1. Overview
1.1 Audience
1.2 Scope
1.3 Document Topics
2. vCloud Architecture
2.1 System Architecture
2.2 vCloud Suite Components
2.3 vCloud Infrastructure Logical Design
3. vCloud Management Architecture
3.1 Management Cluster
3.1.1 Component Sizing
3.2 Compute Layer
3.3 Network Layer
3.4 Storage Layer
3.5 vCenter Linked Mode
3.6 Cell Load Balancing
3.7 vCenter Operations Manager
4. Resource Group Architecture
4.1 Compute Resources
4.1.1 Stateless ESXi
4.2 Network Resources
4.2.1 I/O Controls
4.2.2 IPv6
4.2.3 Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN)
4.2.4 vCloud Networking and Security Edge
4.2.5 vCloud Networking and Security App
4.2.6 vSphere Endpoint
4.2.7 vCloud Networking and Data Security
4.3 Storage Resources
4.3.1 Storage Tiering
4.3.2 Storage vMotion
4.3.3 Storage I/O Control
4.3.4 vSphere Storage APIs – Array Integration
4.3.5 Storage DRS
4.3.5.1. Storage DRS and Fast Provisioning
4.3.5.2. Storage DRS Limitations
4.4 vCloud Resource Sizing
4.4.1 Public vCloud Sizing Example
4.4.2 vCloud Maximums
5. vCloud Resource Design
5.1 vCloud Director Constructs
5.2 Organizations
5.2.1 Administrative Organization
5.2.2 Standard Organizations
5.2.3 Policies
5.3 Provider Virtual Datacenter
5.3.1 Elastic Virtual Datacenter
5.4 Organization Virtual Datacenters
5.4.1 Allocation Models
5.4.1.1. Reservation Pool Model
5.4.1.2. Allocation Pool Model
5.4.1.3. Pay-As-You-Go Model
5.4.1.4. Mixed Allocation Models in a Provider Virtual Datacenter
5.4.2 Thin Provisioning
5.4.3 Fast Provisioning
5.4.4 vApp Placement
5.4.5 Public vCloud Considerations
5.4.6 Private vCloud Considerations
5.5 vCloud Networking
5.5.1 External Networks
5.5.2 Network Pools
5.5.2.1. vSphere Port Group-Backed Considerations
5.5.2.2. VXLAN-Backed Considerations
5.5.2.3. VLAN-Backed Considerations
5.5.2.4. vCloud Network Isolation-Backed Considerations
5.5.3 vCloud Networking and Security Edge Gateway
5.5.4 Organization Virtual Datacenter Networks
5.5.4.1. Direct
5.5.4.2. Routed
5.5.4.3. Isolated
5.5.5 vApp Networks
5.5.5.1. Direct
5.5.5.2. Fenced
5.5.5.3. Routed
5.5.5.4. Isolated
5.5.6 Static Routing
5.5.6.1. Organization Virtual Datacenter Network Use Cases
5.5.6.2. vApp Network Use Cases
5.5.7 Third-Party Distributed Switch Considerations
5.6 Networking – Public vCloud Example
5.6.1 External Networks
5.6.2 Network Pools
5.6.3 Organization Virtual Datacenter Networks
5.7 Networking – Private vCloud Example
5.7.1 External Networks
5.7.2 Network Pools
5.7.3 Organization Networks
5.8 vApp
5.8.1 General Design Considerations
5.8.1.1. Virtual Machine Hardware Version 9
5.8.2 Differences between vSphere and vCloud Director vApps
5.9 Snapshots
5.9.1 Snapshot Architecture
5.9.2 Snapshot Use Cases
5.9.2.1. Production Backups
5.9.2.2. Development and Test Environments
5.9.2.3. Third-Party Backup Integration
5.9.3 Design Considerations
5.9.3.1. Security
5.9.3.2. Storage
5.9.3.3. Performance
5.9.4 vCloud Director Snapshot Characteristics
5.10 Storage Independent of Virtual Machines
5.10.1 Independent Disk Architecture
5.10.2 Design Considerations
5.11 vApp Load balancing
5.11.1 Background
5.11.2 Load Balancing Architecture Options
5.11.3 vApp Load Balancing Examples
5.11.3.1. Example: External Hardware-Based Load Balancer Appliance
5.11.3.2. Example: Third-Party Virtual Appliance As a Load Balancer
5.11.3.3. Example: vCloud Networking and Security Edge as a Load balancer
5.11.4 Load Balancing Design Implications
6. vCloud Metering
6.1 vCenter Chargeback
6.1.1 vCenter Chargeback Manager
6.1.2 Data Collectors
6.1.3 User Roles
6.2 Maximums
6.3 Cost Calculation
6.3.1 Cost Models
6.3.2 Reporting
7. Orchestration and Extension
7.1 vCloud API
7.2 Cloud Provisioning with vFabric Application Director
7.2.1 Simplifying vApp Template Management
7.2.2 Simplifying vApp Template Management
7.2.3 Guest Customization and the vFabric Application Director Agent
7.2.4 vCloud Networks and vFabric Application Director
7.2.5 Building a Software Repository
7.2.6 Design Implications
7.3 vCloud Messages
7.3.1 Message publication
7.3.2 Routing
7.3.3 Extension
7.3.4 Design Considerations
7.4 vCenter Orchestrator
7.4.1 Design Considerations
7.4.2 Scalability
7.4.3 Workflow Design
7.4.4 Solution Guidelines
7.4.5 Orchestrator Client
7.4.6 vCloud Director Plug-in
7.5 vCenter Orchestrator Examples
7.5.1 vCloud Administration Orchestration Examples
7.5.2 Organization Administration Orchestration Examples
7.5.3 vCloud Consumer Operation Orchestration Examples
7.5.4 Using Orchestrator as a VCD extension
8. Multi-Site Considerations
8.1 Scenario #1 – Multi-Site Common User Interface
8.1.1 Considerations
8.1.2 Assumptions
8.1.3 Multi-Site Common User Interface Design Implications
8.1.3.1. Using Routed Organization Networks
8.1.3.2. Cloning From Site to Site
8.2 Scenario #2 – Multi-Site Common Set of Services
8.2.1 Recommended Deployment Approach
8.2.2 Other Multi-Site Considerations
8.2.3 Merging Chargeback Reports
8.2.4 Synchronizing Catalogs
9. Hybrid vCloud Considerations
9.1 vCloud Connector Considerations
9.1.1 vCloud Connector Placement
9.1.2 vCloud Connector Example Usage Scenarios
9.1.3 vCloud Connector Limitations
10. References
Appendix A: Availability Considerations
vCloud Director Cell Load Balancing
Appendix B: Security
Network Access Security
Two-Factor Authentication
Secure Certificates
Single Sign-On
Consumer SSO Architecture Example
vCloud Provider SSO Architecture Example
Single Sign-On Authentication Workflow
SSO and Authenticating with the vCloud API
Design Considerations
DMZ Considerations
Port Requirements
Appendix C: vCloud Suite Disaster Recovery
Using VXLAN to Simplify vCloud Disaster Recovery
Background
VXLAN for DR Architecture
Logical infrastructure
VXLAN for DR Design Implications
Appendix D: vCloud Director Upgrade Considerations
Background
Phase I Impact
Upgrade Considerations
Phase 1 Process
Pre-Upgrade Considerations
Pre-Upgrade Considerations
Upgrade Considerations
Post-Upgrade Considerations
Upgrade Advantages
VMware vCloud® Architecture Toolkit
Upgrade Advantages