VMware Cloud on AWS: optimized for next generation hybrid cloud

Many organizations are going to move local applications to the cloud, but believe that this will require expensive new tools, specialists and processes.

VMware Cloud on AWS is a fully integrated hybrid solution that leverages existing VMware technologies and processes, as well as the flexible and secure functionality of Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform.

If your organization runs VMware vSphere-based cloud infrastructure in your on-premises data center, but you have been reluctant to migrate applications to the cloud for fear of losing some VMware vSphere-based cloud capabilities, VMware Cloud on AWS solves this problem by seamlessly integrating your familiar VMware virtualization and cloud management tools with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Many organizations believe that moving their applications to the cloud makes it necessary to introduce new tools, skills, and processes. This can present a new set of challenges because learning to use new tools, applying new skills, and adapting to new processes can be costly and time-consuming. 
In this article, we dive deeper into how these challenges can hinder hybrid cloud adoption. And also, we will cover how VMware Cloud on AWS can help your organization overcome these challenges.

Lack of Workload Portability

In many cases, organizations are reluctant to migrate to the cloud because of uncertainty surrounding workload/application portability and compatibility. There is also uncertainty about whether to move all or some workloads to the cloud. This leaves many organizations desiring a hybrid environment that will enable them to run their applications seamlessly both on-premises and on the cloud. However, this often raises concerns over the complexity of implementing this capability successfully. 

Incongruent Networks and Operational Inconsistency

Networking capabilities are an important, fundamental component of a hybrid cloud environment. Connecting an on-premises data center to the cloud often means moving workloads across networks that are incongruent. These incongruent networks often lead to operational inconsistency between the on-premises data center and the cloud environment which can sometimes force organizations to adopt a complex and costly strategy to optimize cloud performance.  

Multiple Virtual Machine Formats

Many times, an organization’s on-premises environment will use a different virtual machine format and/or hypervisor than the cloud environment they are moving to. Because most companies prefer to continue leveraging their investments in the VMs they have built, this is a common barrier to cloud adoption. If your organization would like to move a workload from one location to another—from an on-premises data center to the cloud, for example—you will often have to deal with a machine conversion issue, and this is typically not a seamless process. 

What is VMware Cloud on AWS?

VMware Cloud on AWS makes it seamless for organizations to bring their VMware Software Defined Data Center (SDDC)-based workloads to AWS, delivered as an on-demand service. VMware Cloud on AWS delivers best-in-class hybrid cloud capabilities by integrating the leading private cloud provider, VMware, with the AWS global infrastructure and breadth and depth of services. With VMware Cloud on AWS, you can run VMware’s compute, storage, and network virtualization solutions directly on the cloud without giving up any of the functionality, elasticity, or security you’ve come to expect from AWS. VMware Cloud on AWS provides enterprise-class application performance, reliability, availability, and security by optimizing VMware cloud infrastructure technologies to run on AWS without nested virtualization. 

This enables you to run production business critical applications across VMware vSpherebased hybrid cloud environments, with full access to native AWS services and the AWS global infrastructure. Sold, delivered, and supported by VMware as a service, VMware Cloud on AWS can be consumed on an hourly, on-demand basis or through a subscription. 

VMware Cloud on AWS enables IT teams to manage their cloud-based resources with familiar VMware compute, storage, and network virtualization products (VMware vSphere, VMware vSAN, and VMware NSX), along with VMware vCenter Server management, eliminating the hassles and overhead of learning new skills or adopting new processes. With the same architecture and operational experience both on-premises and in the public cloud, your organization can now quickly derive instant business value from use of the AWS and VMware hybrid cloud experience.