General FAQ about VCF for Classic

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the VMware Cloud Foundation for Classic offering.

What user accounts do I need?

IBMid account. This account is required to access the IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions console. The console is a stand-alone user interface that is separate from the IBM Cloud infrastructure customer portal. For more information, see Accessing the VMware Solutions console.
IBM Cloud account. This account is required for provisioning. You can sign up for an IBM Cloud account by using an existing IBMid or by creating a new IBMid.
IBM Cloud infrastructure account. This account is used to log in to the IBM Cloud infrastructure customer portal that provides some additional function to manage infrastructure products and services. You can get an IBM Cloud infrastructure account by upgrading your IBM Cloud account to a billable account, or by linking your existing IBM Cloud infrastructure account with your IBM Cloud account. The IBM Cloud infrastructure account that you are using must meet certain requirements. For more information, see Signing up for required accounts.

How do I associate my IBM Cloud infrastructure credentials with the VMware Solutions console?

When you order your instance for the first time, follow the instructions on the Settings page in the console. These instructions help you locate and copy the IBM Cloud infrastructure username and API key from the IBM Cloud infrastructure customer portal. The IBM Cloud infrastructure credentials are stored in the IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions console after the first order. Future orders automatically use the stored credentials.

How are my VMware virtual platform consumptions billed?

All costs for the physical and virtual infrastructure and the licenses that result from the instance are charged to your IBM Cloud account. When you order an instance, you must have an IBM Cloud account and provide the SoftLayer API key that is associated with the account.

What is the difference between Automated and Flexible instances?

All instance types provide deployment choices for VMware® virtual environments. However, the difference is the extent of customizability and automation.

When you order a VMware Cloud Foundation for Classic - Automated instance, you deploy a VMware® virtual environment with customized compute, storage, and network resources. For more information about the deployed components, see Technical specifications for Automated instances.
When you order a VMware Cloud Foundation for Classic - Flexible instance, you obtain the maximum of flexibility to design and build your hosted VMware environment while you incorporate VMware-compatible hardware. However, IBM Cloud does not automate the installation, configuration, and starting of the optional VMware components for the VCF for Classic - Flexible instance.
The functions that are supported by VCF for Classic - Automated and VCF for Classic - Flexible instances are different. For more information, see Offering comparison chart.

What is included in a VCF for Classic - Automated instance?

For more information, see Technical specifications for Automated instances.

What is included in a VCF for Classic - Flexible instance?

For more information, see Technical specifications for Flexible instances.

Can I set up VMware vCenter HA configuration?

You can configure vCenter HA, but configuration support is not provided by IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions.

Can clusters be renamed?

For a new VCF for Classic - Automated instance, you can set the name of the initial cluster that is created during deployment. When you add a cluster to a VCF for Classic - Automated instance, you can specify the name that you want on the IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions console.

How are IBM and VMware patches managed?

IBM provides ongoing updates to the IBM code by deploying the IBM CloudDriver virtual server instance (VSI) on demand. Updates and patches for the IBM management components are applied automatically, as needed.

When you review the summary details for each instance, the Properties section displays the Current version. The current version is the IBM code version that is set when the instance is initially ordered. Day 2 operations such as adding or removing hosts, storage, services, or clusters are automatically updated with the current IBM code. Customer upgrade to the current IBM code version is never required.

The IBM code version is separate from the VMware and service software versions. When the IBM code version is updated, the VMware software and service versions that are already installed for the instance remain unchanged.

Newly deployed VMware ESXi™ servers and clusters are patched with recent, but not necessarily the most recent, VMware ESXi updates.

For all other VMware component updates, you must ensure that newly deployed ESXi servers and clusters have the most recent updates that you require. IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions does not offer support for applying updates and patches for VMware components. You must monitor and apply these updates yourself.

To download ESXi updates from VMware, you can configure VMware Update Manager (VUM) or vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM), which are integrated into your vCenter Server. For more information, see Broadcom Support.

IBM does not provide ongoing updates to add-on services such as Zerto or Veeam®. Obtaining and installing these updates is your responsibility.

How are RHEL patches managed?

IBM delivers patches (including security fixes) for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) based on the Red Hat Enterprise Linux Life Cycle policy. As stated in the Red Hat policy, fixes are not provided for all vulnerabilities on all RHEL versions, which means that IBM cannot deliver security fixes for some RHEL issues.

Does the management services NSX Edge pose a security risk?

Although the VMware NSX Edge™ for management services is on a public subnet, the following security measures are in place to ensure that it does not pose a security risk:

The NSX Edge firewall is configured to allow only outgoing HTTPS (TCP port 443) traffic that is initiated by the management virtual machines.
SNAT (Source Network Address Translation) is used so that private IP addresses are not visible outside the private network.
Remote access for the management services NSX Edge appliance is disabled.
Passwords for accessing the management services NSX Edge from the private network are randomized and encrypted.

Does the customer-managed NSX Edge pose a security risk?

Although the customer-managed NSX Edge is connected to the public VLAN, security measures are in place to ensure that it does not pose a security risk. The following security measures are in place:

A firewall rule is in place to allow only outgoing traffic from the private subnet range of IP addresses.
A SNAT rule (disabled by default) is in place to convert all IP addresses from the private subnet to a single IP address on the public subnet.
Remote access for the customer-managed NSX Edge appliance is disabled.
Passwords for accessing the customer-managed NSX Edge from the private network are randomized and encrypted.

How do I choose the data centers for my instances?

The instance deployments have strict physical infrastructure requirements, which vary among IBM Cloud data centers. When you place your instance order, the available data centers are listed within regions and you can select the one that you want from the list.

For more information, see:

How long does it take for my instance to be deployed?

You can check the status of the instance deployment by viewing the deployment history on the instance details page from the IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions console.

How do I add a public network to an Automated instance ordered as private network only?

Cancel the order, and then place a new order with the configuration that you want for a public IP address or public VLAN. You cannot add a public network after it was ordered as private network only.

How do I request a RAM upgrade for ESXi hosts?

The account owner can increase the RAM on ESXi servers by following these steps:

Log in to the IBM Cloud console and go to the device list.
Select the ESXi server to be modified.
From the details page, click Modify next to RAM or memory.
Specify the higher limit. Then, confirm the change to place your order.
Repeat these steps, as needed, for each additional ESXi server.

An IBM Cloud representative will confirm the billing change and contacts you to schedule a maintenance window for adding the memory.

You must manage the VMware Solutions components that are created in your IBM Cloud account only from the VMware Solutions console, not any other means outside of the console. If you change these components outside of the VMware Solutions console, the changes are not synchronized with the console.

Does the VCF for Classic - Flexible offering use automation to install, configure, and start the VMware stack?

No. VCF for Classic - Flexible does not use the advanced automation from the vCenter Server platform. Based on what you order, the platform delivers optional VMware licenses, ESXi servers, and, optionally, an HA-pair of FortiGate® physical firewalls. If a new cluster is created, three new VLANs are also provisioned: a public VLAN and two private VLANs.

VMware ESXi is automatically installed on each IBM Cloud bare metal server, but you are responsible for installing any additional VMware components like vCenter Server or NSX. While VCF for Classic - Flexible ensures that VMware-compatible hardware is ordered based on the VMware components selected, no automation exists to configure and start the VMware environment. You are responsible for designing and architecting the IBM-hosted environment.

How can I view a list of all notifications?

To view the complete notification history, click Notifications from the left navigation.

What if I have issues with VMware Solutions?

If you need assistance with IBM Cloud for VMware Solutions, open an IBM Support ticket by following the steps in Getting help and support.