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VMware Cloud Foundation

VMware by Broadcom

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    Narasimha Reddy Illuri

There is progress in performance and stability, but further advancements are needed for end-user satisfaction

  • August 04, 2025
  • Review provided by PeerSpot

What is our primary use case?

The main use cases for VMware Cloud Foundation are that it combines VMware and Azure, Windows, and all things at the cloud level. Azure is one of the applications I am using. Some Azure levels also direct Windows servers, as some Windows servers I have moved from VMware to Azure. The Azure portal operates at different levels.

I am using Azure 109, 019 as a fundamental level for on-premises infrastructure, PSS, IAS, and other Azure foundation components.

I utilize the workload portability feature in VMware Cloud Foundation, and the workload balance is effective. For example, in one cluster level, there are four to five ESXi hosts. Each ESXi host has minimum resources including CPU and memory allocations. At the VMware Cloud Foundation level, utilization is considerably lower.

The deployment model of VMware Cloud Foundation is implemented through one tool, though I cannot recall its exact name. Currently, my environment uses that tool to move applications from VMware to Azure.

How has it helped my organization?

Previously, with an old version of ESXi host, I encountered network communication issues and servers would sometimes become unresponsive. Two months ago, I upgraded the hardware level firmware first. After the firmware hardware level upgrade, I moved to the software level and migrated from essential to cloud migration, upgrading from 7.0 to 8.0. Subsequently, I completed the ESXi host upgrade. Now the system is stable and many issues have been resolved.

Based on my experience, I would recommend VMware Cloud Foundation because it is a stable advanced version in a good position. There is support from Nutanix nowadays, and the Broadcom team can easily identify cloud level issues. Support for old versions has almost ended, with licensing for old version servers expected to expire in September this year, prompting many users to migrate to the new version.

What is most valuable?

VMware Cloud Foundation's best features include its advanced capabilities, security purposes, and performance levels. The solution offers efficient licensing options. Previously, vSphere essential was available, but now it has moved to VMware Cloud Foundation 8.0. It includes advanced features such as lifecycle manager, patching level, and cluster level patching options.

The solution now offers auto-deployment of VMs. Previously, I had to use the content library, right-click, and create VMs manually. With VMware Cloud Foundation, auto-deployment is possible by simply right-clicking and assigning a specific DHCP IP, enabling physical to vCenter level communication for automatic VM deployment.

The workload portability feature in VMware Cloud Foundation provides good workload balance. For instance, in a cluster level with four to five ESXi hosts, each host has minimum resources allocated for CPU and memory, resulting in significantly reduced utilization at the VMware Cloud Foundation level.

What needs improvement?

Regarding improvements in VMware Cloud Foundation, stability has significantly improved, and many issues have been resolved. The efficiency, stability, scalability, and advanced level features have been substantially implemented.

While there are areas I would like to see improved in future releases of VMware Cloud Foundation, I cannot specify them exactly.

Desired future features include direct monitoring capabilities in VMware Cloud Foundation, Skyview on VMware, NSX, vSAN, as well as UPI, API integration. Additional monitoring features such as Health Sky, Health Sky Lab, Health Sky P, and SimpliVity would be beneficial.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have extensive knowledge regarding VMware Cloud Foundation spanning four to five years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

The migration to VMware Cloud Foundation was straightforward as I first established communication at the network level, migrated to VMware Cloud Foundation, and verified the network level communication, ensuring stability throughout the process. After confirming stability, I proceeded with the cloud migration.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I am currently satisfied with the stability of VMware Cloud Foundation, though having started only two to three months ago, I am still in the monitoring phase. The end users need to confirm their satisfaction comparing VMware to Azure, and if no problems arise, that would be positive.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I find VMware Cloud Foundation to be scalable, offering enhanced performance across all aspects.

How are customer service and support?

Based on my nine years of experience with VMware, I would evaluate their technical support as effective. I handle the operations part, including infrastructure operations, upgrades, and everything. While architecture levels are managed by my senior manager, I coordinate with the Broadcom team for operations, infrastructure, upgrades, patches, and hardware/software level issues, resolving every issue in advance.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have basic knowledge of the Nutanix Kubernetes platform and hands-on experience with Nutanix. I am familiar with Nutanix's Prism Central, Prism Element, and Prism Self, including firmware upgrades, hardware upgrades, version upgrades, and ISO upgrades.

