News

VMware Integrates Software-Defined-Data-Center Offering with Dell Technologies Hardware

• By David Ramel
• 05/01/2019

VMware Inc. announced a deal to integrate its software-defined data center (SDDC) platform with VxRail hyper-converged infrastructure from Dell Technologies, targeting on-premises datacenters and edge locations.

That integration resulted in "a new model for IT" in which the SDDC stack is delivered as-a-service, with the name VMware Cloud on Dell EMC.

The announcement at Dell Technologies World in Las Vegas coincides with a Dell partnership with Microsoft that brings VMware cloud infrastructure to the Azure cloud. Dell Technologies is a majority owner of VMware.

"We are still finalizing the exact hardware configuration, but broadly speaking it will include a half-rack or full-rack with three or more VxRail servers, two top-of-rack switches, two NSX SD-WAN by VeloCloud appliances, and an uninterruptible power supply," VMware said of VMware Cloud on Dell EMC.

The company characterized the new offering as the first solution emanating from Project Dimension, announced last year as a means to extend VMware Cloud's SDDC infrastructure and hardware as-a-service to on-premises locations.

VMware Cloud on Dell EMC will comprise VMware's compute, storage and networking infrastructure software running on Dell EMC VxRail hyperconverged infrastructure delivered as a service. The VMware software is powered by several software-defined offerings: vSphere ("server virtualization software and the heart of a modern SDDC"); vSAN (a storage offering described as "a core building block for the Software-Defined Data Center"); and NSX Data Center (delivering "virtualized networking and security entirely in software").

"Whether they're running infrastructure on-premises or in the cloud, organizations value a cloud operating model," said VMware exec Mark Lohmeyer. "VMware Cloud on Dell EMC will deliver that cloud experience to organizations that need to maintain data and applications on-premises -- completely transforming how they acquire, deploy and manage infrastructure. The service will provide consistent infrastructure and operations across cloud, data center and edge, freeing organizations to drive innovation and deliver business value while VMware operates the entire infrastructure end-to-end."

Currently in beta, VMware said the new offering is expected to debut in the second half of the year.