VMware Cloud Director orchestration models let you provide your customers with a ready environment which they can use to deploy virtual servers. The administrator creates and deploys orchestration models. In their turn, customers receive a VMware Cloud Director environment with configured resource pool(s), network(s) and data store(s). This page describes how you can add orchestration models using OnApp.

Using OnApp you can view, create, edit, deploy, clone, and delete orchestration models. When you deploy an orchestration model you create a new VDC on the VMware Cloud Director side. CPU, memory, network, and data store resources associated with the new VDC are configured according to the parameters you set during the orchestration model creation and deployment.

  • Ensure that Orchestration Models permissions are on before managing orchestration models. For more information about permissions, refer to the VMware Cloud Director Permissions section of this guide.
  • This functionality is available for users with the vCloud Organization Administrator role.

View Orchestration Models


To view orchestration models, go to your Control Panel > Cloud > Orchestration Models in the VMware Cloud Director section. The page that loads shows the list of orchestration models with their labels and the particular VMware Cloud Director to which each template is associated.

Click the VMware Cloud Director label next to the template you are interested in to view the details of the VMware Cloud Director compute resource associated with it.

Click the label of a orchestration model to view its details:

Properties

  • Label - the name of the orchestration model
  • Compute Resource - the compute resource associated with the orchestration model
  • Provider Resource Pool - select in the drop-down list the provider VDC that will be used when an organization VDC will be deployed from the orchestration model

Compute Options

  • VDC Model Type - the resource pool type: Allocation Pool, Reservation Pool, or Pay As You Go

    There are three types of resource pools:

    • Allocation Pool - a percentage of the resources you allocate from the provider virtual datacenter are committed to the organization virtual datacenter. You can specify the percentage for both CPU and memory.
    • Pay As You Go - resources are committed only when users create vApps in the organization virtual datacenter.
    • Reservation Pool - all of the resources you allocate are immediately committed to the organization virtual datacenter.

  • The array of resources with the minimum, maximum, and default values the end client can order and information on whether the end client can change and see the values. The parameters apply to a certain VDC model type selected previously. For details see the Orchestration Models API.


Network Options

  • Default Network - the network pool for the selected compute resource
  • Deploy Edge Gateway - whether an edge gateway will be deployed or not 
  • NSX-V Edge Gateway name or NSX-T Edge Gateway name - the label of the edge gateway. The default name is MyEdgeGateway. The type of the edge gateway, NSX-V or NSX-T, is based on the selected provider resource pool. This field appears only when the Deploy Edge Gateway option is enabled.
  • Create networks - the networks that will be created during orchestration model deployment with their details:
    • Network Name - the label for the network
    • Type - the type of the network: direct, routed or isolated 
    • Network Address - the network address in "x.x.x.x/x" format
    • DNS - DNS for the network.

Storage

  • Enable thin provisioning - whether thin provisioning is enabled
  • Enable fast provisioning - whether fast provisioning is enabled
  • Data store option choices - the settings for data stores:
    • Label - the name of the data store zone(s) in which data stores will be created during orchestration model deployment
    • Minimum - the minimum data store size (GB) that can be requested during orchestration model deployment
    • Maximum - the maximum data store size (GB) that can be requested during orchestration model deployment
    • Default - the default data store size (GB) that will be set during orchestration model deployment. If the data store options are not set as customizable and/or visible, the default data store size will be applied during orchestration model deployment.
    • Customizable - whether the data store size can be altered during orchestration model deployment
    • Visible - whether the data store zone will be listed during orchestration model deployment. If the data store zone is not visible, a data store will still be created in it.


Create Orchestration Model


To create an orchestration model, go to your Control Panel > Cloud > Orchestration Models in the VMware Cloud Director section and click New Orchestration Model. On the page that loads, fill in the form:

Properties

  • Label - the name of the orchestration model
  • Compute Resource - select the compute resource associated with the orchestration model in the drop-down list
  • Provider Resource Pool - select in the drop-down list the provider VDC that will be used when an organization VDC will be deployed from the orchestration model

Compute Options

  • VDC Model Type - select the resource pool type: Allocation Pool, Reservation Pool, or Pay As You Go

    There are three types of resource pools:

    • Allocation Pool - a percentage of the resources you allocate from the provider virtual datacenter are committed to the organization virtual datacenter. You can specify the percentage for both CPU and memory.
    • Pay As You Go - resources are committed only when users create vApps in the organization virtual datacenter.
    • Reservation Pool - all of the resources you allocate are immediately committed to the organization virtual datacenter.