My experience with the Kubernetes platform from Nutanix is limited to monitoring purposes from my previous company. I used it to track patching completion, generate reports through the Kubernetes portal, and monitor server utilizations and performance.

Desired future features include direct monitoring capabilities in VMware Cloud Foundation, Skyview on VMware, NSX, vSAN, as well as UPI, API integration. Additional monitoring features such as Health Sky, Health Sky Lab, Health Sky P, and SimpliVity would be beneficial.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup of VMware Cloud Foundation was straightforward, and I did not encounter any challenges during the implementation phase.

What was our ROI?

I cannot comment on whether VMware Cloud Foundation is cost-effective or provide information about return on investment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Regarding pricing, VMware Cloud Foundation includes normal licensing costs. Since VMware's move to Broadcom, the pricing has increased significantly. Compared to Nutanix, which many people consider a better option due to its single platform approach, VMware Cloud Foundation operates on different platforms. VMware involves separate teams for Broadcom, HP hardware, Cisco networking switches, and pure storage. Nutanix, however, provides all components including storage, network, and the Acropolis operating system in a single platform.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Comparing VMware to Azure and Nutanix, Nutanix demonstrates greater efficiency and performance levels. Issue identification is easier with Nutanix. For example, when a node or host is down, finding the source of the problem is simpler. With VMware, the troubleshooting process is more complex, requiring checks of software level communication between ESXi host and vCenter server, or hardware level issues such as memory DIMM failures. Nutanix offers increased stability compared to VMware.

VMware's main benefits include easier management of file servers, SQL servers, and print servers. While Nutanix also offers these capabilities, VMware makes it easier to identify issues with printer and file servers, depending on the location and standalone host configuration.

What other advice do I have?

Regarding the flexibility to choose between cloud and on-premises deployment models, I can only speak to my hands-on experience rather than provide a detailed explanation.

I cannot comment on how the consistent architecture of VMware Cloud Foundation has impacted our organization's ability to run traditional and cloud native applications, as architecture is handled by a separate team.

The main benefits of using VMware Cloud Foundation include significantly improved performance and stability. Previously, with an old version of ESXi host, we faced network communication issues and server responsiveness problems. After upgrading the hardware level firmware two months ago, followed by software migration from 7.0 to 8.0 and ESXi host upgrades, the system has become stable with numerous issues resolved.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate VMware Cloud Foundation a 6 out of 10.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Microsoft Azure

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other


    Payam Majidzadeh

Facilitates seamless integration with comprehensive support and robust features

  • April 25, 2025
  • Review provided by PeerSpot

What is our primary use case?

We mostly use VMware Cloud Foundation when clients want their own environment, not on-premises cloud scenarios, preferring not to go for examples like Microsoft or AWS. When they have their own hardware, they tend to work with VMware Cloud Foundation. It brings automation, security, accessibility, and everything regarding the product.

What is most valuable?

VMware Cloud Foundation is a combined solution, not a single one. It includes virtualization hardware as compute using vSphere, storage virtualization, network virtualization, and automation all combined in a single solution. It uses vSphere, vSAN, and NSX, and in some use cases, you can use the automation operation and other solutions of VMware.

What needs improvement?

VMware Cloud Foundation is complex, and there are always updates regarding security features, accessibility, and the user interface. Making changes isn't simple because there are a lot of tables to update. People in the field may not feel confident about managing it.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been mostly working with VMware Cloud Foundation since 2021, so for three years.

What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

The integration process can depend on your perspective. Following the proper structures is key. If parts of the chain are broken, you might have issues during future upgrading or patching. Everything must be done in the proper phase to avoid issues.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

For stability, I rate VMware Cloud Foundation as an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In terms of scalability, I also rate VMware Cloud Foundation as an eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support from VMware is very good. I rate them nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

Some customers find it difficult to follow the correct recommendations. Problems often arise from the initial configuration because it's a major product that communicates with switches, top-of-rack switches, and everything should be in line with the software's demands.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I'm not involved in sales, so I have no specific information about pricing. However, I've heard it's not a cheap product, but the cost includes very good support.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

At the moment, there isn't a specific competitor for VMware Cloud Foundation. Red Hat is trying to compete but is not very successful, mainly because they rely on open-source solutions which aren't as robust.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I rate VMware Cloud Foundation a nine out of ten. I recommend it mostly to mid-range to large-range companies. It's not a cheap solution, but it's robust and has good support. For organizations like hospitals, telecommunication companies, or government entities, it delivers reliable integration with other VMware products like vCloud Director.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other


    Mangesh Parjane

Experience has improved centralized management through single console operations

  • April 02, 2025
  • Review provided by PeerSpot

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case for VMware Cloud Foundation is its ease of use and centralized management. All operations go through Cloud Foundation tools, which offer easy management.

