What is FinOps in VMware Cloud Foundation?

FinOps (Financial Operations) is all about helping IT teams and business leaders understand, control, and optimize cloud spending. VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) builds FinOps right into the platform, so cost management becomes a natural part of daily IT operations not just a concern for finance departments.

Cost Management Made Simple

 
VCF gives teams a clear view of how much their cloud costs, making it easy to track expenses across compute, storage, network, licenses, and support. There’s a central dashboard that shows usage, budgets, cost optimization opportunities, and ROI in one place—making cloud budgeting and cost analysis much more manageable.

Chargeback and Showback

Chargeback: VCF lets organizations bill teams or departments for exactly what they use. This makes cost allocation fair and transparent, supporting audits and helping teams take responsibility for their spending.

Showback: VCF can also report usage and costs without billing, helping different business units understand how much they're consuming. This drives awareness and accountability, encouraging everyone to use resources wisely.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Visibility
VCF provides deep insights into infrastructure costs, including hardware, software, labor, facilities, and services. That means organizations can see and manage the full financial impact of their cloud operations, making smarter decisions about modernization and scaling.

Cost Planning and Analysis
VCF tools allow users to estimate workload costs before they deploy, test “what-if” scenarios, and forecast the impact of scaling up or down. Cost analysis features help pinpoint where money is being spent, highlight optimization opportunities, and make smart choices about future investments.

Multi-Tenancy and Billing
With support for multiple tenants like departments or project teams, VCF offers detailed bills through automated, error-free generation and scheduling. Tenants get monthly, itemized bills that clarify charges and support dispute resolution or cost cutting.

Rate Cards and Flexible Pricing
Providers use rate cards to set standardized resource costs (CPU, memory, storage), ensuring fairness for both chargeback and billing. VCF collects usage data accurately for fair, customized pricing across different teams or regions.

Strategic Value
By embracing FinOps in VCF, businesses get clear financial transparency, powerful cost optimization, and the flexibility to innovate confidently. The end result is a smarter, more strategic cloud operation—every investment delivers measurable value for both business and IT outcomes

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What Makes VCF 9.0 Stand Out?

 

VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 is designed to help businesses get the speed and agility of the public cloud, with the control and cost efficiency that you expect from running things on-premises. It brings together servers, storage, and networking as software-powered resources, giving teams a single platform to run their virtual machines, containers, and even advanced AI workloads—all side by side. Developers now get self-service APIs so they don’t have to wait for ticket requests, and operators enjoy one unified set of tools for everything.

Major New Features

Unified Operations Console: All cloud management happens from one user-friendly interface. This means easier troubleshooting, faster onboarding, and consistent policy management everywhere.

Developer-Friendly Cloud Experience: Developers interact with just one endpoint for infrastructure as code, using tools like Terraform or REST APIs. No more juggling lots of extras—just build, deploy, and go.

Flexible Workload Support: VCF 9.0 runs virtual machines and containers side by side, with built-in tools for continuous integration and delivery. Apps can scale up or down across your private and hybrid cloud without needing major rework.

Sovereign Security & Compliance: VCF 9.0 introduces tags to track where data lives, automated certificate rotation, and strict policy controls. This makes meeting security and regulatory requirements much easier, no matter where your data resides.

Embedded Cost Controls: The new dashboards show how much resources cost, helping leaders manage budgets, set limits, and track usage with invoice-ready numbers.

More Highlights

Quick Start Deployment: Get up and running faster with built-in governance and automated setup—making cloud launches easy and compliant from day one.

Advanced Security: The vDefend system now lets teams set fine-grained security and firewall policies for specific application zones, keeping workloads safer than ever.

Stronger Performance: Technologies like memory tiering, improved vMotion, and global deduplication in vSAN drive greater efficiency and resilience for demanding workloads—even AI and machine learning.

Simplified Lifecycle Management: All cluster upgrades, patches, and configurations are organized for your whole cloud fleet, with minimal downtime and maximum consistency.

Multi-Tenancy Built-In: Now you can create isolated cloud zones (VPCs) for departments or customers, each with its own settings and policies. Great for businesses that want to keep things separate but under one big umbrella.

Why Upgrade?

In short, VCF 9.0 is designed to make private cloud easier, faster, and more securehelping businesses innovate without the usual headaches of complexity, cost surprises, or compliance worries. Whether you’re running traditional apps, cloud-native containers, or new AI services, this platform lets you do it all on a single, unified foundation

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What’s New in vSphere Kubernetes Service 3.3?

VMware vSphere Kubernetes Service 3.3, which used to be called VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid (TKG) Service, is now GA available. With this launch, you get the latest vSphere Kubernetes release 1.32, which is based on the newest version of Kubernetes. This update helps you keep your clusters modern, secure, and ready for the latest application features.

Key Features and Enhancements

Support for Kubernetes 1.32: Now you can deploy workload clusters using the most recent Kubernetes technology for better performance, stronger security, and compatibility with today’s software.

