VMware and Amazon have announced a new partnership where VMware customers will be able to extend their Private Cloud environment onto Amazon worldwide network of Datacentres. Promoting a seamless integration and lifecycle operation creating a Hybrid Cloud environment.

This service will include all the enterprise tools you’re familiar with, including: vSphere, ESXi, VSAN and NSX. The hardware used by AWS is a closely guarded secret,  but will comply with VMware’s requirements in order to allow such an integration. VMware with AWS will bring the Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) stack to the AWS Cloud, delivered as an on-demand, subscription-based, elastically scalable offering. Some interesting use cases are: App Development, Testing, Disaster Recovery, Geo Expansion, Burst capacity and Data Center Migration.

VMware Cloud will run on the next-generation of ESX, it manages and operates the infrastructure of the VMware Cloud on AWS providing the full lifecycle of the product, being a Managed Service Provider for instance. Virtualisation administrators will have permissions on vCenter to perform administrative tasks.

At the moment AWS Cloud Global Infrastructure operates 35 Availability Zones within 13 geographic Regions around the world. With 12 more Availability Zones and 5 more Regions coming online throughout the next year.

At the moment of writing, VMworld 2016 Europe is happening in Barcelona until 20 of October 2016. Take a look at the breakout sessions: INF7849: VMware Cloud on AWS – a closer look and INF7711R: VMware Cloud on AWS. In this session VMware staff will dive a little deeper into the details of this forthcoming service.

The service is expected to be available in the mid-2017 time-frame, VMware haven’t yet confirmed if it will be available in all AWS regions. Customers will be able to choose from on-demand (hourly) or subscription-based (1 year, 3 year) options to consume this service. Customers will also be able to leverage their existing investments in VMware licences.

Customers will have to call VMware team for infrastructure lifecycle management, support, billing and account management services.

It will be interesting to see how Microsoft with Azure ExpressRoute/Stack will react to this step forward from VMware and AWS.

VMware Cloud on AWS – Overview

Are you looking to move forwards into the world of Hybrid Cloud using VMware? Reach out to us, we have a highly skilled and motivated team capable of providing you independent advice.

If you are interested in applying for the beta, please click here: http://learn.vmware.com/37941_REG

We’ll be delving deeper into the VMware and AWS relationship and what this means for the industry in a broader scale over the coming weeks.