vRealize Automation
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| vRealize Automation | |
|---|---|
| Name | vRealize Automation |
| Developer | VMware |
| Released | 2013 |
| Programming language | Java, Python |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Genre | Cloud management platform |
| License | Proprietary |
vRealize Automation is a cloud management platform developed by VMware for automating the delivery and lifecycle management of infrastructure, applications, and services. It provides policy-driven provisioning, orchestration, and governance across heterogeneous environments including private, public, and hybrid clouds. vRealize Automation is commonly used alongside virtualization, containerization, and orchestration technologies to accelerate DevOps workflows and implement self-service enterprise clouds.
Overview
vRealize Automation functions as an orchestration and automation layer that interfaces with infrastructure providers and service orchestration tools. It is often deployed by organizations aiming to combine the capabilities of VMware ESXi, vSphere, vSAN, and NSX with public cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. Enterprises integrate vRealize Automation with configuration management systems like Ansible, Puppet, and Chef and with CI/CD pipelines powered by Jenkins, GitLab, or Bamboo. The product is managed through a web-based portal and API surface that supports automation use cases common to teams using Kubernetes, OpenShift, and Cloud Foundry.
Architecture and Components
The architecture of vRealize Automation is modular and includes components for provisioning, identity, and orchestration. Core components include the cloud management appliance, the service broker, and the automation engine that interfaces with endpoint managers for platforms such as vCenter Server, Amazon EC2, and Azure Resource Manager. Identity and access are frequently integrated with Active Directory and LDAP directories, and Single Sign-On integrations may use SAML providers like Okta and Ping Identity. The system leverages database backends similar to PostgreSQL or clustered solutions that mirror patterns used in Oracle Database deployments. For high availability and scalability, administrators use technologies and patterns associated with Load balancing, HAProxy, and F5 Networks appliances.
Features and Capabilities
vRealize Automation offers catalog-driven self-service provisioning, policy-based governance, and lifecycle management for virtual machines, containers, and applications. It exposes a service catalog comparable to offerings from ServiceNow and supports templating and blueprints that integrate with CloudFormation-style templates and Terraform modules. Policy capabilities support role-based access control linked to Active Directory groups and can enforce tagging and costing integrations with billing platforms such as VMware vRealize Business or third-party chargeback systems. Automation workflows are created with graphical editors and scriptable orchestration using Python or PowerShell, enabling integration with enterprise tools like Splunk, ELK Stack, and Datadog.
Deployment and Integration
vRealize Automation is deployed as appliances or virtual machines within data centers and as connectors to public cloud endpoints. Deployment workflows typically reference virtualization managers such as vCenter Server and cloud connectors for AWS and Azure. Integration patterns include use of RESTful API calls, message buses like RabbitMQ, and event-driven automation using tools such as VMware Event Broker or Amazon EventBridge. For containerized workloads, integrations with Kubernetes distributions, VMware Tanzu, and Red Hat OpenShift are common. Backup and disaster recovery strategies draw on solutions from Veeam, Commvault, and native vSphere Replication.
Licensing and Editions
VMware traditionally offers vRealize Automation in tiered editions and subscription models with differing feature sets and support entitlements. Editions are marketed alongside companion products in the vRealize suite such as vRealize Operations and vRealize Log Insight. Licensing often includes per-CPU, per-VM, or subscription-based models comparable to licensing strategies used by Microsoft and Oracle for enterprise software. Enterprise customers frequently combine support contracts with professional services from partners like Accenture, Deloitte, and Capgemini.
Security and Compliance
Security in vRealize Automation hinges on identity federation, role-based access control, encrypted communications, and audit logging. Integration with Active Directory, LDAP, and SAML identity providers facilitates centralized authentication, while network isolation often leverages NSX microsegmentation policies originally associated with research in University of California, Berkeley networking projects and commercialized by VMware. Compliance reporting and change tracking integrate with governance frameworks used by enterprises pursuing certifications such as ISO 27001 and SOC 2. Logging and monitoring integrations with Splunk and ELK Stack support forensic analysis and compliance dashboards.
History and Versioning
vRealize Automation evolved from earlier VMware automation efforts and was introduced as part of the vRealize suite during the 2010s, aligning with industry shifts toward hybrid cloud and DevOps practices pioneered by organizations like Netflix and Google. Over successive releases, VMware added multi-cloud connectors and deeper orchestration capabilities influenced by open-source projects such as Docker and Kubernetes. Major version milestones correspond with VMware product events and announcements at conferences like VMworld and collaborations with partners including Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.