Getting Started with Data Services Manager 2.0 – Part 10: Consumption Operator

One of the common asks we get from customers on Data Services Manager (DSM) 2.0 is the following: “I already run Kubernetes. Is it possible to create databases from my existing Kubernetes clusters using DSM?”. The answer is Yes. We provide a piece of software called the DSM Consumption Operator. This installs on your local Kubernetes (K8s) cluster and allows admins or developers to request the creation of databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL). On receipt of this request, DSM provisions its own K8s cluster, and then provisions the database on top. Your admins or developers can then connect to the database and…

Kubernetes for vSphere Admins – part of the June 2023 VMware User Group Global Virtual Event series

This session was selected by the VMware User Group (VMUG) for their Global Virtual Event which was held on June 27, 2023. As part of the session, some of the fundamentals of Kubernetes (K8s) are discussed. The talk then moves onto areas where vSphere Administrators can begin to onboard with Kubernetes, particularly when K8s control plane and worker nodes are deployed as a set of virtual machines on top of vSphere infrastructure. The two areas which are discussed in significant detail are the external Load Balancers and the vSphere CSI driver. The talk examines the options for different Load Balancers…

vSphere with Tanzu – new TKG 2.0 ClusterClass Preview

One of the key features of the TKG 2.0 on vSphere 8 announcement at VMware Explore 2022 is the consolidation of our the Tanzu Kubernetes offerings into a single unified Kubernetes runtime. This can be considered the second edition of VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid. It will still come in two flavors.  One flavor is as a VM-based standalone management cluster whilst the other flavor will be Supervisor-based, integrated into vSphere with Tanzu. However, the important point is that both flavors now have the same APIs for cluster provisioning, same tooling for extension management, and the same model for release distribution.…

vSphere with Tanzu – Secure TKC login with Pinniped Preview

Following on from last week’s preview of multi-AZ in vSphere with Tanzu available in vSphere 8.0, I now turn my attention to another great feature. In this post, I will preview the new Pinniped integration to provide an easy and secure login to Tanzu Kubernetes clusters. I’ve discussed Pinniped a number of times on this site, but those previous posts relate to standalone TKG clusters (often referred to as TKGm). However, with vSphere 8.0, vSphere with Tanzu also has Pinniped integration. In a nutshell, vSphere Administrators can now federate an external Identity Provider (IDP) with the Supervisor cluster. This means…

vSphere with Tanzu – Multi-Zone Preview

One of the most interesting announcements for me at VMware Explore 2022 was around the introduction of vSphere Zones. This feature, when it becomes available with vSphere 8.0, enables vSphere with Tanzu deployments to be rolled out across geographically dispersed vSphere clusters placed in separate racks in a single physical datacenter, as per the release notes. This provides an extra level of availability that wasn’t previously possible. This extra availability is not just for the Supervisor Cluster, but also for the Tanzu Kubernetes clusters deployed by the TKG service. And indeed, it provides additional availability to the applications running on…

Catch me at a VMUG in October

It is a long time since I wrote a post like this. However, I am thrilled to announce that I am back presenting at the VMware User Group conferences again this autumn. In October, I have been invited to speak at no fewer than four VMUG meetings around Europe. Without further ado, this is where you can hear me talk about some of our recent VMware Explore 2022 announcements regarding vSphere 8.0 and vSAN 8.0, vSphere+ and vSAN+, as well as Kubernetes on vSphere, and my thoughts around the vSphere Administrators journey towards managing Kubernetes platforms. I am delighted to…

NSX ALB v22.1.1 – New Setup Steps

Many readers with an interest in Kubernetes, and particularly Tanzu, will be well aware that there is no embedded Load Balancer service provider available in vSphere. Instead, the Load Balancer service needs to be provided through an external source. VMware supports a number of different mechanisms to provide such a service for Tanzu. One of the more popular providers is the NSX Advanced Load Balancer, formerly Avi Vantage. In the most recent release, version 22.1.1, some of the setup steps have changed significantly. In this post, I will highlight the setup of the new NSX ALB. Important: NSX ALB v22.1.1…