Enable OS FIPS Mode: Administrators can easily switch on FIPS mode at the operating system level, making sure only government-approved cryptography is used. This is important for meeting strict security rules, and it works for both Linux and Windows clusters. Note that Ubuntu clusters may need an Ubuntu Pro subscription for this feature.

Transition to Cluster API: VMware is moving from the old TanzuKubernetesCluster API to the new Cluster API, which offers better automation, easier cluster management, and supports future needs. Planning this transition soon is recommended, as the old API will be removed after June 2025.

Windows Integration with Active Directory: Windows nodes can now join an on-premises Active Directory and use Group Managed Service Accounts for safer sign-in. This is helpful for businesses that use Windows and want simple, secure identity management.

Cluster Autoscaler Improvements: Your clusters can now automatically scale up from zero nodes, or scale down to zero when not in use (starting with VKr 1.31.4 and later). This means you can save money by using resources only when you need them.

Upgrade Guardrails: New safety checks make sure upgrades go smoothly and prevent errors, especially when moving between versions that change important features or remove older ones.

Why Upgrade?

This new release makes your Kubernetes environments more secure, lets you save on costs by using only the resources you need, and helps your teams manage clusters more easily. It’s designed for businesses that want modern, efficient, and safe container workloads, without extra hassle.

I hope this has been informative and thank you for reading! 

Make Storage Simple with VMware vSAN and VMware Cloud Foundation

Are you tired of spending too much time and energy on managing complicated storage solutions? If you work in IT, you probably know how hard it can be to keep everything running smoothly especially when you have to use different systems and deal with lots of maintenance tasks every year. 

Many companies use traditional storage setups that can feel confusing and need dedicated experts just to install and look after them. This often means long hours trying to plan and set up storage, and sometimes you have to juggle several systems spread across different places. Sounds stressful, right?

Here’s the good news: VMware vSAN, a key part of VMware Cloud Foundation, is here to make things much easier. Instead of dealing with lots of separate systems, vSAN brings everything together, making it much simpler to handle your storage. It’s built right into VMware vSphere and VMware Cloud Foundation, so you don’t have to work on different systems for storage and virtual infrastructure. You can set up, expand, or update everything at once, saving time and effort.

With these VMware tools, your team can manage all the parts of your private cloud from one place. This means faster decisions and a more organized workflow. Plus, it doesn’t matter where your private cloud lives—whether it’s in the data center, at the edge, or in the public cloud—you can use the same setup everywhere. This helps make your work less complicated, keeps your security strong, and makes following the rules much easier.

How Does vSAN Help?

vSAN is built directly into VMware vSphere, so there’s no need for extra software or storage systems.

Data is safe, thanks to built-in protection features like encryption and automated backups.

You don’t need to be a storage expert: setup and ongoing management are fast and simple.

vSAN lets you start small and grow as you need, just by adding more storage or servers when ready

 

What is VMware Cloud Foundation?

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) is a complete platform that combines the core building blocks of a cloud: compute (servers), storage (like vSAN), and networking, all managed together with simple tools.

With VCF, you can run your business applications on your private data center, remote offices, or even in a public cloud. The system looks and feels the same everywhere, making it easy to move and manage workloads across different locations. 

Key Benefits

Unified management: Everything is handled in one place, saving time and removing confusion.

Built-in automation: Many tasks, like software upgrades and resource provisioning, happen automatically so there’s less routine work for IT teams.

Easy scalability: Need more resources? Just add more servers or storage and the platform grows with you.

Strong security and compliance: Consistent security settings are easier to maintain, no matter where your infrastructure lives 

So, if you’re ready to say goodbye to storage headaches, consider switching to VMware vSAN and VMware Cloud Foundation. It’s a smart way to make your IT life simpler! 

I hope this has been informative and thank you for reading!

vSphere 8 Security Configuration & Hardening

 

 

The VMware vSphere Security Configuration & Hardening Guide (SCG) has evolved significantly over the past fifteen years, remaining an essential resource for virtualization administrators committed to fortifying their infrastructure. With each new release of vSphere, the SCG adapts, integrating emerging security threats and best practices tailored for a modern landscape where virtualized environments are frequently targeted. This guide empowers administrators to adopt a proactive security stance by offering detailed recommendations that transcend basic hardening techniques, such as pausing unnecessary services and implementing secure configurations. 

In today’s dynamic hybrid cloud ecosystems, virtualization security requires more than just compliance; it ignites a culture of vigilance within organizations. By actively engaging with the SCG's frameworks for auditing and continuous monitoring, enterprises can ensure their configurations remain robust against continuously evolving vulnerabilities. Administrators can harness automation tools to simplify adherence to these guidelines while elevating their risk management strategies—turning what was once a mere compliance checklist into a vibrant part of their overall security posture. Embracing this holistic approach not only protects sensitive data but also instills confidence in stakeholders reliant on the secure performance of virtualized infrastructures.