  • VDC Properties - for the array of resources specify the minimum, maximum and default values the end client can order and whether the end client can change and see the values. The parameters shown depend on the VDC model type selected previously:

    ResourceAllocation PoolReservation PoolPay-As-You-Go
    CPU Allocation (GHz)✓✓
    CPU Resource Guaranteed (%)✓
    		✓
    CPU Quota (GHz)

    		✓
    vCPU Speed (MHz) ✓
    		✓
    Memory Allocation (GB) ✓✓
    Memory resources guaranteed (%) ✓
    		✓
    Memory Quota (GB)

    		✓
    Number of VSs ✓✓✓
    Network quota✓✓✓


Network Options

  • Default Network Pool - choose a network pool for the selected compute resource from the drop-down list
  • Deploy Edge Gateway - move the slider to deploy an edge gateway. If an edge gateway is not deployed, you will not be able to configure routed networks within the orchestration model. 
  • NSX-V Edge Gateway Name or NSX-T Edge Gateway Name - fill in the label of the edge gateway. The default name is MyEdgeGateway. The type of the edge gateway, NSX-V or NSX-T, is based on the selected provider resource pool. This field appears only when the Deploy Edge Gateway option is enabled.
  • Create Networks - move the slider to create networks when the template is deployed. If you select to create networks, click the + button to add a new network(s). For each of the networks double-click the fields to provide the following details, some fields apply only to certain network types:
    • Default Name - the label for the network
    • Type - the type of the network: routed, isolated or direct networks. You can add routed networks only when the Deploy Edge Gateway option is enabled in the orchestration model. 
    • Network Address - fill in the network address in "x.x.x.x/x" format
    • DNS - DNS for the network

Data Store Options

  • Enable Thin Provisioning - move the slider to enable thin provisioning
  • Enable Fast Provisioning - move the slider to enable fast provisioning
  • Data stores to create - fill in the settings for data stores. Click the + button to add a data store zone from the drop-down list. The list will contain data store zones associated with the compute resource you have selected. For each of the data store zones provide the following details (double-click the values to change):
    • Minimum - the minimum data store size (GB) that can be requested during orchestration model deployment
    • Maximum - the maximum data store size (GB) that can be requested during orchestration model deployment
    • Default - the default data store size (GB) that will be set during orchestration model deployment. If the data store options are not set as customizable and/or visible, the default data store size will be applied during orchestration model deployment.
    • Customizable - move the slider to select whether the data store size can be altered during orchestration model deployment
    • Visible - whether the data store zone will be listed during orchestration model deployment. If the data store zone is not visible, a data store will still be created in it.
    • Use - move the slider to select whether a data store will be created in this data store zone during orchestration model deployment

If the orchestration model properties do not suit the resources' min/max criteria in VMware Cloud Director Buckets, then you will not be able to create this orchestration model.



Edit Orchestration Model


  1. Go to your Control Panel > Cloud > Orchestration Models in the VMware Cloud Director section.
  2. Click the Actions button next to the orchestration model you want to change and select Edit to modify the following properties: 

Properties

    • Label - the name of the orchestration model
    • Compute Resource - select the compute resource associated with the orchestration model in the drop-down list
    • Provider Resource Pool - select in the drop-down list the provider VDC that will be used when an organization VDC will be deployed from the orchestration model


Compute Options

    • VDC Model Type - select the resource pool type: Allocation Pool, Reservation Pool, or Pay As You Go

      There are three types of resource pools:

      • Allocation Pool - a percentage of the resources you allocate from the provider virtual datacenter are committed to the organization virtual datacenter. You can specify the percentage for both CPU and memory.
      • Pay As You Go - resources are committed only when users create vApps in the organization virtual datacenter
      • Reservation Pool - all of the resources you allocate are immediately committed to the organization virtual datacenter

    • VDC Properties - for the array of resources specify the minimum, maximum and default values the end client can order and whether the end client can change and see the values. The parameters shown depend on the VDC model type selected previously:

      ResourceAllocation PoolReservation PoolPay-As-You-Go
      CPU Allocation (GHz)✓✓
      CPU Resource Guaranteed (%)✓
      		✓
      CPU Quota (GHz)

      		✓
      vCPU Speed (MHz) ✓
      		✓
      Memory Allocation (GB) ✓✓
      Memory resources guaranteed (%) ✓
      		✓
      Memory Quota (GB)

