI)
- Global Inventory for vSphere
- Subscription & Entitlement
One reoccurring theme that has come up and for good reasons is what users would see in the VMware Cloud (VMC) Console as it pertains to the different types of vSphere-based deployments from vSphere+, VCF+ and VMware Cloud on AWS (VMC-A), especially when incorporating the different "Linked Mode" configurations that are supported today?
As as refresher, there are currently 3 forms of vCenter Server-based "Linked Modes" today:
- Enhanced Linked Mode (ELM) - Enables the vSphere UI of any participating vCenter Server to view and manage the inventory of up to 15 vCenter Server (VCSA) in a single vSphere Single Sign-On (SSO) Domain
- Hybrid Linked Mode (HLM) - VMC-A capability that enables the vSphere UI provided by the vCenter Cloud Gateway (VCGW) to view and manage the inventory of up to 15 vCenter Server (ELM with single vSphere SSO Domain) and a single VMC-A vCenter Server (different vSphere SSO Domain)
- SDDC Linking for SDDC Groups or what I call Cloud Linked Mode (CLM) - VMC-A capability that enables the vSphere UI of any participating vCenter Server to view and manage the inventory of up to 15 VMC-A vCenter Server (VCSA) within an SDDC Group (each vCenter Server is in a different vSphere SSO Domain)
The diagram below illustrates the different scenarios that will be covered in this article with the following vSphere-based deployments (vSphere+, VCF+ and VMC-A).
Deployment Scenarios:
- vCenter 1-3 is deployed in an ELM configuration
- vCenter 1-3 is connected to a (vSphere+/vSAN+/VCF+) VCGW 1
- vCenter 4 & 5 are standalone (non-ELM configuration)
- vCenter 4 & 5 are connected to (vSphere+/vSAN+/VCF+) VCGW 3
- vCenter 6 & 7 is deployed in ELM configuration
- vCenter 6 is connected to VMC-A VCGW 4 to SDDC-1 forming an HLM configuration
- vCenter 7 is connected to VMC-A VCGW 5 to SDDC-2 forming an HLM configuration
- vCenter 8-10 is part of a single VCF Instance which defaults to an ELM configuration
- SDDC Manager is connected to (vSphere+/vSAN+/VCF+) VCGW 2
Note: Today, there are two different vCenter Cloud Gateways, one for the vSphere+/vSAN+/VCF+ service and one for the VMware Cloud on AWS service.
What would I see in the VMC Console?
- vCenter Server 1,2 & 3 because each vCenter Server is connected to (vSphere+/vSAN+/VCF+) VCGW
- vCenter 4 & 5 because each vCenter Server is connected to (vSphere+/vSAN+/VCF+) VCGW
- VCF Management Domain, Workload Domain 1 & Workload Domain 2 because SDDC Manager Instance is connected to (vSphere+/vSAN+/VCF+) VCGW
- vCenter 8, 9 & 10 can be accessed indirectly through a link to vSphere UI from their respective Management and Workload Domain
- SDDC 1, 2 & 3 because SDDCs are automatically shown in the VMC Console
- vCenter 11, 12 & 13 can be accessed indirectly through a link to vSphere UI from their respective SDDC
What would I NOT see in the VMC Console?
- vCenter 6 & 7 because they have already been connected to VMC-A VCGW for HLM
- vCenter 8, 9 & 10 because they are deployed as either a VCF Management or Workload Domain and those are shown instead of the individual vCenter Servers
- vCenter 11, 12 & 13 because they are deployed as part of an SDDC and those are shown instead of the individual vCenter Servers
What would I see in vSphere UI?
- Using the vSphere UI from from vCenter 1, 2 or 3 can see all inventory from vCenter 1, 2 & 3 as ELM is configured
- Using the vSphere UI from from vCenter 4 can only see its own inventory
- Using the vSphere UI from from vCenter 5 can only see its own inventory
- Using the vSphere UI from VCGW 4 can see all inventory from vCenter 6 & vCenter 11 as HLM is configured
- Using the vSphere UI from vCenter 6 can se inventory from vCenter 6 and vCenter 7 as ELM is configured
- Using the vSphere UI from VCGW 5 can see all inventory from vCenter 7 & vCenter 13 as HLM is configured
- Using the vSphere UI from vCenter 7 can se inventory from vCenter 6 and vCenter 7 as ELM is configured
- Using the vSphere UI from vCenter 8, 9 or 10 can see see all inventory of vCenter 8, 9 & 10 as ELM is configured
- Using the vSphere UI from from vCenter 11, 12 or 13 can see all inventory from vCenter 11, 12 & 13 as vCenter Linking for SDDC Groups is configured
What would I NOT see in vSphere UI?
- Using the vSphere UI from vCenter 6 would NOT see vCenter 12 or vCenter 13 inventory as HLM configuration is a 1:1 mapping from single vSphere SSO Domain to a single VMC-A vCenter Server
- Using the vSphere UI from vCenter 7 would NOT see vCenter 11 or vCenter 12 inventory as HLM configuration is a 1:1 mapping from single vSphere SSO Domain to a single VMC-A vCenter Server
- Using the vSphere UI from vCenter 11, 12 or 13 would NOT see vCenter 6 or vCenter 7 inventory as vCenter Linking for SDDC Groups is not aware of any HLM configuration
While there is certainly some complexity today depending on the types of Linked Mode(s) you are using, this an area of active development to further simplify how deployments are not only visualized within the VMC Console but also the types of operations (provisioning, lifecycle management, workload inventory, etc) that can be performed and also what "linking" may mean in the future, not just the how but also the what or outcome of linking.
If you have any feedback or things to you would us to consider, feel free to leave a comment and I will be sure that it reaches out Product teams or if you want to chat further, happy to connect offline.
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