vCloud Infrastructure Management encompasses the vCloud Operations Control and vCloud Infrastructure Control layers of the vCloud Operations Framework. It is responsible for architecture, engineering, deploying, and operating the underlying vCloud infrastructure. In VMware terms, the underlying vCloud infrastructure is defined as VMware vCloud Director, its supporting components such as VMware vCloud Networking and Security and VMware vCenter Chargeback Manager, and VMware vSphere and the physical infrastructure.

Operating the vCloud infrastructure is defined by the vCloud Operations Control layer. This layer includes the functional operational areas most impacted by or impactful on vCloud. They are divided into the following categories:

The vCloud Operations Control layer is not restricted to just the vCloud infrastructure as it applies to vCloud service operations as well. This is discussed in section 5.3, vCloud Tenant Operations.

vCloud Infrastructure Operations benefits considerably by reorganizing. Traditional Infrastructure Operations consists of operational functional domains overlaying siloed infrastructure domains with very little cross-domain interaction unless required for a particular project or deployment. Infrastructure virtualization provided the most recent and compelling opportunity for the Infrastructure Management component of Infrastructure Operations to break from this traditional approach by creating a Center of Excellence.