vCloud Director Components

vCloud Director Components :-

1.  One or more vCloud Director cells
2.  Load balancer if you are using multiple cells
3.  Shared database for the cells
4. NFS server for staging
5. LDAP
6. SMTP server
7.  vCloud  API
8. vCenter - vCloud agent on each ESXi host.
9. vShield Manager
10.  vCD Web Console

Scaling vCLoud Director to large environments is supported by installing multiple vCloud Director cells.Cell activities are coordinated through a shared database.One cell is designated as the coordinated cell all other cells are designated slave cells.The coordinated cell designates which services run on the slave cells this is all done automatically by vCloud Director. 

Multiple cells require load balancing to manage heavy usage of Web and remote consoles. Options are through DNS or third party load balancing product.

Cell manages connectivity to the cloud and provides both API and UI end points or clients.

Pop-out RFB based web consoles for virtual machines are encrypted by vmware for security reasons.(similar to VNC but vmware did not use VNC code but it own code)

vCloud Director

Cloud Computing:-

Cloud Computing is an approach to computing that leverages the efficient pooling of on-demand, self-managed virtual infrastructure that is consumed as a service.

Points to ponder:-

1. vShield Manager server provides networking  services to vCloud Director. vShield Manager is a software firewall.
2. vCloud Director  requires access to vCenter ,vShield Manager  & one or more ESXi hosts
3. Organization is composed of vApps,users and groups, organization vDCs and catalogs
4. Do not turnoff DRS  on vCLoud  Director .
5.  vCloud Connector  is a virtual appliance that installs in vsphere  and handles all the business logic of dealing with other clouds . A vCC plugin to vCenter helps bring VM’s from outside.
6. Never make changes to lower end  like vCenter when you are managing with vCloud Director