--- title: VMware Cloud on AWS FAQ url: https://www.vmware.com/solutions/partner-managed-services/vcf-solutions-for-aws/faq description: Rapidly migrate, extend, modernize, and protect your VMware environment to the AWS Cloud, the preferred hybrid cloud option for vSphere workloads. --- # VMware Cloud on AWS FAQ ## FAQ View common questions and answers about VMware Cloud on AWS. ### Frequently Asked Questions ## What is VMware Cloud on AWS? VMware Cloud™ on AWS brings VMware’s enterprise-class Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) products to the AWS Cloud with optimized access to AWS services. VMware Cloud on AWS integrates our compute, storage, and network virtualization products (VMware vSphere®, vSAN™, and VMware NSX™) along with VMware vCenter Server® management, optimized to run on dedicated, elastic, bare-metal AWS infrastructure. ## What do you mean by “SDDC?” Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) is a unified platform that integrates VMware’s compute, storage, and network virtualization technologies (vSphere, vSAN, and NSX) managed by dedicated VMware vCenter Server instances. A VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC runs optimally on next-generation elastic bare-metal AWS infrastructure. ## How can I purchase VMware Cloud on AWS service? VMware Cloud on AWS can be purchased from Broadcom Direct or from a Broadcom Advantage Reseller Partner. ## How is VMware Cloud on AWS priced? VMware Cloud on AWS is available as a 1-year and 3-year subscription. ## How will I be charged for VMware Cloud on AWS service? VMware Cloud on AWS is available as a 1-year and 3-year subscription and billed upfront for 1-year, and 3-year subscriptions, and monthly for any on-demand consumption. ## How can I plan and size a VMware Cloud on AWS Environment? You can use the [Sizing and Assessment](https://vmc.vmware.com/sizer/aws/quick-sizing/workload-based) Tool to size your VMware Cloud on AWS environment. You specify the compute, memory, storage capacity and IOPS of the workloads, and the tool provides a recommended configuration for your SDDCs. ## How is VMware Cloud on AWS deployed? VMware Cloud on AWS infrastructure runs on bare metal, dedicated, single-tenant hosts provided by AWS in a single account. Customers can choose from I3.metal (On-Demand only), I3en.metal, or I4i.metal instance types. Sizing recommendations and differences between the instance types can be found in our [feature brief on SDDC host types](https://vmc.techzone.vmware.com/resource/feature-brief-sddc-host-types). Each host can run many VMware Virtual Machines (tens to hundreds depending on their compute, memory, and storage requirements). vSphere clusters can range from a minimum of 2 hosts up to a maximum of 16 hosts per cluster. A single VMware vCenter Server is deployed per SDDC environment. ## How can I migrate workloads to VMware Cloud on AWS? There are numerous ways to migrate your workloads to VMware Cloud on AWS based on your requirements and environment configuration. You can use VMware HCX for complex migration projects or leverage vMotion between VMware vCenter Servers to migrate your workload live. ## What type of storage can I use with my SDDC on VMware Cloud on AWS? VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC uses VMware vSAN as a primary datastore. A single cluster-wide vSAN datastore is automatically configured for you when you deploy each vSphere cluster in your SDDC. In your first cluster, all management virtual machines are hosted on the vSAN datastore and cannot be moved. You can extend the storage capacity of a cluster by adding hosts or [using the external NFS datastore feature](https://blogs.vmware.com/cloud/2022/08/30/external-storage-within-vmware-cloud-on-aws/). ## Can I achieve zero RPO for my workloads without redesigning applications on VMware Cloud on AWS? Yes, you can leverage stretched clusters. Stretched clusters facilitate zero RPO infrastructure availability for applications. This enables you to failover workloads within clusters spanning two AWS Availability Zones (AZ). Stretched cluster relies on synchronous writes across two AWS AZs in a single vSphere cluster. This feature also extends workload logical networks to support vMotion between Availability Zones. In the case of an Availability Zone failure, vSphere HA will attempt to restart your VMs on the surviving Availability Zone. ## Can I benefit from the elastic resource capacity of AWS public cloud while running VMware Cloud on AWS? Elastic DRS (EDRS) is a feature that uses the resource management capabilities of VMware vSphere to analyze the load running in your SDDC to scale your vSphere clusters up or down. Using EDRS, you can enable VMware Cloud on AWS to manage your cluster sizes without manual intervention. ## How is networking configured on VMware Cloud on AWS? VMware Cloud on AWS leverages VMware NSX® for all networking operations. VMware NSX enables east-west communication within the SDDC and north-south communication to external destinations (AWS connected VPC, on-premises, Internet, etc.). ## What is the SLA for VMware Cloud on AWS? Please see [the published Service-Level Agreement (SLA)](https://www.vmware.com/docs/vmw-cloud-aws-service-level-agreement) for VMware Cloud on AWS. ## [What does VMware manage and operate, vs. what is the responsibility for customers?](https://www.vmware.com/docs/vmware-shared-responsibility-model-overview-vmware-cloud-on-aws) VMware is responsible for the SDDC software components, and the IaaS infrastructure resources. Customers are responsible for their applications and workloads running on the service. You can learn more from the [Shared Responsibility Model](https://www.vmware.com/docs/vmware-shared-responsibility-model-overview-vmware-cloud-on-aws) available on the VMware [Trust Center](https://www.broadcom.com/support/trust-center). ## [Can you describe the operation and support model for VMware Cloud on AWS?](https://www.vmware.com/docs/vmware-shared-responsibility-model-overview-vmware-cloud-on-aws) VMware provides a 24x7 command center that supports the service along with site reliability and engineering teams that are on-call supporting the service. Service operational readiness and live service operations and support are key activities for the service teams. VMware will actively monitor and maintain the SDDC components and IaaS infrastructure to ensure customers receive a high‐quality service experience. In addition, the SDDC lifecycle management will enable efficient and reliable operations at scale. ## [How does VMware protect customer data in VMware Cloud on AWS?](https://www.vmware.com/docs/vmware-shared-responsibility-model-overview-vmware-cloud-on-aws) VMware Cloud on AWS is designed with multiple layers of protection. The service inherits all of the physical and network protections of the AWS infrastructure. It adds dedicated compute and storage along with the security capabilities built into vSphere, vSAN, and NSX. All data transmitted between your customer site and the service can be encrypted via VPN. All data between the VMware Cloud on AWS service and your SDDCs is encrypted. Data at rest is encrypted. The VMware Cloud on AWS infrastructure is monitored and regularly tested for security vulnerabilities and hardened to enhance security. ## [Can workloads running in a VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC integrate with AWS services?](https://www.vmware.com/docs/vmware-shared-responsibility-model-overview-vmware-cloud-on-aws) Yes. VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC runs directly on AWS elastic bare metal infrastructure, which provides high bandwidth and low latency connectivity to AWS services deployed into connected VPC. Virtual machine workloads can access public API endpoints for AWS services such as AWS Lambda, Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS), Amazon S3, and Elastic Load Balancing, as well as private resources in the customer's Amazon VPCs, such as Amazon EC2, and data and analytics services such as Amazon RDS, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Kinesis, and Amazon Redshift. You can also now use Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) for fully managed file service to scale the file-based storage automatically to petabyte scale with high availability and durability across multiple availability zones and the newest generation of VPC Endpoints designed to access AWS services while keeping all the traffic within the AWS network. - [View All FAQS](https://vmc.techzone.vmware.com/vmware-cloud-aws-frequently-asked-questions) ## Ready to Get Started? - [CONTACT SALES](https://go-vmware.broadcom.com/contact-us) ## Also of Interest - [VMware Cloud on AWS Resources](https://www.vmware.com/solutions/partner-managed-services/vcf-solutions-for-aws/resources) - [VMware Cloud Service Providers | Partner-Managed Services](https://www.vmware.com/solutions/partner-managed-services) - [VMware Cloud on AWS | Deeply Integrated Hybrid Cloud Service](https://www.vmware.com/solutions/partner-managed-services/vcf-solutions-for-aws)