      		✓
      Number of VSs ✓✓✓
      Network Quota✓✓✓


Network Options

  • Default Network Pool - choose a network pool for the selected compute resource from the drop-down list
  • Deploy Edge Gateway - move the slider to deploy an edge gateway. If an edge gateway is not deployed, you will not be able to configure routed networks within the orchestration model. 
  • NSX-V Edge Gateway name or NSX-T Edge Gateway name - enter the label of a new edge gateway. The default name is MyEdgeGateway. The type of the new edge gateway, NSX-V or NSX-T, is based on the selected provider resource pool. This field appears only when the Deploy Edge Gateway option is enabled.
  • Create Networks - move the slider to create networks when the template is deployed. If you select to create networks, click the + button to add a new network(s). For each of the networks double-click the fields to provide the following details, some fields apply only to certain network types:
    • Default Name - the label for the network
    • Type - the type of the network: routed, isolated or direct networks. You can add routed networks only when the Deploy Edge Gateway option is enabled in the orchestration model. 
    • Network Address - fill in the network address in "x.x.x.x/x" format
    • DNS - DNS for the network

Data Store Options

  • Enable Thin Provisioning - move the slider to enable thin provisioning
  • Enable Fast Provisioning - move the slider to enable fast provisioning
  • Data stores to create - fill in the settings for data stores. Click the + button to add a data store zone from the drop-down list. The list will contain data store zones associated with the compute resource you have selected. For each of the data store zones provide the following details (double-click the values to change):
    • Minimum - the minimum data store size (GB) that can be requested during orchestration model deployment
    • Maximum - the maximum data store size (GB) that can be requested during orchestration model deployment
    • Default - the default data store size (GB) that will be set during orchestration model deployment. If the data store options are not set as customizable and/or visible, the default data store size will be applied during orchestration model deployment.
    • Customizable - move the slider to select whether the data store size can be altered during orchestration model deployment
    • Visible - whether the data store zone will be listed during orchestration model deployment. If the data store zone is not visible, a data store will still be created in it.
    • Use - move the slider to select whether a data store will be created in this data store zone during orchestration model deployment

If the orchestration model properties do not suit the resources' min/max criteria in VMware Cloud Director Buckets, then you will not be able to edit this orchestration model.


  4. Click the Submit button to apply the settings. 


Clone Orchestration Model


  1. Go to your Control Panel > Cloud > Orchestration Models in the VMware Cloud Director section.
  2. Click the Actions button next to an orchestration model that you want to clone. 
  3. Click Copy and click OK to confirm the action. 


Deploy Orchestration Model


  1. Go to your Control Panel > Cloud > Orchestration Models in the VMware Cloud Director section.
  2. Click the Actions button next the template you want to deploy and select Deploy.
  3. On the page that loads, configure the resources assigned to the VMware Cloud Director created from this VDC template:


General

    • Organization - select the organization with which the orchestration model will be associated
    • Resource Pool Label - enter a label for a resource pool that will be created after the template is deployed

CPU Resources

    • CPU Allocation - amount of CPU resources (GHZ) that will be allocated after the template is deployed
    • CPU Guaranteed - amount of guaranteed CPU allocation (%)
    • vCPU Speed - the vCPU speed that can be consumed after the template is deployed (MHz)

Memory Resources

    • Memory - the amount of memory(MB) that will be allocated after the template is deployed
    • Memory Guaranteed - amount of guaranteed memory allocation (%)

       Count Limitations 

    • VS Number - the number VSs that can be created after the template is deployed
    • Network quota - the number of networks available to the user

Storage

    • Default Storage Policy - select the default storage policy
    • Set the disk size for the data stores that will be allocated after the template is deployed 

Network

    • NSX-V Edge Gateway name or NSX-T Edge Gateway name - the label of the edge gateway. The type of the edge gateway, NSX-V or NSX-T, is based on the selected provider resource pool. 
    • NSX-V Edge Gateway uplink network or NSX-T Edge Gateway uplink network - the label of the external network. The type of the uplink network, NSX-V or NSX-T, is based on the selected provider resource pool. For NSX-V, you can select multiple networks, whereas for NSX-T, only a single network.
    • Default gateway - select the default gateway from the drop-down list. This option is available only if the selected provider resource pool belongs to NSX-V.
    • Use default gateway for DNS relay - move this slider to the right to use default gateway for DNS relay 


Click Next to proceed.


Confirmation

Review the details of the VMware Cloud Director you are going to deploy.

If you are satisfied with the configurations, click the Submit button to deploy the orchestration model.
If you want to change any of the resources, click the Previous button and make the necessary changes.


Delete Orchestration Model


  1. Go to your Control Panel > Cloud > Orchestration Models in the VMware Cloud Director section.
  2. Click the Actions button next the template that you want to remove and select Delete. You will be asked for confirmation before the template is removed.


 See also: