Application Modernization Made Easy: vSphere with Tanzu, the Easiest Path Forward

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VMware Tanzu

Author: Jean-Claude (JC) Quirion, VMware & Hybrid Cloud Solutions Architect, CDW Canada

VMware recently released a version of vSphere called vSphere 7, which offers a way to bring containerized applications into vSphere natively. This new version incorporates containers and virtual machines (VMs) in the same interface and is a tool that greatly simplifies application portability, including migration either to the cloud or within the data centre. Now, VMware offers vSphere with Tanzu, which is game changing for users as it gives them the proverbial “easy button” for deploying new applications via container, increasing their agility and time to market compared to other traditional installer-based methods.

What is vSphere with Tanzu?

VMware, in this blog post, describes vSphere with Tanzu as a developer-ready infrastructure that delivers:

  • The fastest way to get started with Kubernetes: Configure an enterprise-grade Kubernetes infrastructure, leveraging your existing network and storage, in as little as one hour1. Additionally, it offers simple, fast and self-service provisioning of Tanzu Kubernetes Grid clusters in just a few minutes.
  • A seamless developer experience: IT administrators can provide developers with self-service access to Kubernetes namespaces and clusters, allowing them to integrate vSphere with Tanzu with their development process and CI/CD pipelines.
  • Kubernetes to the fingertips of millions of IT administrators: Kubernetes can be managed through the familiar environment and interface of vSphere. This allows vSphere administrators to leverage their existing tooling and skillsets to manage Kubernetes-based applications. Moreover, it provides vSphere administrators with the ability to easily grow their skillset in and around the Kubernetes ecosystem.
Image by VMware

The Benefit of vSphere with Tanzu for Administrators

One of the benefits of vSphere with Tanzu is that it uses the vCenter interface to provision the Kubernetes infrastructure, which means that vSphere administrators can manage it easily as they are already familiar with the interface and can manage the containers themselves. Within the vCenter interface containers appear as virtual machines.

Securing vSphere with Tanzu

Another benefit of vSphere with Tanzu using the same vCenter interface is that the same access management applies. Administrators can assign permissions at a granular level through role-based access control (RBAC). They can also control individual namespaces and clusters, such as how the applications run, to ensure they comply with existing security policies to help keep your environment secure.

Additionally, solutions such as Palo Alto Networks Prisma or Fortinet Fortigate-VM can also be deployed to support enhanced security policies with Tanzu using VMware NSX-T.

Protecting your Data

There are a few options when it comes to protecting your data with vSphere with Tanzu:

  1. Commvault supports vSphere with Tanzu natively through both their Backup & Recovery Data Protection Suite or their newer product, Metallic
  2. Veeam supports vSphere with Tanzu using their Kasten K10 product
  3. Dell supports vSphere with Tanzu with PowerProtect

What does it cost?

Since Tanzu is simply a plugin for vSphere Enterprise Plus, the incremental licensing cost is minimal once you take into account the lack of retooling and retraining of your team that would be required with other container orchestration platforms.

How can CDW helps you prepare for the future?

CDW’s professional services team can assist you every step of the way, from architecture through deployment, all the way to helping you design your own catalogue of applications. We can help your organization embrace and implement this new application deployment model, today. To learn more or to contact one of our experts, visit cdw.ca/solutions.

1Based on internal testing and expectations for a production environment, where appropriate networking settings are preconfigured for consumption.