We’re glad to announce the overall availability of VMware Cloud Supplier Lifecycle Supervisor (VCPLCM) model 1.6 as of nineteenth October, 2023.
With VCPLCM, we intention to scale back the complexities and simplify the operational efforts of administration and upkeep of VMware merchandise for our Cloud Supplier Companions. 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 method is to automate these course of to rule out human errors and reduce upkeep downtimes.
We have now been increasing the assist for extra merchandise all through our model releases and have continually added options that profit our companions.
In our earlier model (VCPLCM 1.5), we introduced the auto registration of Utilization Meter and Interop Reporting together with enhancements round job execution. On this launch we deliver you some nice additions with the primary concentrate on:
- Enhancing the Consumer Expertise
- Increasing product and upkeep assist
Allow us to briefly see what these are earlier than we delve deeper into every of those additional within the weblog.
Enhanced Consumer Expertise:
To begin, the brand new model permits extra controls for the person. We have now launched the brand new “Administration” choice that helps Suppliers to securely delegate and management upkeep and administration operations to the respective personas every with separate login credentials.
One other 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.
Prolonged Product Help:
Customers can now register NSX Superior Load Balancer on VCPLCM and combine it with VMware Cloud Director and Utilization Meter.
The addition on the Information Backup and Restoration entrance a protracted waited ask, is now obtainable. Customers can now again up information and guarantee efficient restoration of the VCPLCM equipment in whole minimizing information loss in case of system failures or course of disasters.
Subsequent, we’ve launched a ‘upkeep mode’ swap for product elements. It is a vital introduction as many instances, when upgrading, merchandise must 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 upkeep mode’ in order that customers know the standing of the product / element.
Let’s now discover these options intimately:
Improved person expertise
We have now enhanced the Consumer Interface, and considerably simplified operations like deployment and registration of an current product.
Fig 1 – New UI for Product registrations
We have now additionally launched an choice the place customers can view the prevailing binaries within the repository from UI and deploy/improve merchandise accordingly.
There isn’t a must login by way of ssh to the equipment and examine the binaries.
Fig 1.1 – view product binary repository via UI
Function-based entry administration
Function-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 – Consumer administration aircraft
Fig 1.3 – Outline function based mostly permission
Day-2 Operations: Upkeep mode for VMware Cloud Director
Customers can now allow/disable the upkeep mode of VCD cells.
That 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 – Upkeep mode
Backup and restore VCPLCM
This has been a long-awaited function and we’ve acquired many requests concerning 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 offer whereas taking the backup.
Beneath are the elements that may be restored utilizing the backup file.
- Deployed/Registered Merchandise
- Registered Infrastructure elements
- Current Duties and Logs.
- Authentication sources, roles and customers
- Vault content material (secrets and techniques similar to passwords and personal keys)
- Certificates and keys for the VCP LCM equipment
Nevertheless, the product binaries inside /cplemrepo of the equipment gained’t be backed up and one has to manually backup these recordsdata.
Fig 1.5 – Backup & Restore
Fig 1.6 – Safe backup
Fig 1.7 – Safe restore
Registration of NSXALB with VCD and Utilization Meter
Now you can register NSX ALB as an infrastructure element and combine it with VMware Cloud Director and Utilization Meter. This integration might be completed whereas deploying VMware Cloud Director and Utilization Meter.
Fig 1.8 – Registering NSX ALB
API Enhancements
Beneath are the important thing API Enhancements
- VCPLCM REST API has been up to date with model 4.
- Model 1, 2 and three of API are nonetheless accessible, however it is suggested to make use of model 4.
- Extra API operations for restarting, resuming, and rolling again duties.
- Extra API operation to retrieve the request payload of a job, generate an interop report, and archive/learn notifications.
- CLI and GUI are utilizing v4. Nevertheless, 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 might 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 data on product and sources, go to our VMware Cloud Supplier Lifecycle Supervisor Product web page. You can even discuss with the Launch Notes for extra particulars on the discharge. For extra data on the product and operation procedures go to the Product Documentation web page.
We have now revealed the VMware Cloud Supplier Lifecycle Supervisor arms on labs for a first-hand expertise of the product. Don’t forget to Strive Our Palms on Labs.
