VMware Previews Unified Hybrid Cloud Platform Updates

Written by Michael Cusanelli
August 31, 2015

VMware (VMW) unveiled a slew of new solutions for its unified hybrid cloud platform at VMworld this week that are designed to increase the security and reliability of cloud applications and help customers make the switch to a hybrid cloud infrastructure.

The new products are centered around the virtualization company’s unified hybrid cloud platform, which allows users to run and deliver cloud-based applications across private and public cloud deployments. The platform’s software-defined data center architecture also allows users to modify their individual apps and deployments based on personal needs, according to the company.

Several of the new features are centered around vCloud Air, which connects the data center and cloud together for resource sharing. Pulled from the press release, the new services include:

vCloud Air Disaster Recovery Services: Provides users with a single cloud-based orchestration console and cloud services to protect on-and-off-premises resources. This includes Disaster Recovery OnDemand services, which adds a pay-as-you-go model to vCloud Air Disaster Recovery, as well as VMware Site Recovery Manager Air, which provides vCloud Air Disaster Recovery customers with a management solution for testing, executing and running centralized business continuity and disaster recovery plans.
vCloud Air Object Storage: Portfolio of scalable storage services for unstructured data powered by Google Cloud Platform and based on Google Cloud Storage. The solution is expected to help users reduce the need for data protection with built-in redundancy.
vCloud Air SQL: A database-as-a-service offering that allows users to access scalable, cloud-hosted relational databases via a pay-as-you-go model to extend on-premise databases to the cloud. Support for Microsoft SQL Server is included.

VMware also announced new features for its software-defined data center portfolio, including:

VMware NSX 6.2: The latest version of VMware’s application continuity solution now includes closer integration with physical infrastructure and the addition of TraceFlow and Central CLI for operation and visibility simplification.
vRealize Operations Suite 6.1: Allows users to establish a management framework for organizations looking to transition from the private cloud to the hybrid cloud and software-defined data center. vRealize Operations Suite 6.1 also includes an Intelligent Workload Placement capability that recommends the best placement location for specific IT and business needs.
Virtual SAN 6.1: Provides increased data protection options for business-critical environments, and includes a Stretched Cluster feature and vSphere replication with a five-minute recovery point objective.
vRealize Log Insight 3: The latest version allows users to double the scale and performance to 15,000 messages per second and adds additional fault tolerance around clustering. Analytics improvements and improved integration with vRealize Operations will also come standard.
VMware Integrated OpenStack 2: Includes a seamless upgrade capability that will allow users to address previous deployment and operational issues with OpenStack clouds, as well as enhancements for load balancing as a service and more.
Site Recovery Manager 6.1: Works with NSX 6.2 to allow IT to use network virtualization to simplify disaster recovery management and accelerate recovery in the SDDC.
vSphere APIs for IO Filtering: New vSphere APIs for IO Filtering allow ecosystem partners to offer third-party software-based data services that are fully integrated with vSphere and managed through vSphere Storage Policy-Based Management.