What is most valuable?

A valuable feature of VMware Cloud Foundation is its ability to manage everything from a single console, including network, virtualization, and storage management. It is easy to manage and facilitates centralized management through Cloud Foundation tools.

What needs improvement?

There is room for improvement in how section updates are handled. The challenge lies in the difficulty of pinpointing issues when something goes wrong at a single stage. Also, each user needs deep knowledge of every aspect of virtualization, and the VMware personnel might not fully grasp aspects outside their expertise, requiring the involvement of other professionals.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware Cloud Foundation for almost two and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I give it an eight for stability. If one component fails to operate in a timely manner, the entire infrastructure can go down because everything is interconnected. This is the biggest issue.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

VMware Cloud Foundation is quite scalable, receiving a rating of eight and a half to nine out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

I rate VMware's tech support at seven and a half. There are times when support is unclear, and even VMware support personnel may lack familiarity with certain parts, causing difficulties.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not quite difficult. One person can handle it.

What was our ROI?

In terms of ROI, although VMware Cloud Foundation is expensive, it saves time in most cases, which indirectly saves costs for users.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

VMware Cloud Foundation is quite expensive when compared to its competitors, but it does save time, which in turn saves money. I see over thirty percent savings.

What other advice do I have?

I rate my overall experience with VMware Cloud Foundation as eight. I would like to explore more AI-related features, particularly in automation. My overall rating for the solution is an eight out of ten.

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other


    Muneer-Hussain

Extensive customization supports infrastructure needs but escalating costs hinder affordability

  • March 26, 2025
  • Review provided by PeerSpot

What is our primary use case?

The main use case for VMware Cloud Foundation is to create a scalable solution that allows for customization to align with our customer requirements. I have been using it to address various challenges in deploying customizable service catalogs and blueprints. I primarily use it for private cloud on-premises infrastructure.

What is most valuable?

VMware Cloud Foundation allows for extensive customization, aligning with our customer requirements. It provides a self-service portal akin to those in Google Cloud or Amazon Cloud, enabling requests for virtual machines and other resources within minutes. Additionally, it integrates with various services like Active Directory, DNS, backup, and ITSM Remedy.

What needs improvement?

Customization is a major challenge, particularly when involving VMware's center of excellence teams, which can be costly. The maintenance cost has increased significantly, especially after Broadcom acquired VMware, with a shift from socket-based licensing to core-based licensing.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with VMware Cloud Foundation since 2019.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

VMware Cloud Foundation supports scalability and company growth. However, the current licensing model restricts scalability with vendor locking and changes due to the acquisition by Broadcom.

How are customer service and support?

Support was reliable and responsive before the acquisition by Broadcom. After that, I am unsure of the current support situation.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I evaluated solutions from Huawei and Red Hat but chose VMware mainly due to its feature set, which was more comprehensive.

How was the initial setup?

The initial hardware setup is straightforward. However, adding the center of excellence team for additional customization escalates the cost significantly, taking up to 70% of the project's cost.

What about the implementation team?

The professional services team from VMware undertakes a significant portion of any project, making up about 60 to 70% of the involvement.

What was our ROI?

VMware Cloud Foundation allows cost and time savings by quickly deploying infrastructure requests and integrating automatic ticketing and backup services.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The cost has become very high, especially after Broadcom's acquisition, altering the licensing model to a more expensive core-based system.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

I evaluated Huawei and Red Hat solutions but ultimately chose VMware Cloud Foundation due to its superior features.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate VMware Cloud Foundation between six to seven out of ten due to the balance between its functionalities and high costs. It is more inclined towards a seven for solution quality but closer to a six when factoring in the cost. I rate the overall solution a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises


    Abid_Ali

Provides robust host-level redundancy across sites

  • February 13, 2025
  • Review provided by PeerSpot

What is our primary use case?

The primary use case for VMware Cloud Foundation is to meet our requirements for host-level redundancy on both the primary site and the DR site. We were already using VMware on our old infrastructure and upgraded to new compute and solutions.

What is most valuable?

All features of VMware Cloud Foundation are valuable to us, as it covers every industry standard protocol and requirement protocol, and it assists in meeting our requirements for host-level redundancy on both the primary site and the DR site.

What needs improvement?

There may be room for improvement in the resource allocation feature. VMware Broadcom needs to include auto resource allocation at the VM levels.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been working with this solution for the last one and a half years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of VMware Cloud Foundation is very high. I would rate it ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the scalability of this solution as eight out of ten. When more hosts are added, performance goes slow. It will work best with a limited number of hosts.

How are customer service and support?

Our technical support team is capable of providing support on the operating system side. I would recommend it as nine out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was a little bit difficult for us, however, now we are able to complete the whole solution without any hurdles.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The price is quite higher than some other vendors, however, it is a reliable solution. VMware is a pioneer in the virtualization field, and that is why we rely on VMware.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend VMware Cloud Foundation to others. I would rate the overall solution nine out of ten.

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other


    UnnikrishnanGovindan

The number of tickets has gone down since the product is much more stable

  • November 20, 2024
  • Review provided by PeerSpot

What is our primary use case?

We are using VMware Cloud Foundation for virtualization within our on-premises infrastructure. We utilize it primarily for management through vSphere, vCenter, and vMotion, and it fits our current setup since we are not using a hybrid cloud environment.

What is most valuable?

We use VMware Cloud Foundation mainly for the virtualization part, and because it's a suite where everything is combined, we have vSphere and vCenter. Ever since they changed the license model, after the acquisition by Broadcom, it has become just VCF now. The number of tickets has gone down since the product is much more stable. This improved stability is helping us in a significant way.

What needs improvement?

All virtualization features are there, and they release periodic patches and updates. There is not much I would suggest for improvement. We are almost there in terms of meeting our needs.

For how long have I used the solution?

We have been working with VMware Cloud Foundation for the last three years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would give VMware Cloud Foundation a stability rating of nine out of ten. The product is stable, which has reduced our ticket volume.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scalability is easy. Adding VXL nodes is straightforward, and I would rate it a nine out of ten regarding scalability.

How are customer service and support?

The technical support from VMware is good. We didn't encounter any problems with their support team.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

Prior to VMware Cloud Foundation, we used VMware in its older version and Hyper-V from Microsoft. We switched because VMware support is better.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup was straightforward since our team was already experienced with VMware.

What about the implementation team?

Our internal team handled the migration and setup. We migrated close to about a thousand VMs to the VXL boxes. It took us about six months, considering we had to manage production downtimes.

What was our ROI?

We haven't calculated the ROI, but we've noticed that the number of tickets has decreased, indicating an improvement in stability.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

After the acquisition, prices have been going up, however, we find the product quite good. The licensing model changed after the Broadcom acquisition. Lower prices are good for end users, however, we are okay with the current pricing.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

As a national utility company, we would like to stick to VMware since we're happy with it and other options don't suit our needs better.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend VMware Cloud Foundation to any organization seeking virtualization. I would rate it a nine overall. Although all necessary virtualization features are present, and they provide periodic updates, I'm satisfied with its current capabilities.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises


    YogeshDasila

Easy to deploy and has a good UI

  • September 03, 2024
  • Review provided by PeerSpot

What is our primary use case?

I use the solution in my company for our own public and private clouds. We have created our cloud services using these products.

What is most valuable?

It is a good product, and it actually meets most of the requirements that our company has in terms of creating a cloud, and so that is why we are using it.

The tool's UI is great. I think it is easy to deploy the tool. As we have a user support base, I think it is a good product for our company.

What needs improvement?

The tool's integration capabilities are slightly complicated, so we use our company's SI partners. Integrations are slightly difficult, as getting resources to deal with it is not that easy.

I think the tool's integration features with multiple products are still slightly cumbersome. As VMware has a large stack of tools. At times, we find there are issues because the tools under VMware don't work with each other. In general, I think it is a good product.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware Cloud Foundation for seven to eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a highly scalable solution.

How are customer service and support?

I rate the technical support a ten out of ten.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

The product's initial setup phase is easy.

The solution can be deployed in one to two days.

A few people need to install the tool as VMware has multiple products.

What was our ROI?

