Overview
The Xtravirt Hosted Managed Cloud with VMware Cloud on AWS service is a dedicated solution designed to provide hosting and management of VMware based virtual machine workloads. It provides businesses with the assurance that their crucial services are running on a platform that is being monitored and maintained in accordance with VMware and AWS best practices, and that they have the confidence of a team of highly qualified professional engineers who can support them when they require assistance.
The core aim of our service is to provide the VMware Cloud on AWS infrastructure with a managed service wrapper giving businesses the confidence they can leave the day-to-day management of the environment to Xtravirt. This service does not incorporate backup, disaster recovery, capacity management, native AWS service consumption; however, we can discuss and arrange this as an additional provision, tailored to each client’s specific needs.
This service does not include the provision of networking between a customer’s existing VMware infrastructure on-premises and a VMware Cloud on AWS solution. This would typically be provided by AWS Direct Connect (DX) which the client would need to procure ahead of the deployment of the Software-Defined Data Centre (SDDC). In some cases, using a VPN can be a quicker and more cost-effective approach, but this would be considered on a per-case basis.
Outcomes and Benefits
VMware Cloud on AWS is a hosted VMware solution enabling business to offload the hosting and lifecycle management of the virtual infrastructure to VMware. This allows companies to focus on developing core cloud native skills and deploy applications natively. However, while the management of their VMware estate is covered as part of the VMware Cloud on AWS service, the day-to-day management is not. VMware Cloud on AWS is often selected as a service because of the same technologies used on a customer’s existing on-premises estates. As customer’s refocus efforts on native cloud services, the VMware infrastructure can lose focus and ownership.
The Xtravirt Hosted Managed Cloud with VMware Cloud on AWS bridges the gap between management of the infrastructure provided by VMware and the day-to-day management of running workloads such as virtual machine provisioning, template management, health monitoring, log analysis, troubleshooting, firewall rule configuration, networking tasks and user management. This allows organisations to continue to focus efforts on projects which drive business change such as application modernisation, while trusting their critical virtualised workloads are being managed by a team of VMware experts.
The Xtravirt Hosted Managed Cloud with VMware Cloud on AWS service strives to provide organisations with the support and management they need to run a VMware Cloud on AWS platform. This might include some basic AWS networking support, but application-specific support and migration or modernisation support is not included as part of this service. Xtravirt are happy to provide guidance on any additional services that might be required as part of a customer’s cloud journey.
By using Xtravirt’s Hosted Managed Cloud with VMware Cloud on AWS service, clients can ensure they have the day-to-day management of their environment, as well as a 24/7 support service for critical events, ensuring the best customer experience with the VMware Cloud on AWS service.
Use Cases
The Xtravirt Hosted Managed Cloud with VMware Cloud on AWS service caters to a variety of businesses, ranging from those who are early on in their cloud journey and looking at leveraging VMware Cloud on AWS to support cloud initiatives, through to customers who have already migrated their virtual machine estate:
No cloud presence: Businesses operating with on-premises who wish to migrate to VMware Cloud on AWS and lack the confidence in managing the solution themselves.
Running on VMware Cloud on AWS: Businesses might have reprioritised efforts to native services, resulting in a skills gap within their IT teams. Our service fills this gap and provides the capabilities organisation may have lost.
Transition to Managed Services: Businesses that are currently managing a VMware Cloud on AWS solutions in-house may find that it is resource-intensive and lacks certain capabilities. Our service offers a fully managed solution, allowing organisations to focus on their core business while we ensure their workloads are managed in accordance with VMware and AWS best practices.
Each of these use cases represents an opportunity for businesses to strengthen their IT capabilities by using Xtravirt Managed Service to augment their existing teams.
Features
The Xtravirt Hosted Managed Cloud with VMware Cloud on AWS service offers a managed VMware hosted platform running on VMware Cloud on AWS with a service wrapper for the day-to-day management of the solution. It delivers management for server, storage, networking, and virtual machine components within the infrastructure. The service offers 24/7 alerting of critical events, ensuring immediate response to any severity 1 issues.
The Xtravirt’s Hosted Managed Cloud with VMware Cloud on AWS service will come with the following Xtravirt Managed Service (XMS) modules:
Support Desk Services: Your IT environment benefits from 24/7 incident response, resolution services, and operational management, ensuring business continuity. As an ISO:20000 and ISO:27001 certified service, we adhere to the highest standards of IT service management and information security. XMS simplifies communication by offering a single point of contact for all your service management needs. We also maintain and regularly update detailed incident records, which allows us to improve service performance continually.
Escalated Support: XMS takes care of all incidents, either escalated by you or identified by us. We use a well-established triage process to evaluate and resolve these incidents, providing workarounds when necessary. In case of major incidents, our team offers full-scale incident management, ensuring swift and effective response to crises.
Managed Availability: Our team triages alerts generated by the VMware Cloud on AWS platform, determining which require escalation or closure. Daily checks are performed to ensure optimal functioning of the platform. Elements of this service leverage VMware Aria Operations which is dependent on the client having the required licensing. If they do not have this, then functionality of this module would be reduced.
Managed Maintenance: XMS carries out routine maintenance according to VMware guidelines and optimizes resources based on business use. Any changes align with your established control process to minimize disruption to operations.
Operations Management: XMS maintains configurations, settings, and rules to ensure operational performance and availability. Support for standard changes aligns with current state architecture and configuration standards. These actions are governed through a PACSI (Perform, Accountable, Consult, Suggest, and Inform) matrix, ensuring clear accountability and shared responsibility.
Strategic Management: Regular reviews ensure that your technical solutions align with your business objectives and roadmap, identifying and addressing potential improvements.
In summary, Xtravirt’s Hosted Managed Cloud with VMware Cloud on AWS service provides a comprehensive ransomware defence solution that integrates seamlessly into your business, providing peace of mind and operational excellence.