VMware : What’s New With vRealize Automation – October 2021

This month we're announcing the release of new features focused on VMware Cloud Director integration, new SaltStack Config modules, ABX backed Custom Resources, and a Kubernetes workspace in Code Stream, to name a few. This blog provides technical highlights from the vRA 8.5.1 and 8.6 releases with many links to detailed blogs. Let's dive in!

VMware Cloud Director support

A new Cloud Account is available that allows integration with Cloud Director. Virtual Data Centers, networks, VM sizing and storage policies, images, VMs and disks are supported within vRA. Also common day-2 actions such as, Power operations, snapshots, and disk management are available from the vRA side. Deployments are designed via the typical process in Cloud Templates using cloud agnostic objects. Day-2, deployments and lifecycle can be managed directly in vRA or within VCD.

SaltStack Config SDDC modules for vSphere, VMC, and NSX

We are introducing new SaltStack SDDC modules through our Open Source Project. These modules will focus on vSphere, VMware Cloud on AWS, and NSX. Capabilities include numerous day-0 and day-2 scenarios, including creating an SDDC, viewing VMC security rules, configuring an NSX-T manager, configuring a vSphere cluster, and much more. The modules are available on GitHub and can be used by all Salt and SaltStack Config customers.

Check out the blog for more details:
Introducing SaltStack SDDC Modules

Custom Resources with ABX Actions

You can now create Custom Resources based on ABX extensibility actions with lifecycle operations and day-2 context actions. Previously we were limited to the existing vRO inventory when using a Custom Resource. As a result, a new plugin or dynamic type was required to accommodate new resource types. The new feature allows create, read, update, and destroy lifecycle actions, as well as day-2 actions, by leveraging easily created ABX actions.

Check out the blog for more details:
Custom Resources - ABX Backed - A Data Management Tanzu Use Case

Kubernetes as a Code Stream Workspace

A workspace in Code Stream represents a sandbox environment which allows a pipeline to execute Continuous Integration tasks. Previous versions allowed a Docker-based workspace to be used. With this feature a user can select a Kubernetes endpoint instead and execute a pipeline on Kubernetes versus a Docker endpoint.

Check out the blog for more details:
Using Kubernetes Workspaces with Code Stream

Dynamic vRO inputs in Cloud Templates

With this release, you can leverage dynamic inputs in native vRA Cloud Templates. Simply set an external source for an input, add an existing action, and enable the vRO workflow based dynamic values in the Cloud Template. This new feature allows you to easily add powerful dynamic inputs to the deployment experience.

Check out the blog for more details:
vRealize Automation Property Groups Enhancements

IPAM settings on the Cloud Template

IPAM settings, including gateway addresses, domain, DNS and DNS search domain, are now configurable on the Cloud Template. The configurations are set on Cloud Template as part of the machine schema as NIC properties. This feature is available for vSphere machine types when static IP assignment is used.

Resource quota policy for day-2 changes

The resource quota policy is now applied for deployments when day-2 changes occur to CPU, memory, or storage, including resize actions initiated against a deployment. Resource usage is updated following a change and applied against a configured quota at a Project or Org level.

vSphere networks now included with onboarding plan

Workload onboarding now supports vSphere networks attached to deployments. Previously only IP information, and IP allocation/de-allocation was available for vSphere networks after an onboard. With the new release, vSphere networks are visible on the deployment canvas, following onboarding, and configurations can be adjusted day-2.

Project Supervisor role available for Projects and Approval policy

A new role has been added for Projects, called Project Supervisor. The new role is meant to streamline the approval process. Previously, individual non-admin users needed to be applied to an approval policy. Now Project Supervisors can approve deployments when the role is configured in the policy.

Change Network settings for the vRA appliance

You now have the ability to change the IP address of a vRA appliance. This need commonly arises in disaster recovery scenarios, particularly with Site Recovery Manager. As a result, we now support recovery to a remote location without the need to use stretched networks.

Wrap up

We are continuing to expand what vRA brings to the table each month. Keep an eye out for additional deeper dive blogs on features we've released recently. I'll be back with a look at our November features in a few short weeks!