VMware Skyline
Radically Transforming Customer Support
At a Glance
VMware Skyline is an automated, proactive support technology that helps customers avoid problems before they occur and reduce time to resolution of active support requests. For customers, VMware Skyline can increase team productivity and overall reliability of VMware environments.
VMware Skyline Collector
Automatically and securely collect product usage data with VMware Skyline Collector. Environment-specific analytics based on configuration, feature, and performance data are executed against this data. The resulting information improves visibility into a customer’s environment, enabling richer, more informed interactions between customers and VMware Support.
VMware Skyline Advisor
Access Skyline proactive findings and recommendations with this browser-based, self-service portal. Customers can view the inventory of products that Skyline is collecting data from, proactive findings, recommendations and risk if no action is taken. The Upgrade Assist feature (coming soon) provides upgrade recommendations based on the VMware Compatibility Guide. Customers can segment Skyline data by region, lines of business, departments, etc. and manage user access permissions efficiently.
Premier Services customers have additional functionality available to them within Skyline Advisor, including the ability to access and download executive summary reports and access to more powerful findings and recommendations.
VMware Skyline Log Assist
Eliminates the time-consuming process of manually gathering and uploading log files that VMware Technical Support Engineers (TSEs) use to solve customers’ technical issues. Skyline Log Assist automates this manual process, which can take several hours or even days to complete. VMware TSEs will request the logs needed to assist with troubleshooting. The customer approves the request in Skyline Advisor and the requested logs are automatically uploaded to VMware Support. Likewise, customers can choose to proactively push log files to VMware Support via Skyline Advisor.
Key Benefits
- Identification of potential issues and guided resolution before problems occur.
- Reduced time-to-resolution for support requests.
- Optimized upload of log files, enabling time savings and faster case resolution.
- Overall improved stability of environment.
- Self-service, any-time access to proactive findings and recommendations.
- Assisted remediation guidance for Premier Services customers.
How It Works
VMware Skyline Collector & Skyline Advisor are available via VMware Cloud Services.
Customers with an active support subscription install the VMware Skyline Collector, a standalone appliance that automatically and securely collects product usage data, including configuration, feature, and performance data. The Collector then listens for changes, events and patterns, and Skyline analyzes the information using a robust rules engine. Customers access Skyline Advisor to review proactive findings, recommendations and upload logs via Log Assist. Premier Services customers receive additional guidance and review proactive recommendations on a regular cadence with their designated support team members to improve their environment’s reliability and stability.
Customers can rest assured knowing that we take privacy and security seriously; VMware Skyline is committed to a strong privacy program. Product usage data is transferred to VMware over an encrypted channel and stored in a secure, U.S.-based VMware repository, operated by VMware. Customers can review our privacy policy here.
Additional Information
Proactive Support with VMware Skyline is aligned with Global Services offerings and is available at no additional cost to customers who have an active Production Support or Premier Services contract. Premier Services customers will receive all the features and benefits available within VMware Skyline, in addition to the features and benefits Premier Services customer receive today, including direct access to senior-level engineers and a designated support team. Production Support customers will receive a subset of the features and benefits available within VMware Skyline.
- VMware Skyline is currently available in English to Premier Services customers and Production Support customers globally.
- Today, VMware Skyline provides increased visibility for VMware vSphere, VMware NSX, and VMware vSAN. Additional products will be added in the future.
- To start receiving automated, proactive support with VMware Skyline, visit https://skyline.vmware.com/get-started to download and register the Skyline Collector.
- You can find additional details about automated, proactive support with VMware Skyline in the Skyline Community here.