Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the use of networked infrastructure software and capacity to provide resources to users in an on-demand environment. Sometimes known as utility computing, clouds provide a set of typically virtualized computers which can provide users with the ability to start and stop servers or use compute cycles only when needed, often paying only upon usage.

VMware vCloud is a common set of cloud computing services for businesses and service providers – with support for any application or OS and the ability to choose where applications live, on or off premise. The core components of the vCloud are the ecosystem of VMware Ready vClouds delivered by industry leading service providers, broad set of applications delivered as Virtual Appliances and vApps on a foundation of VMware technologies including  VMware vSphere and the vCloud API.

vCloud is important to Enterprise customers as it enables them to leverage the industry leading service providers, software vendors and advanced VMware technology, to build internal clouds and seamlessly deploy test labs, disaster recovery or simple flex capacity off premise, to the cloud, as needed.

For SMBs, vCloud delivers peace of mind in knowing the services they get from hosting/service providers for disaster recovery, test and dev or just simple infrastructure on demand will be reliable and flexible.

A core component of the vCloud is the broad vCloud partner ecosystem and the VMware Ready vClouds they bring to the market but there is more.  There are key technology components that enable service providers, applications and enterprise IT to work together.  They will include the vCloud API which is part of every VMware Ready vCloud, VMware Ready Virtual Appliances, VMware Ready vApps and the VMware Infrastructure.

1. Traditional service providers looking to offer more “cloud” like services
2. New Cloud Computing providers
3. Software Developers

Various terms (such as cloud computing, elastic computing, grid computing, mesh computing) are used to describe the ability to tap into internet based resources that can be accessed on demand to perform computing tasks.

On-premise clouds are a new trend VMware is seeing within enterprises.  As businesses begin seeing the opportunity to leverage resource pools and simplified provisioning to centralize computing power to better service distributed business units, they also realize the challenges of billing and SLAs required to achieve these goals. The cloud has been defined in many ways, but VMware views the cloud as an elastic, self-provisioning, billable on a usage basis, way to acquire computing needs. This can be internal (on-premise) or external ( hosted off site ).  Unlike the cloud, a hosted solution usually means there’s a fixed rate to pay, like by month or by number of servers, as well as the inability to scale infrastructure on an as needed basis.  Normally hosted services imply that a fixed set of computer resources are made available.

Partners are listed on www.vmware.com/go/vcloud-partners

There are three main things that differentiate a VMware Ready vCloud from other solutions:

1. VMware vCloud common set of cloud computing services makes it possible to move your applications seamlessly from your datacenter into the VMware VCloud ecosystem and back.
2. VMware vCloud common set of cloud computing services enables the largest set of applications to be deployed to internal and external with the lowest cost.
3. VMware vCloud is partner based. VMware vCloud partner ecosystem includes more than 100 service providers including Savvis, British Telecom, Verizon and others.

VMware Virtual Datacenter OS defines a category that will be a new class of technology that provides a reliable, extensible and manageable cloud infrastructure.

1. Runs any application cost effectively and predictably in a shared, on-premise or off-premise infrastructure cloud.
2. Aggregates industry standard x86 systems, storage and network into unified logical resource pools to provide the highest reliability and the lowest cost way of running applications.
3. Allows users to automatically manage applications to pre-defined SLAs by providing built in availability, security and performance assurance for all applications

VMware vSphere as well as VMware Infrastructure 3.

Yes.  The VM’s you are using today can be used in any VMware based cloud setup internally or a VMware Ready vCloud provided via a service provider partner.

Internal VMware based vClouds will inherit the same security currently enjoyed by your VMware Infrastructure or VMware vSphere.  For vClouds provided by the vCloud partner ecosystem VMware will denote service providers that meet certain standards for security, scale and production readiness with the VMware Ready vCloud moniker to assist in finding the right service provider for you.

There will be various ways to move applications to the vCloud depending on the nature of the service being provided.  Examples will include the following over time:

• Command line interface
• Infrastructure as a service offerings that require nothing but a web browser
• VMware Orchestrator
• VMware vCenter Server

Yes.  VMware customers will have the ability to integrate VMware Ready vClouds provided by industry leading service providers directly into their VMware vCenter Server management console thus enabling management of on-premise clouds and remote clouds from one interface.

Yes.  The cloud computing platform of services that are common across all vCloud found both in your datacenter or via 3rd parties enable applications to be migrated with minimal impact.  VMware provides a broad array of containers to facilitate cloud computing including virtual machines, VMware Ready Virtual Appliances and soon to be available vApps.

