We are completely happy to announce the overall availability of VMware Cloud Provider Lifecycle Manager (VCPLCM) model 1.6 as of nineteenth October, 2023.
With VCPLCM, we purpose to cut back the complexities and simplify the operational efforts of administration and upkeep of VMware merchandise for our Cloud Provider Partners. Our focus has been to dump as a lot efforts of our companions on redundant duties like upgrading, product administration and day-2 operations. Our strategy is to automate these course of to rule out human errors and reduce upkeep downtimes.
We have been increasing the assist for added merchandise all through our model releases and have consistently added options that profit our companions.
In our earlier model (VCPLCM 1.5), we introduced the auto registration of Usage Meter and Interop Reporting together with enhancements round job execution. In this launch we carry you some nice additions with the principle concentrate on:
- Enhancing the User Experience
- Expanding product and upkeep assist
Let us briefly see what these are earlier than we delve deeper into every of those additional within the weblog.
Enhanced User Experience:
To begin, the brand new model permits extra controls for the consumer. We have launched the brand new “Administration” possibility that helps Providers to securely delegate and management upkeep and administration operations to the respective personas every with separate login credentials.
Another large change is the introduction of the brand new UI for product registration – making it easier and straight ahead to deploy or register new merchandise on VCPLCM.
Extended Product Support:
Users can now register NSX Advanced Load Balancer on VCPLCM and combine it with VMware Cloud Director and Usage Meter.
The addition on the Data Backup and Recovery entrance a protracted waited ask, is now obtainable. Users can now again up information and guarantee efficient restoration of the VCPLCM equipment in complete minimizing information loss in case of system failures or course of disasters.
Next, we’ve got launched a ‘maintenance mode’ swap for product parts. This is a major introduction as many instances, when upgrading, merchandise have to be restarted, stopped or labored on for numerous causes, say a patch replace on a node. The node can be unavailable in these conditions with out the operators discover. This swap would mark nodes as ‘ in maintenance mode’ in order that customers know the standing of the product / element.
Let’s now discover these options intimately:
Improved consumer expertise
We have enhanced the User Interface, and considerably simplified operations like deployment and registration of an present product.
Fig 1 – New UI for Product registrations
We have additionally launched an possibility the place customers can view the prevailing binaries within the repository from UI and deploy/improve merchandise accordingly.
There isn’t any have to login through ssh to the equipment and verify the binaries.
Fig 1.1 – view product binary repository via UI
Role-based entry administration
Role-based entry has been launched with model 1.6, customers can now carry out the next:
- Configuration of exterior authentication sources (LDAP/AD)
- Definition and project of roles with permissions for various operations
- Login with totally different customers and duties assigned to requesting customers.
Fig 1.2 – User administration aircraft
Fig 1.3 – Define function based mostly permission
Day-2 Operations: Maintenance mode for VMware Cloud Director
Users can now allow/disable the upkeep mode of VCD cells.
This is helpful when performing any patching or upkeep exercise on VCD cells and to have a seamless operation. With this superior UI, one can uncover the state of every VCD cell from the VCPLCM portal itself.
Fig 1.4 – Maintenance mode
Backup and restore VCPLCM
This has been a long-awaited function and we’ve got obtained many requests relating to the backup and restore function of the VCPLCM equipment.
Now customers can backup and restore VCPLCM home equipment of the identical model and the backup file is password protected which customers have to supply whereas taking the backup.
Below are the parts that may be restored utilizing the backup file.
- Deployed/Registered Products
- Registered Infrastructure parts
- Recent Tasks and Logs.
- Authentication sources, roles and customers
- Vault content material (secrets and techniques akin to passwords and personal keys)
- Certificates and keys for the VCP LCM equipment
However, the product binaries inside /cplemrepo of the equipment received’t be backed up and one has to manually backup these information.
Fig 1.5 – Backup & Restore
Fig 1.6 – Secure backup
Fig 1.7 – Secure restore
Registration of NSXALB with VCD and Usage Meter
You can now register NSX ALB as an infrastructure element and combine it with VMware Cloud Director and Usage Meter. This integration could be performed whereas deploying VMware Cloud Director and Usage Meter.
Fig 1.8 – Registering NSX ALB
API Enhancements
Below are the important thing API Enhancements
- VCPLCM REST API has been up to date with model 4.
- Version 1, 2 and three of API are nonetheless accessible, however it’s endorsed to make use of model 4.
- Additional API operations for restarting, resuming, and rolling again duties.
- Additional API operation to retrieve the request payload of a job, generate an interop report, and archive/learn notifications.
- CLI and GUI are utilizing v4. However, CLI has an choice to work with older API variations as nicely (must be particularly specified).
- An up to date Postman assortment with corresponding pattern payloads for each API variations could be accessed right here.
We hope this was useful to you. And, please be at liberty to contact us on our VCPLCM neighborhood slack channel. Or write to us in case you are not a member already. For extra info on product and assets, go to our VMware Cloud Provider Lifecycle Manager Product web page. You may seek advice from the Release Notes for extra particulars on the discharge. For extra info on the product and operation procedures go to the Product Documentation web page.
We have printed the VMware Cloud Provider Lifecycle Manager palms on labs for a first-hand expertise of the product. Do not neglect to Try Our Hands on Labs.