Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed for template driven infrastructure in virtualized server systems. An example apparatus includes a catalog mapper to map a requirement and system information associated with a cloud computing environment including a virtual controller to a first tag including instructions to deploy a first virtual resource corresponding to physical hardware and identify a template including the first tag based on the mapping, a plan generator to generate a plan corresponding to the template including an order of execution of tags including the first tag to deploy virtual resources including the first virtual resource to the cloud computing environment, and a controller invoker to deploy a workload domain to the cloud computing environment to execute an application by executing the instructions associated with the first tag included in the template in response to determining that the virtual controller can execute the plan.

Abstract: In a computer-implemented method for provisioning a host of a workload domain of a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device, a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device comprising a plurality of hosts is managed, where the plurality of hosts is allocable to workload domains, and where allocated hosts of a particular workload domain are of a same operating system version. A pool of unallocated hosts is maintained within the pre-configured hyper-converged computing device, where the unallocated hosts of the pool have operating system versions within a range of supported operating system versions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for software lifecycle management of a virtual computing environment. An example method includes determining if sufficient computing resources for installing the software are available in a virtual environment in the virtual rack system, when sufficient computing resources are not available in the virtual environment, identifying a spare computing resource that is available for use during installation of the software, adding the spare computing resource to the virtual environment, migrating a workload that is executing on a current computing resource to the spare computing resource, and installing the software on the current computing resource.

Abstract: In a computer-implemented method for managing hosts of a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device, a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device comprising a plurality of hosts is managed, where the plurality of hosts is allocable to workload domains, where unallocated hosts of the plurality of hosts is maintained within a pool of unallocated hosts, and where the plurality of hosts each have an operating system version. An unallocated host of the pool of unallocated hosts is determined as having an operating system version that is outside of a range of supported operating system versions. The operating system version of the unallocated host is updated to an operating system version within the range of supported operating system versions.

Abstract: In a computer-implemented method for maintaining unallocated hosts of a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device at a baseline operating system version, a plurality of hosts of a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device is managed, where the plurality of hosts are allocable to workload domains, where the plurality of hosts each have an operating system version within a range of supported operating system versions, where unallocated hosts of the plurality of hosts are maintained within a pool of unallocated hosts, and where the unallocated hosts of the pool of unallocated hosts have a baseline operating system version of the range of supported operating system versions. A new unallocated host is received at the pre-configured hyper-converged computing device for inclusion to the pool of unallocated hosts. An operating system version of the new unallocated host is determined.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for software lifecycle management of a virtual computing environment are disclosed. An example method includes determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, a plurality of software updates to be installed on physical computing resources in the virtual server rack system, the determining based on a manifest file received from a software manager associated with the virtual server rack system, determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, dependency requirements for installing the software updates identified in the manifest file, determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, an order for installation of the software updates to meet dependency requirements, and scheduling, by executing an instruction with the processor, installation of the software updates identified in the manifest file.

Abstract: Certain embodiments described herein are generally directed to enforcing application-specific quality of service (QoS) requirements over a storage network. The method for enforcing application-specific quality of service (QoS) requirements over a storage network includes receiving an input-output (I/O) command from a virtual machine executing an application, wherein the I/O command corresponds to an I/O request generated by the application and is tagged with a QoS classification corresponding to QoS requirements of the application, determining a QoS value corresponding to the QoS classification of the I/O command, and transmitting a data frame including the I/O command and the QoS value to a target network adapter through a switch fabric in a network, the switch fabric having a plurality of switches each configured to forward the data frame based on the QoS value.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed for template driven infrastructure in virtualized server systems. An example apparatus includes a catalog mapper to map a requirement and system information associated with a cloud computing environment including a virtual controller to a first tag including instructions to deploy a first virtual resource corresponding to physical hardware and identify a template including the first tag based on the mapping, a plan generator to generate a plan corresponding to the template including an order of execution of tags including the first tag to deploy virtual resources including the first virtual resource to the cloud computing environment, and a controller invoker to deploy a workload domain to the cloud computing environment to execute an application by executing the instructions associated with the first tag included in the template in response to determining that the virtual controller can execute the plan.

Abstract: Certain embodiments described herein are generally directed to enforcing application-specific quality of service (QoS) requirements over a storage network. The method for enforcing application-specific quality of service (QoS) requirements over a storage network includes receiving an input-output (I/O) command from a virtual machine executing an application, wherein the I/O command corresponds to an I/O request generated by the application and is tagged with a QoS classification corresponding to QoS requirements of the application, determining a QoS value corresponding to the QoS classification of the I/O command, and transmitting a data frame including the I/O command and the QoS value to a target network adapter through a switch fabric in a network, the switch fabric having a plurality of switches each configured to forward the data frame based on the QoS value.

Abstract: In a computer-implemented method for maintaining unallocated hosts of a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device at a baseline operating system version, a plurality of hosts of a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device is managed, where the plurality of hosts are allocable to workload domains, where the plurality of hosts each have an operating system version within a range of supported operating system versions, where unallocated hosts of the plurality of hosts are maintained within a pool of unallocated hosts, and where the unallocated hosts of the pool of unallocated hosts have a baseline operating system version of the range of supported operating system versions. A new unallocated host is received at the pre-configured hyper-converged computing device for inclusion to the pool of unallocated hosts. An operating system version of the new unallocated host is determined.

Abstract: In a computer-implemented method for managing hosts of a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device, a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device comprising a plurality of hosts is managed, where the plurality of hosts is allocable to workload domains, where unallocated hosts of the plurality of hosts is maintained within a pool of unallocated hosts, and where the plurality of hosts each have an operating system version. An unallocated host of the pool of unallocated hosts is determined as having an operating system version that is outside of a range of supported operating system versions. The operating system version of the unallocated host is updated to an operating system version within the range of supported operating system versions.

Abstract: In a computer-implemented method for provisioning a host of a workload domain of a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device, a pre-configured hyper-converged computing device comprising a plurality of hosts is managed, where the plurality of hosts is allocable to workload domains, and where allocated hosts of a particular workload domain are of a same operating system version. A pool of unallocated hosts is maintained within the pre-configured hyper-converged computing device, where the unallocated hosts of the pool have operating system versions within a range of supported operating system versions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for software lifecycle management of a virtual computing environment are disclosed. An example method includes determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, a plurality of software updates to be installed on physical computing resources in the virtual server rack system, the determining based on a manifest file received from a software manager associated with the virtual server rack system, determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, dependency requirements for installing the software updates identified in the manifest file, determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, an order for installation of the software updates to meet dependency requirements, and scheduling, by executing an instruction with the processor, installation of the software updates identified in the manifest file.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for software lifecycle management of a virtual computing environment. An example method includes determining if sufficient computing resources for installing the software are available in a virtual environment in the virtual rack system, when sufficient computing resources are not available in the virtual environment, identifying a spare computing resource that is available for use during installation of the software, adding the spare computing resource to the virtual environment, migrating a workload that is executing on a current computing resource to the spare computing resource, and installing the software on the current computing resource.