Download the Latest Version

The Security Configuration & Hardening Guide for VMware vSphere 8 can be downloaded Vsphere 8 security configuration & Hardening guide.

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VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA

The VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA has officially crossed the threshold into general availability, marking a pivotal moment for enterprises eager to harness the power of AI while maintaining control over their data. The team behind this integration has unveiled two dynamic dashboards dedicated to GPU monitoring within VCF Operations. These dashboards not only enhance visibility into resource usage but also empower IT administrators with real-time insights, allowing them to optimize performance and preemptively address potential issues.

Additionally, a treasure trove of customizable PowerCLI scripts has emerged as part of this release, simplifying the setup process for users diving into VMware's powerful AI capabilities. These scripts serve as a flexible foundation that can be tailored to meet specific organizational needs, thereby accelerating deployment times and reducing time-to-value. With these advancements, the VMware Private AI Foundation is positioned as not just a solution but a robust framework designed to streamline operations and maximize efficiency in an increasingly competitive landscape.

we explore the new features in the VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA. This is an add-on product to the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF). The set of AI tools and platforms within that VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA platform are developed as part of an engineering collaboration between VMware and NVIDIA.

We describe the technical values that this new platform brings to data scientists and to the DevOps people who serve them, with the following outline

• Providing an improved experience for the data scientist in provisioning and managing their AI platforms using VCF tools
• Deep learning VM images as a building block for these data science environments
• Using a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) approach with NVIDIA’s Large Language Model (LLM) microservices
• Monitoring and your GPU consumption and availability from within the VCF platform

The outline architecture for VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA to see how the different layers are positioned within it with respect to each other. We will dig into many of these areas in this article and how they are used for implementing applications on VMware Private AI Foundation with NVIDIA.

The VMware Private AI Foundation powered by NVIDIA technology transforms the landscape for data scientists, making it not only easier to provision resources but also simplifying ongoing management tasks. By leveraging Aria Automation, the platform allows teams to focus more on modeling and inference rather than getting bogged down by infrastructure details. This abstraction means that the complexities of cloud or on-premises deployments are seamlessly managed behind the scenes, enabling data scientists to harness powerful tools without needing deep technical expertise in virtualization or orchestration. Using a set of pre-configured Deep Learning VM images as a starting point accelerates deployment time and ensures consistency across projects. This curated environment is designed with optimized performance in mind, allowing practitioners to dive straight into their work with minimal setup hassle. Furthermore, VMware’s approach fosters innovation, as data scientists can experiment freely—spinning up different solutions swiftly while remaining insulated from infrastructure constraints. The synergy between VMware and NVIDIA not only streamlines operational efficiency but also propels organizations forward in their AI endeavors by reducing friction and enhancing productivity at every stage of the workflow.

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VMware vSphere Foundation

VMware vSphere Foundation embodies the essence of robust infrastructure management, laying a powerful groundwork for businesses seeking to navigate the complexities of a rapidly evolving digital landscape. With its unparalleled stability and performance, VMware has long been a trusted provider of infrastructure solutions for businesses worldwide. This reliability not only streamlines operations, but also instils confidence that enterprises can pivot swiftly in response to changes — whether scaling up resources or adapting to new workloads.

vSphere's ability to seamlessly integrate with existing technologies, enhancing flexibility without forcing organizations into an uncomfortable technology overhaul. As businesses increasingly emphasize hybrid environments and seek multi-cloud strategies, the versatility offered by VMware solutions becomes indispensable. Moreover, vSphere's proactive resource management tools empower IT teams to optimize their infrastructures intelligently, ensuring that organizations are equipped with the necessary agility and resilience needed in today’s market dynamics. By leveraging such innovations, companies are not just maintaining business continuity; they are unlocking the potential for astonishing growth and transformation.

VMware vSphere Foundation offers an ideal transition path for those currently using vSphere Enterprise Plus, or vCloud Suite Standard. At the same time, customers with lighter requirements such as basic hardware consolidation or virtualization on a very small number of servers are still able to use vSphere Standard or vSphere Essentials Plus Kit.

VMware vSphere Foundation is a new integrated offering from VMware. However, to help understand the makeup of the solution, the following overview refers to the legacy components that went in to making it:

• vSphere Enterprise Plus
• vSphere ESXi
• Tanzu Kubernetes Grid
• vCenter Standard

• Aria Suite Standard
• Aria Operations
• Aria Operations for Logs
• Aria Suite Lifecycle

• vSAN Enterprise (100 GiB per CPU Core per host)
• Production Support

On top of vSphere Foundation, you can deploy a variety of use-case based add-ons, as follows:

• VMware Cloud Disaster Recovery
• VMware Ransomware Recovery
• VMware Site Recovery
• vSAN Enterprise (Expansion)
• VMware Load Balancer (NSX Advanced Load Balancer)
• Tanzu Mission Control

I hope this has been informative and thank you for reading!