VMware encapsulates the OS of your choice within the virtual machine and isolates it from the hardware, users can take the OS and the application within that virtual machine and deploy it on any hardware.  That in combination with the broad ecosystem of VMware Ready vClouds that support all different operating systems enable a choice of OS.

Many of our vCloud providers offer virtual appliances.  Virtual appliances enable applications built for virtual environments to be deployed on-premise or in the cloud. VMware offers over 800 virtual appliances in our Virtual Appliance Marketplace. Additionally, many SaaS providers like Workstream (HR) and others deliver their SaaS solutions on a VI3 platform, ensuring the highest performance and reliability.

Neither. It is a set of enabling technologies including VMware vSphere, the vCloud API and additional cloud computing services yet to be announced that are brought to end customers both via internal clouds built on VMware and the vCloud service provider ecosystem.

No.  The datacenter being built in Wenatchee WA is for the purposes of internal VMware IT.

VMware is in the process of consolidating IT and engineering assets to support our rapidly growing employee base. We will consolidate from six down to two data centers. The Wenatchee datacenter, currently under construction, will house a majority of these assets which include thousands of servers supporting engineering, test, and development for VMware vCenter Lifecycle Manager, VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager, VMware ESX, VMware vCenter Server, and general IT applications. We have no plans to use this datacenter to launch managed services.

You should become a VMware TAP Member (Technology Alliance Program) if you haven’t already. Once that is complete you will receive further information.

The beauty of vCloud is that you can take a current software application written in multiple programming languages (Java, C, C++) and running on different OSes (Windows, Solaris, LINUX) and run it on a virtual machine (VM). This can then be run at a data center, corporate cloud or a cloud based service provider in one of three modes :

1. Application running within a VM
2. Virtual Appliance
3. vApp

By enabling ISVs to easily develop applications that can be readily installed in various operating environments, with ease since it can be pre-configured and easily packaged.

Yes. Virtual appliances are promoted in our Virtual Appliance Marketplace (VAM) and other marketing avenues.

At this time there are no certification requirements, but this may change with time.

Deploy your application within a VM and host multiple instances of it with a service provider in different VMs. This way each of your customers will be able to access their own instance of the application without you having to recode it. This is also referred to as a Multi-tenanted application.

Yes. VMware will shortly be publishing online a directory of service providers along with the services and capabilities they offer.

The VSPP is a vCloud partner program designed for the unique needs of the hosting community.  It enables VMware to engage more effectively with hosting companies and service providers.  VMware vCloud computing solutions will allow VSPPs to:

• Leverage industry-leading virtualization solutions with proven reliability, broad application coverage and unique mobility features
• Expand revenue streams with new business continuity and automation offerings, such as disaster recovery and high availability
• Bring enterprise-ready cloud services to market with tools and solutions that allow you to target the extensive VMware customer base
• More effectively utilize hardware resources to deliver the services your customers need, at a price they can afford, while meeting strict SLAs.

The VMware Service Provider Program is created for IT companies providing Hosted IT services to End User Companies.  Hosted IT services include:  Web Services, File, Mail, Database, Application, Transaction, Disaster Recovery, Co-location, and other Managed Services.

There is no program fee

• Not for Resale licenses
• Demonstration SW (VMs)
• Unique Service Provider Branding
• Invitation to Partner Conference/VMworld
• PartnerCentral access with content specific to hosting/service providers
• Partner Profile and directory listing
• VMware Partner Newsletter
• Technical Support incidents
• Training Discounts (regional)
• Right-to-Rent (training required)
• Volume Rental Program (training required)

• Complete the on-line application and click thru agreement
• Verified Service Provider Business Model  (see above under program eligibility)
• Training to be eligible for:
  • Right to Rent (1 VCP and 1 VSP)
  • Volume Rental Program (2 VCPs)

We are accepting new applications online starting 09/17/08.  Complete on-line application and click thru agreement at www.vmware.com/go/vspp

VMware’s standard EULA does not allow for products to be used in hosted environments.  ESXi and VMware Server are not in the VSPP rental portfolio so cannot be used to host client environments.

ESXi is not part of the rental portfolio (see above) so cannot be used in hosting.  Also, ESXi is targeted at first time virtualization users, not large production environments that need central management and for that reason the Virtual Infrastructure Management API’s are limited to read only calls.  Therefore it would not be possible to implement your own centralized management solution on top of multiple ESXi instances.

The vCloud API is an interface for providing and consuming virtual resources in the cloud. It enables deploying and managing virtualized workloads in internal and external clouds as well as interoperability between clouds.
The vCloud API enables the upload, download, instantiation, deployment and operation of vApps, networks and Virtual Datacenters.

