Dell announces cloud-side innovations to better support VMware's Tanzu platform. New products are also appearing in the data storage and protection segment.
Dell Technologies on Tuesday presented a series of updates to its products and services integrated with VMware, Dell's foothold in cloud computing.
Specifically, Dell announced updates to Dell Technologies Cloud, improved support for VMware's Tanzu platform for application modernization, as well as updates to its storage and data protection portfolio. for VMware workloads. These announcements were made to coincide with VMware's annual VMworld conference.
Dell Technologies owns 81% of VMware's shares, and could part ways with VMware in order to monetize its stake in the virtualization company. Nonetheless, VMware is essential to Dell's multi-cloud efforts. VMware software is integrated across Dell Technologies' entire product portfolio, and companies have agreements on marketing strategies, services, research and development, and intellectual property. "We continue to invest in engineering jointly with VMware to create products that truly help our customers get the most from VMware products," Varun Chhabra, vice president of Cloud and Edge at Dell, told reporters last week.

All VMworld 2020 announcements

• VMware acquires automation software vendor Salt Stack
• VMware / NVidia partnership on AI in the data center and the cloud
• Monterey Project: VMware's solution to next-generation applications
• VMware enriches Kubernetes portfolio with Tanzu
• How VMware Uses Carbon Black to Secure Telecommuting

Ability to use NV ME storage

In the cloud space, Dell announced on Tuesday the 4th generation of VMware Cloud on Dell EMC, which includes VMware vSphere, vSAN, and NSX, all running on Dell EMC infrastructure. The latest version places a strong emphasis on regulation, compliance, and certifications. It includes new ISO certifications and GDPR certifications.
Additionally, the service is now certified on VMware's Tanzu Kubernetes Grid, so customers can use the turnkey software to build and deploy Kubernetes-based applications on Tanzu through VMware Cloud on Dell EMC.
Dell is also announcing a new type of node for high-performance, data-intensive workloads. It includes expanding the storage and memory capacity, as well as the ability to use NV storage. Customers also have the ability to segment resources, both virtual and physical, for single rack workloads.

What place for Tanzu?

Finally, Dell is combining its service with VMware's HCX service, which allows workloads to be moved between VMware on-premises and cloud environments without having to restructure applications. “We continue to hear from customers’ requests for opportunities to migrate between clouds so that they can take advantage of the best capabilities in different cloud environments, whether in the public cloud or in the private cloud, as it continues to grow. be a problem, ”Chhabra said.
Dell also announced that VMware Cloud Director is now integrated and certified on Dell Technologies' cloud computing platform. This platform combines Dell's data center and hybrid cloud technologies with public cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services and IBM Cloud. This should allow service providers to deliver multi-tenant environments faster.
On the application management front, Dell is expanding its hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) options for Tanzu, VMware's portfolio for building and managing modern applications. "Customers can choose the best option based on their business model, level of Kubernetes expertise," said Jon Siegel, vice president of integrated products and solutions at Dell.

Dell positions itself on Monterey

The latest option is vSphere with Tanzu on VxRail, which Dell says is the fastest way to start working with workloads under Kubernetes. This makes it possible to integrate workloads under Kubernetes into existing infrastructures, which makes it possible to quickly bring Tanzu into production. It also allows customers to position their own software-defined networking (SDN).
There is also a validated reference architecture option called Tanzu Architecture for VxRail, which is well suited for customers who already have technical experience with Kubernetes and want the ability to build their own configurations. Finally, customers can choose Dell's fully integrated technology platform, which Dell says is optimal for large-scale Kubernetes deployments. It is fully equipped with a software-defined networking (SDN) tool and a common business model for developers and IT administrators.
Finally, Dell is engaging with VMware around the Monterey project, a "major redefinition of the structure" that will support the next generation of applications, said Siegel.
As part of this project, VMware is re-architecting VMware Cloud Foundation so that it runs on Intelligent Network Interface Cards (NICs) and thus offloads the processors, thereby increasing application performance. The project relies on network interface cards (NICs) from a wide variety of vendors. As part of this project, Dell plans to deliver integrated and fully automated solutions for its server and storage platforms next year.
On the storage and data protection side, Dell announced that its Dell EMC PowerMax software is now integrated with VMware vVols, simplifying management and improving access to critical applications.
In another announcement, the company is offering a new program called Dell EMC Object Scale, based on VMware Cloud Foundation, which enables developers to provide cloud-based storage for modern applications. Furthermore, Dell EMC Power Protect Data Manager has been updated to include new protections for VMware Cloud Foundation integration layers and Kubernetes environments.