The savings have been about 30 to 40 percent using the tool.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The tool's price is slightly on the higher side, but I guess you think there is no one-to-one comparison with other tools. The licensing part has become easier, while earlier, it was quite complex.

What other advice do I have?

Maintenance is good because our company uses support services from VMware. To maintain the tool, we have a big team as we have it across 14 countries. We have around 50 to 60 people supporting the tool in our company.

In our company, we are not using the AI part of the tool, but there is vROps in the solution.

The tool is highly scalable, so the tool helps us grow. The scalability helps our company keep up pace with the way we are growing.

I rate the tool a ten out of ten.


    JoseFuentes

Offers a clear separation of management and workload but customer support could be better

  • July 01, 2024
  • Review provided by PeerSpot

What is our primary use case?

We're just looking to set up a private cloud.

How has it helped my organization?

In our case, we don't use this extensively. The system belongs to a third party, so we have limited insight into the different ways they merge platforms and implement functionalities. We primarily purchase and pay for the license while the third party manages and maintains the platform. They integrate various functionalities into their management plane, likely using different tools.

We have little control over the tools they use to manage and control the platform. I've used VMware elsewhere and found it to be quite good, but in this instance, we have no say in their tool choices. The only thing they provide is the service we request.

We are the owners of the platform, but a third-party company is responsible for its support. They support the platform with their own tools, not VMware's. The only thing they have to do with VMware tools is purchase anything we request. We could request a task to be done, and they'll do it for us. 

If we recommend any areas where the platform isn't working, they have to use Huawei tools. We have no say over their use of vRealize Operations Manager or other VMware management tools. The virtual platform belongs to us. We pay for the license and everything else, but we have no control over how it's managed.

We are not really happy because we found that they don't use the full functionality of VMware. We paid for licenses for some solutions, like vRealize Operations Manager, but they don't use it. It's a waste of money.

I've worked in other companies where they provide that setup for different clients. So, we have set up private cloud solutions to provide workbooks for different clients. That's very good because you can keep them separate. 

You have one workbook for one client, another workbook for another client, and then the tools in your management area control everything. And everything's optimized. So that is very good with VMware.

What is most valuable?

The main features are the separation between the management plane and the workload. You can use NSX to provision between the different areas of the network, like west-east or north-south. We use the vSAN platform too. 

Another benefit is that we can implement so many VMs in physical servers and control them with the different functionalities that VMware has, like NSX.

What needs improvement?

The main thing is the license. We are a little worried about the changes around licensing at the moment, so we are mainly looking at other platforms.

We don't like the way VMware charges for licenses since they were bought by Broadcom. There's always something to worry about with VMware. They tend to change their license from product to product. When they started years ago, they started with a bundle, and then the bundle was not enough. We had to buy more licenses because the bundle of vSphere was not good. 

As we went to standard, it worked well to provide different options and functionalities, but then we had to purchase additional licenses. It has always been unclear about our licenses. The confrontation they have with Microsoft is not helpful. They need to source servers, and that's the big issue.

Another area of improvement:

Maybe the network one, the NSX. VMware changed it to NSX-T, so it's improved, and we are in the process of migrating. Maybe the migration between old systems to new ones could be a little smoother. 

And the support provided by VMware is not very good.

The quality of VMware support. We're doing the migration from NSX-V to NSX-T, and we requested VMware consultants on-site, but the communication is not very good. We've been doing this for over six months, and they don't help us a lot with the migration. They're supposed to be the experts, but the commands they give us to try don't always work. We try something else, and it lowers the performance of the business systems. We've done the migration for a testing environment, but now we have to run the solution in production. It took too long to bring the right people on board.

We've been asking them repeatedly to give us help with the migration, and they eventually brought somebody in who was good. Things are good now that we found the right person, but they're very disjointed. When we try to learn it ourselves, it doesn't always work with these people.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using it for two years, but I have been working with the VMware platform for the last fifteen years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is very stable. I would rate the stability a nine out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten. There are more than a thousand end users using it. 

How are customer service and support?

There is room for improvement in customer service and support. For the money we spend, we want providers with qualified engineers who know what they're doing for the entire operation, the projects, and the migration.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Negative

How was the initial setup?

From my previous experience with VMware, it's quite fast.

The only complex area is the network, NSX. The new version, NSX-T, is a little better, but the old one was very complex for me. Well, it worked, but it was complex. However, it doesn't take long to deploy. 

I'm an architect, so we don't deal with the deployment area directly. We just do the designs, and then the engineers implement them.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

It is quite expensive. 

What other advice do I have?

If you have the money to spend, go ahead. But please, just be careful with their licenses. VMware's prices are expensive.

It should have been the virtualized platform, but that's the best thing.

Overall, I would rate it a seven out of ten. 


    Yosevan Sinaga Sinaga

Provides automated provisioning, network, and storage features

  • June 13, 2024
  • Review provided by PeerSpot

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for our infrastructure enterprise. We build networking, storage, and security using VMware Cloud Foundation. We also use the solution for our production.

What is most valuable?

The solution's most valuable features are automated provisioning, network, and storage. It is also easy to use.

What needs improvement?

The solution's log management could be improved because the logs don't provide enough information. The solution's reporting should not be simple, but it should have more customization options.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using VMware Cloud Foundation for seven years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution’s stability an eight out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

VMware Cloud Foundation is a scalable solution. Around 20 users use the solution in our organization.

I rate the solution’s scalability an eight out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

We use the solution's third-party support vendor. The quality of the support has to be better.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Neutral

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have previously worked with Nutanix. VMware Cloud Foundation provides better features, customer service, technical support, and easy integration compared to other products.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup is easy.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution’s pricing could be improved and made more flexible.

What other advice do I have?

VMware Cloud Foundation did not integrate smoothly with our networking and security functions, but it runs fine. The solution's automation feature allows us to increase the server's cloud scaling capabilities without having to define them one by one because it is done automatically. I would recommend the solution to other users.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud


    NiteshKumar1

Offers automated deployment features that enhances operational efficiency and simplifying complex tasks

  • February 28, 2024
  • Review provided by PeerSpot

What is our primary use case?

Our clients use VMware Cloud Foundation for SDDC implementations. When it comes to data centers, traditionally, data center infrastructure components are standalone systems, like blade servers or rack servers sitting inside a rack. 

But with a software-defined data center (SDDC), you buy a larger hardware component from a vendor like HP, Dell, Nutanix, etc., and then virtualize that hardware to create a pool of VMs, storage, and other resources. 

This concept isn't confined to just compute and storage. You extend this understanding and capability to your network (e.g., software-defined SD-WAN or software-defined networks) and backup (e.g., software-defined backup running on backup appliances like HP StoreOnce). 

You define backup policies through software, specifying which VMs need to be backed up, how often, and the backup retention period. That's how we technically sell these software-defined data center concepts to our customers.

Another thing to consider with data centers is power consumption, which is directly related to the hardware configuration running in the data center. The capacity and power consumption of the hardware you buy from HP, Dell, Nutanix, Cisco, etc., affects your operating costs. Imagine kilowatts of power running over a period of years, so it's a significant cost factor. So, it's not just about the technical capacity but also the power consumption, which is a major discussion point.

How has it helped my organization?

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) simplified hybrid cloud integration. In the current environment, most customers have their applications and infrastructure running both in data centers and public clouds, like AWS and Azure. 

VCF brings the capability of having a private cloud solution on-premises that offers a similar experience to what hyperscalers' public clouds provide. This means everything is software-defined, whether it's compute, storage, network, etcetera. We can define a pool of resources and segregate those resources with a click of a mouse through software-defined business tools and policies.

What is most valuable?

VMware Cloud Foundation provides us with the vSphere dashboard through which we can manage, monitor, schedule, and spin up your virtual machines. We can manage, monitor, and get reports of your infrastructure.

It gives you a very beautiful display on the vSphere dashboard, which you can use to configure and generate reports. And, with the vSphere dashboard, you also have your monitoring tools integrated with them.

So, for example, if you have x number of servers running in your capacity, your monitoring tools, like Logic Monitor and SolarWinds, can also be integrated into the system to generate reports and ensure you're keeping a tab on the infrastructure capacity, health, and any potential issues that might come up in the customer's environment. 

So, the integration of the monitoring tools in the VMware vSphere dashboard itself is one of those features that customers like very much. 

Secondly, you can schedule certain VMs from the vSphere dashboard itself. 

Customers are quite interested in the capabilities within the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) layer that allow for spinning up and scheduling virtual machines in a customer's environment, essentially forming a private cloud. This scheduling capability enables us to power down non-critical, non-production virtual machines, which is a key aspect of managing a private cloud where your critical applications run. 

Unlike the constant operation of all virtual machines, the software-defined data center concept allows for cost optimization similar to what we see with hyperscalers like Azure, AWS, and GCP. 

With VMware VCF Services, customers can manage their VMs efficiently, ensuring cost optimization and benefiting from the private cloud's value in reducing spend and achieving faster time to market. It also supports interoperability among various monitoring tools a customer might have.

Moreover, VMware stands out in cloud computing by providing top-notch virtualization software and cloud foundation services. However, customers often inquire about 'as a service' model offerings from System Integrators (SIs) like us, where infrastructure is consumed on a pay-as-you-go basis, mimicking the billing model of public clouds. This is where vendors such as United Layer come into play.

Additionally, there are offerings from the likes of HPE and from Dell, like Dell Apex, which cater to specific needs in the cloud financial services sector. When preparing material for customers regarding their private cloud requirements, I consider offerings from OEM vendors and companies like Nutanix, which, despite being primarily a software company, partners with OEMs to tailor the foundation to specific hardware needs. They also offer their hypervisor layer, AHV (Acropolis Hypervisor), enhancing their position in the competitive infrastructure as a service (IaaS) market.

The competition is fierce in the on-premise private cloud foundation space, not to mention the public cloud sector, which often overshadows discussions about on-premise private cloud solutions. The market is filled with competitors vying to offer the most efficient, cost-effective solutions.

VMware remains a clear market leader due to its comprehensive portfolio and wide range of virtualization options. VMware has evolved to meet cloud migration needs, particularly for customers moving to AWS. 

VMware's collaboration with AWS allows for seamless rehosting of VMware virtual machines on AWS, requiring minimal customization.  

What needs improvement?

Cost is a big factor. Clients want a reduced price. Ease of use is definitely there – the VMware interface is user-friendly. But cost is a challenge when convincing clients, especially for large deals. They understand the value proposition of VMware's reliability, and they're willing to pay a premium for it as long as it's guaranteed in writing.

Clients signing multi-million dollar deals are primarily concerned with reliability. They're willing to pay a premium for a guaranteed level of reliability that's spelled out in the agreement. If they pay a significant amount and we can't convince them of the solution's reliability, then it won't be a successful implementation.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using it for the last ten years. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability a nine out of ten, with one being low stability and ten being high.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Enterprise-level businesses use VMware Cloud Foundation.

I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten. Scalability is the USP of VMware. It offers both horizontal scaling and vertical scaling. 

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

With VMware Solution, I work with VMware vCenter, VMware vSphere, and VMware Cloud Foundation services.  

VMware vSphere and VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) are among the key products I've worked with.

VMware products are key for virtualization and setting up on-premise private cloud infrastructure.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is pretty straightforward. While explaining the features to clients, I always emphasize how easy it is to use and manage.

Automated deployment, particularly through VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), significantly enhances operational efficiency.

Within this organization I'm working on, we've developed multiple automation scripts that help you deploy with a click of a button. For example, for OS hardening or to spin up a virtual machine. First, you need your code your scripts to spin up the VM. Then, you need the OS image, whether it's Windows or Linux. 

So we've developed a lot of scripts internally, from hardening the OS to spinning it up, attaching storage, and even taking snapshots of VMs. 

All these are automated features within VMware Cloud Foundation, and all happen with a click of a button. You just need the script ready, customize it based on customer requirements, and deploy an environment, create VMs, and set up an SDR facility between two availability zones to manage VMs in case of disaster or failover. The traffic on the primary VM should divert to the secondary, and once the primary recovers, it should fail back to the primary node.

So, VMware Cloud Foundation helps manage virtual machines in case of disasters or failovers. During a failover, traffic gets diverted from the primary virtual machine to the secondary one. Once the primary recovers, the traffic gets switched back. 

Most clients with critical applications aim for five nines of availability. That means minimal downtime – ideally less than five minutes per year. The clients might be interested in RPO (Recovery Point Objective) or a highly available disaster recovery scenario.  

In conclusion, VMware Cloud Foundation offers a lot of automation capabilities. We have pre-written scripts that our engineers use to automate tasks like provisioning VMs, scheduling deployments, and patching systems. It's all very user-friendly.

What other advice do I have?

I would definitely recommend using this solution. 

Overall, I will rate this solution a nine out of ten.