These are virtual L2 networks in the cloud that enable flexible model for establishing connectivity between vApps in the cloud and connecting them to external networks outside the cloud.

A virtual Datacenter (vDC) is a new construct in the VMware vocabulary that contains storage, networking and compute capacity in which vApps are deployed.

vApps are software solutions optimized for the cloud, consisting of one or more virtual machines, packaged and maintained as a single entity in OVF format. Just like the UPC bar code contains all information about a product, the vApp gives application owners a standard way to describe operational policies for an application which VMware vSphere (cloud OS) can automatically interpret and execute. Therefore, vApps are self-describing to and self-managing on the platform they run.
Learn more about vApps

Open Virtualization Format (OVF) is a platform independent, efficient, extensible, and open packaging and distribution format for virtual machines. OVF enables efficient, flexible, and secure distribution of software, facilitating the mobility of virtual machines and giving customers vendor and platform independence. Customers can deploy an OVF formatted vApp on the virtualization platform or cloud of choice.
Learn more about OVF

This is the alpha version (0.8) – Technology Preview - of the API

No.

Not at this time.

The vCloud API is an open, RESTful API. It is a standards-based, platform independent, pure virtual API compatible with a broad and diverse range of applications.

It is very common for a compute cloud to have programmatic control.  In working with customers a common request was to use REST. Representational State Transfer (REST) is an architectural style characteristic of programs that rely on the inherent properties of hypermedia and HTTP to create and modify the state of an object that is accessible at a URL.

The API does not expose any aspect of the physical infrastructure (servers, storage, networks) or how the physical infrastructure is virtualized. In a cloud service only virtual forms of the infrastructure can be exposed through the API. The pure virtual nature of the API also helps make the API simple to use and implement.

For a cloud service to be multi-tenant, both its API and its implementation must support multi-tenancy. The pure virtual nature of the vCloud API enables it to be multi-tenant. Each cloud customer, or tenant, can only see its own set of virtual resources while having no means to address the shared underlying physical resources. This kind of isolation between tenants is analogous to the isolation between processes in a conventional OS achieved through the use of  virtual memory: each process sees a continuous memory address space for its own use, but cannot directly address the underlying physical memory or the virtual memory of another process. Just like the virtual memory sub-system of a conventional OS in cooperation with its platform APIs works to achieve isolation between processes, in the same manner the cloud service implementation together with the vCloud API can support multi-tenancy.

VMware vSphere aggregates industry standard devices, storage and networking systems into unified logical resource pools to provide the highest level of reliability with the lowest cost of running applications. Such resource pools are managed by vCenter Server. The VMware implementation of the vCloud API spans multiple vCenter Servers to provide available virtual resources. This offers improved scalability needed  a cloud service.

Yes, it is possible for implementers to add links to new features and functions as well as extend the request and response schemas for defined API functions.

No, the vCloud API is not an extension, replacement or a subset of the vSphere/VIM API. The VIM API remains unchanged. The two APIs serve different roles. While the VIM API focuses on providing programmatic control for the creation and configuration of virtual resources based on physical resources, the vCloud API is focused on the use of these virtual resources while completely hiding the underlying physical resources. In other words, while the VIM API is a virtualization API, the vCloud API is a pure-virtual API. The two do not mix: each represents a different plane of abstraction onto which subject entities are projected.

At VMWorld 2009, VMware released the API as a Technology Preview. The API Programming Guide, API Specification and schema definition files are available for download from the vCloud API Developer Community site. These documents will enable developers to write code to the API specification.

VMware is working towards releasing the API in beta form.  We will inform interested developers and IT Admins as we approach our beta availability. We look forward to receiving your feedback. Share your thoughts and comments.

If you are interested in participating in the vCloud beta and wish to be informed on updates from our end, please sign up.

The vCloud API is targeted towards developers and IT Admins across our service provider, ISV and enterprise customer community.

• Pure virtual nature makes it very easy to use and implement
• Supports the industry standard OVF 1.0 format.
• It is designed to support existing customers as well as enterprise still running applications on physical hardware to move their legacy applications into the cloud.
• Developing an application to the vCloud API, makes it compatible with a large number of VMware-based internal clouds or external service provider clouds broad application compatibility and choice of SPs (no lock in)

As part of their external cloud offerings, Service Providers can build “Infrastructure as a Service” portals with a standard, consistent programmatic interface. They can also use existing portals to orchestrate cloud functions through the API.

ISVs can extend their existing software to make use of cloud services that present the vCloud API or build entirely new applications that make use of the API.

The vCloud API enables enterprises to build internal clouds based on the VMware technology stack. They can extend their workflow automation and provisioning to make use of vCloud services that implement the vCloud API.

The vCloud API Specification and schema definition files are being released under a permissive (MIT like) license. Developers and service providers are free to make use of the API under a royalty free license that allows for extension.  For specific details on the license terms please reference the specification document itself.

Services like Terremark vCloud Express and Hosting.com vCloud Express use the vCloud API to enable robust access to cloud resources in an interoperable fashion.  vCloud Express is a new class of pay-as-you-go, on-demand “Infrastructure as a Service” offerings which has launched at VMworld 2009.

• Read the vCloud Express FAQ.
• Try vCloud Express services

vCloud Express is a class of service that offers the ability to provision infrastructure on-demand, via credit card, and pay for use by the hour.  Users employ the vCloud API to access and manage vCloud Express services in a compatible, interoperable manner across both internal and external clouds.   As a VMware Virtualized ™ service, it ensures compatibility with other VMware environments both internally and with external services.

No. It is a class of service that is VMware Virtualized using VMware vSphere, and delivered by VMware’s ecosystem of service provider partners.

There are five Service Provider Partners with active vCloud Express services as of September 1, 2009.  In North America, this includes Terremark, Hosting.com and Bluelock.  Melbourne IT will offer it in the Asia/Pacific region and Logica will be offering it in Europe. 
More information and access to the vCloud Express offerings from the above providers can be found at www.vmware.com/vcloudexpress.

Yes, VMware is working with additional VMware Virtualization service providers to deliver vCloud Express.

• Self-Service Portal
• vCloud API
• Web-based Signup/Activation
• Utility Pricing
• Credit Card Billing
• Interoperability Across Service Providers

Many VMware customers are interested in quick, easy access to VMware Virtualized infrastructure for prototyping and development from external third party providers.  With vCloud Express, our customers get on-demand, pay-as-you-use infrastructure that is compatible with their existing VMware-based IT environment and provides a non-disruptive path to migrate from development to deployment.

By using vCloud Express for short-term computing requirements, users can increase flexibility and time to market and reduce capex and resource challenges associated with trying to address the fluctuating infrastructure needs of development, staging, and production teams.  By leveraging the VMware platform, the vCloud Express service retains the robustness, interoperability and reliability that VMware is known for while delivering the easy access and cost-effectiveness of a transactional service model.

Unlike other on-demand cloud solutions, vCloud Express is compatible with the vast majority of virtualized IT environments, providing the interoperability to seamlessly transition from the external developer cloud to internal production or to enterprise-class VMware virtualized external services. In addition, developers have the choice of choosing from many vCloud Express services, depending on their existing relationships, location and requirements.

vCloud Express will be available as a beta service on September 1, 2009 from vCloud Express service provider partners.  Refer to the VMware vCloud Express page for future updates on this service:  www.vmware.com/vcloudexpress.

The vCloud Express service price is set by each Service Provider to be competitive in the market.

Key audiences include development and IT professionals, ISVs, SMBs, and enterprises who want “IT on demand”, i.e., easy access to service for development and testing new applications, or to “experiment” with the cloud experience.  vCloud Express is particularly attractive to existing VMware users because it is compatible with their existing IT environments.

Additionally, for businesses such as SMBs and start-ups that don’t want to invest heavily in on-premise IT, vCloud Express offers an easy, low-cost option to IT services that is agile and flexible to accommodate business growth.

The VMware vCloud Initiative brings together the ecosystem, technology and applications to deliver best-in-class, reliable, interoperable cloud computing solutions.  With the vCloud Express service, VMware is expanding the spectrum of VMware Virtualized cloud services to include development as well as enterprise-class production environments.  And with a number of leading service providers delivering the vCloud Express, this new class of service aligns with a key tenet of the vCloud Initiative, which is to offer our customers the choice of deploying cloud solutions where they want, when they want, to best suit their needs.

The vCloud API is an open, RESTful, pure virtual API supporting multi-tenancy. It is standards-based and platform independent, making it compatible with a diverse range of applications.   This API provides an interface for consuming and managing virtual resources from the cloud, enabling the deployment and management of virtualized applications in both internal and external clouds, as well as enabling interoperability between clouds.
For vCloud Express customers, the vCloud API is available as a way to make use of their infrastructure purchased in the cloud.

Yes.  Terremark, Hosting.com and BlueLock will be showcasing this new class of service in the vCloud Pavilion adjacent to the VMware exhibit booth at the Expo. Terremark and Hosting.com will also be demonstrating in their exhibit booths at the VMworld Expo.