Deploying your infrastructure

Before you begin

The IBM Cloud® console requires a unique log-in ID, which is an IBMid.

Because ordering IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions Dedicated creates an Overlay Network that is managed by VMware NSX, there are several prerequisites for a VMware SDDC.

Complete the following tasks before your initial provisioning. Additional information and detailed steps for these tasks can be found in Setting up your environment for your first order of IBM Cloud for VMware and Requirements for the IBM Cloud Classic Infrastructure account when you use IBM Cloud for VMware.

1. Create an IBM Cloud Classic Infrastructure API key. This task coordinates the infrastructure setup for the VMware SDDC (such as VLAN, Subnet, Bare Metal). If you request administrator access is requested, use the steps in Locating an IAM account administrator and verify/update your user permissions.

2. Convert your IBM Cloud account to use Virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) on IBM Cloud, using the steps described in Converting to virtual routing and forwarding.

   Enabling VRF permanently alters networking for your IBM Cloud account. Be sure that you have understood both the benefits and minor tradeoffs, which impact your account and resources. After you enable VRF, it cannot be disabled.

3. Enable the Cloud Service Endpoints (CSE) to provide a secure and unmetered connection to services on IBM Cloud from the IBM Cloud Classic Infrastructure private network. Follow the steps in enabling service endpoints.

   This is not the same as Virtual Private Endpoints (VPE), which is the upgraded equivalent functionality for IBM Cloud VPC Infrastructure environment; this has more benefits that include IAM access control, endpoint with IP in the Subnet Range of the VPC, and does not require Virtual routing and forwarding (VRF).

Provisioning your VMware Software-Defined Datacenter

The IBM Cloud® console requires a unique log-in ID, which is an IBMid. Use the following steps to order your IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions Dedicated. Additional information can be found under Ordering IBM Cloud for VMware Dedicated, vCenter Server instance and vSphere clusters.

1. Log in to the IBM Cloud console with your unique credentials.

2. Open the independent IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions console using either the shortcut in the Navigation menu or by using search to access using the IBM Cloud catalog.

3. The IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions console provides significant additional information and a wide range of options. To start provisioning for SAP, select IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions Dedicated which opens the order page.

4. The default solution type is vCenter Server.

5. The default deployment topology is Deployment in single-zone region. This option applies to SAP certification. Do not select Stretched cluster.

6. The default instance configuration is set to (New configuration). This option applies to SAP certification. Do not select on any of the other configurations.

7. Enter the instance name of the IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions Dedicated deployment (which shows in the IBM Cloud console)

8. Select a resource group within the IBM Cloud account

9. For NSX-V only: This is the initial cluster name of the clusters across the vSphere nodes. This option only applies to NSX-V and will be unavailable when NSX-T is selected in the following steps.

10. Select the VMware vSphere version (e.g. VMware vSphere 6.7u3). This option does impact which SAP-certified infrastructure is available.

11. Select NSX-T as the VMware NSX networking solution. This choice can be NSX-V, see note below about the differences in ordering when selecting NSX-V instead.

12. Select the instance type:

    • Click Primary instance to deploy a single instance in the environment.
    • Click Secondary instance if you have previously deployed a VMware SDDC within IBM Cloud, and are connecting to an existing (primary) instance that uses vCenter Platform Services Controller (PSC). This option requires the existing vCenter Server Administrator credentials._

13. Complete the license settings (supplied by IBM Cloud or BYOL) for the VMware software components. See more details on the detailed documention referred in the previous section.

14. For NSX-T only: Management cluster

    • Specify a name for the separated cluster
    • Specify a data center
    • Specify the server (CPU and RAM), which does not need to use SAP certified host servers because this cluster hosts only the VMware components and tools (such as vCenter Server, vRealize).
    • Specify the storage type. See more details on the detailed documention in the previous section.
    • Specify the Network Interfaces and networks to be provisioned (such as Private network only)
    • Specify the VLANs. This option allows you to reuse any existing VLANs within the IBM Cloud Classic Infrastructure environment

15. For NSX-T only: Workload cluster:

    • Specify a name for the cluster
    • Specify a data center
    • Click SAP-certified in the CPU Generation selection
    • Click either SAP NetWeaver or SAP HANA in the SAP-certified Intel servers selection
    • Specify the server profile. These profiles match those shown in VMware SDDC certified profiles for SAP HANA and profiles for SAP NetWeaver
    • Specify the amount of RAM for the profile
    • Specify the storage type by using the appropriate IBM Cloud File Storage for NFS mount points. For SAP HANA, the ocal disk option is a permitted configuration with RAID10.
    • Specify the network interfaces and networks to be provisioned, either Public and private network or Private network only
    • Specify the VLANs. This option allows reuse of any existing VLANs within the IBM Cloud Classic Infrastructure environment.

    For NSX-T: If the management cluster and the workload clusters are in the same location, you cannot use existing VLANs. Instead, the workload clusters reuse the VLANs from the management cluster.

16. If you want to order an edge services cluster with Juniper vSRX included, select the Edge services cluster checkbox and configure the appropriate settings: the cluster name, the RAM selection, and the private NICs enablement.

17. Complete the network interface settings.

    • Enter the hostname prefix for the instance that you are provisioning, the subdomain label, and the root domain name. For a secondary instance, the domain name is automatically completed.
    • Specify the DNS configuration, that uses a single or high-availability Windows Active Directory

18. Optional: There are multiple services available from IBM Cloud for VMware, these can be provided during provisioning or afterward. There is detailed documentation on all of these services in addition.

19. After all selections are made, review the Summary pane including the configuration and estimated price.

    • To save the settings as a new configuration template without placing an order, click Save configuration, enter a name for the configuration, and click Continue.
    • To save the updates to a saved configuration, click Save configuration, select Modify current configuration, and click Continue.

20. To place the order, ensure that the account to be charged is the correct account, review and accept the terms, and then click Create.

    • The deployment of the instance starts automatically and you receive confirmation that the order is being processed. You can check the deployment status, including any issues that might require your attention, by viewing the Deployment history section of the instance details.
    • When the instance is ready to use, the status of the instance is changed to Ready to use and you receive a notification by email.

If you change VMware components outside of the IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions console, the changes are not synchronized with the console or can cause instability. Read the detailed IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions documentation for more details. Also, see FAQ - Considerations about changing vCenter Server artifacts

Adding Network Storage

IBM Cloud File Storage for Classic is ordered during your provisioning, and you can add more storage after.

Refer to the following documents on adding or removing data stores attached to the VMware Cluster by using NFS:

• Adding NFS storage to vCenter Server instances
• Removing NFS storage from vCenter Server instances

More information on NFS for VMware is shown on the following documents:

• Attached storage performance - Attached storage infrastructure design of IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions Dedicated
• NFS storage - Storage Settings

To expand and contract the storage capacity and performanc of individual mount points, see the following documents:

• Expanding File Share Capacity - IBM Cloud Classic Infrastructure File Storage
• Adjusting IOPS - IBM Cloud Classic Infrastructure File Storage

Preparing your Operating System

Deploy VMware virtual machines by importing an OS Image file or OVA and creating a new virtual machine Template, similar to any other VMware SDDC. IBM Cloud is providing root-control access to your VMware SDDC, putting you in full control and therefore does not provide deployments of VMware VM's with Guest OS.

The installation of the operating system is based on the vendor's instructions, and uses your own operating system license.

The operating system that you choose must be certified for SAP and have access to the necessary operating system packages for SAP.