Welcome to VMware Explore, an event where innovation takes center stage, we gather here today, to a symphony of product updates that will redefine the landscape of virtualization and cloud solutions. What we present today are the building blocks of unparalleled agility, innovation, and efficiency. So, without further ado, let the unveiling of these remarkable product updates for VMware Tanzu and Aria begin, as we shape the future together.
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What’s New:
Tanzu Application Platform
Tanzu Application Platform 1.6 (link) achieves its goal of enhancing developer and platform engineering experiences, strengthening enterprise security, optimizing software supply chains, and beyond.
Enhancing the Developer Experience even more with:
– Tanzu Developer Portal: portal interface configurator tool (beta), ability to bring in 3rd party or custom plugins (beta)
– Spring Framework 6 native compilation
– Automated AppSSO config for app workloads
– Improved Container Image Registry interaction with Local Source Proxy
Enterprise Security at Scale!
– Bring your own scanner integration (beta)
– Triaging CVEs
– Secure by default server workloads
– Track & store SBOMs for every build
Software Supply Chain Streamlining
– Deployment configuration per environment for workloads (via Carvel package parameters) (beta)
– Produce automated builds based on upstream changes in the dependencies used by workloads
– Custom CA support for on-premises Git
Tanzu for Kubernetes Operations
In the realm of VMware Tanzu for Kubernetes Operations, a new level starts with the introduction of Tanzu Application Engine (Tech Preview). This addition amplifies multi-cloud support through Azure AKS cluster lifecycle management and introduces fresh visibility into Kubernetes FinOps, shedding light on cluster costs.
| Tanzu Application Engine | Any K8s, Any Cloud support | Kubernetes cost visibility |
| A new abstraction that includes workload placement, K8s runtime, data services, libraries, infra resources, with a set of policies and guardrails. | Support for the lifecycle management of Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) clusters is now available via Tanzu Mission Control | New visibility for cluster cost including attached, managed, and new (estimated) EKS/AKS clusters via Tanzu Mission Control. |
| Platform teams get: | Platform teams get: | Platform teams get: |
| • Separation of infra and app for easy management across clusters and clouds • Ability to provide simplified experience for developers with self-service templates • Reduced toil to deploy an app securely. | • Simplified access to any flavor of K8s they need • Reduced manual operational toil by using Tanzu as a centralized hub • Increased access to innovation from public cloud(s). | • Newly available data for informed decisions • Better cost control when scaling clusters up or down to meet demand • Improved budget planning to support an efficient and optimized platform. |
But what is Tanzu Application Engine?
Introducing a application-focused layer of abstraction, enabling applications to operate seamlessly across diverse multi-cloud environments while upholding consistent operational governance and compliance standards.
Tanzu Application Engine features:
Developers gain the autonomy to deploy enterprise-sanctioned application environments without the need for a formal request.
The process of provisioning application environments is automated, integrating predetermined enterprise prerequisites such as high availability, failover mechanisms, and secure communication protocols.
Additionally, space rescheduling is facilitated, ensuring non-disruptive updates to clusters.
This brings benefits like:
Developers concentrate on their applications within a pre-configured space that inherently integrates enterprise requirements.
This setup brings about standardization and automation benefits for platform engineers, while also addressing governance and compliance aspects for operations teams.
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Any K8s, Any Cloud support
Breaking down multi-cloud barriers, the extended cluster lifecycle management now encompasses Azure AKS, alongside Amazon EKS and Tanzu. This translates to comprehensive support for various Kubernetes instances in diverse cloud setups, embracing the “Any K8s, Any Cloud” ethos.
This expansion offers developers a broader spectrum of choices by accommodating the entire lifecycle management of AKS, EKS, and Tanzu clusters. This uniformity across multiple clusters amplifies the pace of DevOps operations and guarantees a consistent path for redeployment.
The capabilities extend further – from creating and updating to upgrading and deleting – Azure AKS, Amazon EKS, and Tanzu Kubernetes Grid clusters across numerous environments. Moreover, the flexibility to link any CNCF-compliant cluster running in any environment for policy management empowers users to tailor their setups according to their precise requirements.
