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VMware Cloud on AWS Outposts In Beta

by Adam Armstrong

Today during AWS re:Invent 2019, VMware announced that VMware Cloud on AWS Outposts is in beta. The beta program will be open to a select set of customers in the US region. Key used cases highlighted by VMware include local cloud use, data center modernization, and flexible capacity. 


Today during AWS re:Invent 2019, VMware announced that VMware Cloud on AWS Outposts is in beta. The beta program will be open to a select set of customers in the US region. Key used cases highlighted by VMware include local cloud use, data center modernization, and flexible capacity. 

As we said when AWS rolled out their Outposts, AWS Outposts bring native AWS services, infrastructure, and operating models to virtually any data center, co-location space, or on-premises facility, all with lower latency. As a bonus the solution is fully managed by AWS, and the physical infrastructure is delivered and installed by AWS. This means that users don’t have to worry about updates or patches as AWS operates and monitors its Outposts, saving on downtime and maintenance.

The new VMware Cloud on AWS Outposts will bring a fully VMware-managed offering that will provide a simple, secure, and scalable infrastructure to customers’ on-prem data centers. Powered by VMware Cloud Foundation, VMware Cloud on AWS Outposts integrates VMware’s enterprise-class Software-Defined Data Center software that includes vSphere, vSAN, NSX along with vCenter Management, to run on next-generation, dedicated, elastic Amazon EC2 bare-metal Outposts infrastructure, delivered on-premises with optimized access to local and regional AWS services. Customers get the speed, agility, and consumption model of the cloud but get to keep everything on-prem for more control. 

Key capabilities include:

  • An operationally consistent and familiar way to run, manage and better secure applications in a hybrid cloud environment that will integrate with their existing on-premises vSphere-based environments seamlessly.
  • Delivered on AWS Nitro-based EC2 instances along with vSphere capabilities such as High availability, vMotion, DRS, auto remediation etc. to target on-premises use cases. E.g., use cases and workloads such as low latency data services, high frequency data platforms, large volume and high-speed manufacturing platforms, and traditional databases etc.
  • Maximum storage utilization with the combination of vSAN and AWS physical storage
  • The ability to use familiar VMware tools and skillsets to manage vSphere environments across hybrid cloud, without having to rewrite applications or modify operating model.
  • Support for a variety of ecosystem ISV partner solutions across a range of categories
  • Automated VMware SDDC software patches, updates and upgrades and central AWS hardware monitoring- AWS will provide a proactive support and upgrades for any hardware related issues recognized proactively from their side
  • VMware as the single point of primary contact for support needs, supplemented by AWS for hardware shipping, installation and configuration

AWS Outposts

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