VMware vCloud Director

Abiquo supports vCloud Director (vCD) as a private cloud provider using the public cloud interface. vCD is a self-contained cloud with an endpoint for access and an API to manage it, so although vCD can be a private or public cloud, it best fits the public cloud model in Abiquo, so we manage it as a public cloud.

Abiquo works with vCD organization virtual datacenters as Abiquo public cloud regions.

Abiquo supports vCloud API version 9.0.

For configuration and a list of features supported by Abiquo, see vCloud Director

Adding vCloud Director to Abiquo

You can create a public cloud region with administrator credentials or organization administrator credentials. If you use administrator (system) credentials, many organizations can use the same public cloud region, which can be associated with one organization virtual datacenter per tenant.

After you create the public cloud regions, allow the enterprises to use them. Tip: The Administrator can configure the UI to group regions by endpoint with the option to display providers.

Then edit the Abiquo enterprise, go to Credentials, select vCloud Director and enter the identity and credential of the organization administrator in order to work with the region.

Screenshot: Multiple enterprises can now work in the same public cloud region in vCloud Director

Administrators import templates

When searching for templates, select the private checkbox to retrieve templates from the enterprise's vCD organization and the public checkbox to retrieve templates from other organizations.

The platform can manage templates that have multiple disks, but it will display one disk only with the total size of all disks. The user can deploy multi-disk templates and create instances as usual.

Administrators can select hot-reconfigure options for their templates if the vCD operating system and template supports these options. They can also select the network driver, which by default is now VMXNET3.

Abiquo onboards and synchronizes VDCs and networks

Abiquo onboards and synchronizes the virtual datacenters and networks of a vCD organization.

Abiquo synchronizes the organization network as an external network for the Abiquo virtual datacenters.

Abiquo synchronizes the vCD virtual appliances as Abiquo virtual datacenters.

Screenshot: Selecting a vCD virtual appliance to onboard as an Abiquo virtual datacenter.   

Abiquo synchronizes a vCD virtual appliance network as a private network. Users can also manage private networks.

Screenshot: The user has created a private network in the VDC

Users onboard firewalls

The user can onboard Edge firewalls as Abiquo classic firewalls. In vCloud Director, classic firewalls can span vApps, so to access these firewalls in the platform, select All VDCs, then select the vCloud region.

The classic firewalls support TCP and UDP protocols, and with a source or destination that can be an IP, a range of IPs, or “any”. See Manage classic firewalls. 

The integration manages firewalls on private and external networks.

The integration does not support firewall policies assigned to VMs.

Users onboard and create load balancers

The user can onboard and create load balancer policies. In vCloud Director, load balancers can span vApps, so to access these load balancers in the platform, select All VDCs and then select the vCloud region.

The integration creates load balancers on external networks.

See vCloud Director load balancers table and Manage Load Balancers

Abiquo onboards VMs

When the platform onboards a virtual datacenter, it can onboard the VMs into a single Abiquo VApp or multiple VApps, depending on the configuration. 

The platform creates a placeholder template for the VM, but this template is unavailable, which means that the user cannot deploy the VM again from it. Before the user undeploys the VM, they should create an instance template to clone the VM disks. The platform will automatically assign the VM to the new template, and the user can then undeploy and redeploy the VM.   

Users deploy VMs

Users can deploy VMs using VM templates registered in the platform from the vCloud registry. In contrast to other public cloud providers that work with hardware profiles, vCloud Director works with CPU and RAM values. Administrators can activate Abiquo hardware profiles as in private cloud. When users create VMs, they can modify the CPU and RAM values, or select hardware profiles. 

Users can add IPs and select firewalls and load balancers for their VMs.

Abiquo creates VMs within an Abiquo virtual datacenter and Abiquo virtual appliance. 

Abiquo can provide internet access from private networks through an external network. 

Users can create Abiquo instance templates from VMs.