VMware Tanzu Mission Control
Presenting a centralized nucleus for streamlined management of Kubernetes across multiple clouds and clusters. VMware Tanzu Mission Control is unveiling an innovative self-managed deployment choice tailored for air-gapped settings. This solution caters to regulated sectors, sovereign cloud infrastructures, and extensively distributed environments.
Data sovereignty Compliance
The introduction of a self-managed deployment choice provides regulated clients with the means to address data sovereignty requirements effectively. Platform teams are empowered with the flexibility to implement the solution within their isolated environments or collaborate with a Sovereign Cloud partner. This approach ensures adherence to data sovereignty regulations, particularly crucial for clients operating within the financial, healthcare, and government sectors.
Centralized K8s Management
Clients possess the flexibility to connect any pre-existing CNCF-compliant K8s clusters and carry out the complete lifecycle management of TKG Clusters.
For platform teams, this offers:
• Proficiency in overseeing extensively distributed setups like manufacturing and retail through a central hub.
• Capability to deploy and manage Kubernetes clusters even in scenarios with constrained network connectivity, such as local stores, plants, or clinics.
Data Protection capabilities
Introducing a solution built upon Velero, an open-source venture by VMware, catering to backup, restoration, cluster migration, and disaster recovery needs.
For platform teams, this entails:
• Minimal management demands, as Velero is an integral component of Tanzu Mission Control.
• Versatile backup options, ranging from complete to partial cluster backups, and offering a choice between CSI Snapshot and File System Backup.
• Infrastructure-agnostic application mobility alongside support for AWS S3 and Azure Blob storage.
VMware Tanzu Service Mesh
The experience of Platform Engineers and Developers receives a significant enhancement through new capabilities. Tanzu Service Mesh introduces a set of fresh features that elevate Istio lifecycle management, provide real-time security insights with contextual alerts, offer an improved application topology view, and facilitate one-click upgrades.
Enhanced Istio Lifecycle Management and Version Customization. Customers are now empowered to choose the most suitable Istio version during cluster onboarding.
• Different teams can opt for versions aligned with their unique needs.
• Selection ranges from the latest supported version to any previously supported versions.
Instantaneous Security Insights with Contextual Alerts. Cutting-edge real-time contextual alerts offer continuous insights into the security of multi-cloud applications.
• Define triggering events to receive alerts and acquire comprehensive understanding of application security and connectivity.
• When events are activated, alerts can be routed through channels such as PagerDuty, Slack, SMS, or generic webhooks.
Introducing Self-Service Integration for Global Namespace. The novel inclusion of self-service Global Namespace (GNS) functionality facilitates the onboarding of namespaces through label-based configuration, allowing developers and automated tools to seamlessly incorporate services in real-time.
• This approach significantly minimizes the likelihood of errors, leading to reduced deployment durations and offering stakeholders greater autonomy.
• The self-service integration not only fosters smoother scaling but also augments agility in service management.
Tanzu Application Service
VMware Tanzu Service Application 5.0 boosts engineering efficiency, expediting app delivery through an even more automated and robust application runtime, thus enhancing the overall process.
Enhanced Developer Experience for Expedited Shipping
• Enhanced integration with the TAS Developer Portal, featuring refined beta functionality
• Accelerated debugging through distributed tracing for platform components
• Minimized maintenance efforts, advancing the automation of certificate rotation processes
Enhancing Platform Engineering Cost Efficiency
• Optimized platform tools for streamlined Disaster Recovery workflows
• Revamped application metrics architecture reduces platform footprint, subsequently lowering infrastructure costs
Introducing Support for Oracle Cloud VMware Solution
• TAS expands its compatibility to include support for Oracle Object Storage via Oracle Cloud VMware Solution.
TAS Integrates with Developer Portal
Further Automation of the Certificate Rotation Process
Distributed Tracing for Platform Components
Swift Debugging for Customer Applications
• Support engineers seek a swifter method to interconnect data across various TAS components.
• Capability to swiftly identify the root cause and expedite debugging/troubleshooting.
• Integration of tracing across all TAS components bolsters accelerated debugging and troubleshooting endeavors.
• Customers can efficiently trace errors using tools such as Splunk and other log aggregation solutions.
Platform engineers will have new BOSH workflows that will allow them to bring the platform back online faster!
• Additional BOSH commands were added
“bosh create-recovery-plan”
“bosh recover”
VMware Application Catalog
The VMware Application Catalog stands as a repository of dependable, consistently updated, and rigorously tested open-source software images. These images are tailor-made to adhere to enterprise requirements and are securely delivered to the customer’s chosen registry.
Introducing a Security-Centric Subcatalog for Customer Empowerment
• Obtain open-source software artifacts with minimal CVEs
• Attain actionable insights into exploitable upstream vulnerabilities using VEX
• Seamlessly deploy and engage with open-source software in airgapped environments with a sense of assurance
• Access FIPS 140-2 compliant open-source software artifacts
• Customers can now purchase VMware Application Catalog subscriptions through custom AWS Marketplace Private Offers
Introducing a Security-Centric Subcatalog to Address OSS Compliance Challenges
Enhance Vulnerability Management and Compliance Stance
• Obtain actionable insights into upstream vulnerabilities through threat level assessments and effective remediation strategies
• Mitigate the presence and consequences of CVEs
• Elevate compliance posture through enhanced features
• Leverage Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange (VEX) advisories
• Utilize Photon OS as the foundational image
• Access artifacts compliant with FIPS standards
• Validate artifacts for airgapped environments
• Pioneering the incorporation of new security and compliance-oriented functionalities
VMware Data Solutions
From state-of-the-art resource management to advanced analytics capabilities for diverse data, VMware Greenplum 7 stands as a mature SQL-based Analytics platform. It equips businesses with the ability to effectively manage a wide range of workloads and efficiently manipulate extensive datasets, fostering optimal outcomes.
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The collaboration between VMware Greenplum and Samsung brings forth a dynamic partnership. The fusion of VMware Greenplum and Gen-5 Samsung NVMe* drives creates a potent synergy, delivering organizations a scalable and high-performance big data analytics platform.
Introducing the Beta of VMware RabbitMQ Managed Control Plane.
Empowering customers with newfound flexibility, the VMware RabbitMQ Managed Control Plane offers the capability to effortlessly deploy VMware RabbitMQ within their preferred public or private cloud*.
*This would be started with AWS integration, and would expand to other clouds in the coming months
Azure Spring Apps
Azure Spring Apps for Enterprises
Enhancements are on the horizon, promising improved experiences, cost-effectiveness, and swifter operations.
Unite the capabilities of the Azure ecosystem and Spring through integrated application lifecycle management within a fully managed service.
Empower Spring developers to direct their energy towards application development, unhindered by the need to master Kubernetes. Meanwhile, platform operators can eliminate the intricacies of infrastructure management, patching, and scalability concerns.
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Spring Solutions
Spring Solutions – Simplifying Upgrades, Migration, and Projects with Support, Education, and Consulting.
Don’t risk being unsupported. Spring Solutions brings together all the essentials to enhance your developers’ skills, modernize your environment, and create and manage applications using the Spring Framework and Spring Boot.
Introducing Spring Consulting
Our comprehensive consulting services for the Spring ecosystem are now Generally Available. Welcome Spring Consulting, our latest service offering that delivers extensive solutions for the Spring Ecosystem. Spring Consulting equips organizations with direct assistance from experts intricately connected to the Spring Framework. Upgrade an entire portfolio of apps to the latest Spring version, design and construct novel Spring apps, or seamlessly migrate your existing app collection to Spring.
Upgrade to the Latest Spring Version
Analyze your portfolio to identify necessary actions and the best starting point.
Leverage profound expertise and automated tools for flawless upgrades.
Foster a culture of ongoing enhancement, ensuring your focus remains on delivering fresh value.
Architect and Develop Spring Applications
Conduct discovery and framing to understand business challenges and requirements.
Collaboratively build and deploy apps within weeks, not months or years.
Establish a culture of continuous delivery and optimal Spring development practices.
Modernize Your Existing App Portfolio
Evaluate your environment, identify potential hurdles, and devise a clear roadmap.
Harness in-depth expertise and automated tools for seamless migrations.
Instill a culture of consistent improvement, aligning your focus with delivering novel value.
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