Abstract: An example method of deploying a logical network platform in a virtualized computing system, the virtualized computing system including a host cluster and a virtualization management server connected to a physical network, the host cluster having hosts and a virtualization layer executing on hardware platforms of the hosts is described. The method includes receiving, at the virtualization management server, a declarative specification describing a proposed state of the logical network platform; deploying, by the virtualization management server, a network manager of the logical network platform in response to the proposed state in the declarative specification; and deploying, by the virtualization management server in cooperation with the network manager, binaries to the hosts in the host cluster.

Abstract: An example method for implementing a microservice architecture for a management application may include deploying a first service of the management application on a first container running on a container host. Further, the method may include employing a service-to-service communication mechanism to control communication between the first service and a second service of the management application. Furthermore, the method may include employing an inter-process communication mechanism to control communication between the first service and the container host using named pipes and employing a proxy to control communication between the first service and an external application in an external device. Further, the method may include enabling a container orchestrator to monitor and manage the first service.

Abstract: A method of upgrading virtual machine (VM) management software from a first version to a second version, wherein the first version of the VM management software executes in a plurality of workloads of a plurality of host computers, the plurality of workloads including a first active workload executing on a first host computer, a first passive workload executing on a second host computer, and a first witness workload executing on a third host computer, and the method comprising: creating and powering on a second active workload that is configured to execute the second version of the VM management software; copying state information from the first active workload to the second active workload and continuing execution of the VM management software in the second active workload; and creating and powering on a second passive workload and creating and powering on a second witness workload.

Abstract: An example method of enabling a virtual infrastructure management (VIM) appliance for lifecycle management includes: identifying, by a cloud platform executing in a public cloud, a manager VIM appliance for the VIM appliance, the manager VIM appliance and the VIM appliance executing in at least one on-premises data center of an on-premises environment; obtaining information related to a management cluster having the manager VIM appliance and a virtual machine (VM) executing the VIM appliance; creating and applying, by the cloud platform in response to the information, a desired state for both the manager VIM appliance and the VIM appliance; and updating the cloud platform with a topology of the manager VIM appliance and the VIM appliance in the management cluster.

Abstract: A method of upgrading a VIM server appliance includes: creating a snapshot of logical volumes mapped to physical volumes that store configuration and database files of virtual infrastructure management (VIM) services provided by a first VIM server appliance to be upgraded; after the snapshot is created, expanding the configuration and database files to be compatible with a second VIM server appliance; replicating the logical volumes which have been modified as a result of expanding the configuration and database files, in the second VIM server appliance; after replication, performing a switchover of VIM services that are provided, from the first VIM server appliance to the second VIM server appliance; and upon failure of any of the steps of expanding, replicating, and performing the switchover, aborting the upgrade, and reverting to a version of the configuration and database files that was preserved by creating the snapshot.

Abstract: A system and method for establishing trust between management entities with different authentication mechanisms in a computing system utilizes a token exchange service to acquire a second security token used in a second management entity in exchange for a first security token used in a first management entity. When a request with the second security token is sent from the first management entity to the second management entity, the second security token is validated using a public key from the first management entity at the second management entity. After validation, the request is processed at the second management entity and a response is transmitted to the first management entity.

Abstract: A method of on-boarding a virtual infrastructure management (VIM) server appliance in which VIM software for locally managing a software-defined data center (SDDC) is installed, to enable the VIM server appliance to be centrally managed through a cloud service includes upgrading the VIM server appliance from a current version to a higher version that supports communication with agents of the cloud service, modifying configurations of the upgraded VIM server appliance according to a prescriptive configuration required by the cloud service, and deploying a gateway appliance for running the agents of the cloud service that communicate with the cloud service and the upgraded VIM server appliance.

Abstract: A method of reserving hardware resources for management appliances of a software-defined data center (SDDC) that have been deployed onto one or more hosts of a cluster of hosts, includes reserving hardware resources of the cluster for a resource pool that has been created for the management appliances, the hardware resources including at least processor resources of the hosts and memory resources of the hosts, and assigning the management appliances to the resource pool created for the management appliances. The management appliances share the hardware resources of the cluster with one or more other resource pools and, after the steps of reserving and assigning, are allocated at least the hardware resources that have been reserved for the resource pool created for the management appliances.

Abstract: A system and method for establishing trust between management entities with different authentication mechanisms in a computing system utilizes a token exchange service to acquire a second security token used in a second management entity in exchange for a first security token used in a first management entity. In an embodiment, an endpoint is set at the first management entity as an authentication endpoint for the second management entity, which is used to authenticate a request with the second security token that is sent from the first management entity to the second management entity. After authentication, the request is processed at the second management entity and a response is transmitted to the first management entity.

Abstract: A method of reserving hardware resources for management appliances of a software-defined data center (SDDC) that have been deployed onto one or more hosts of a cluster of hosts, includes reserving hardware resources of the cluster for a resource pool that has been created for the management appliances, the hardware resources including at least processor resources of the hosts and memory resources of the hosts, and assigning the management appliances to the resource pool created for the management appliances. The management appliances share the hardware resources of the cluster with one or more other resource pools and, after the steps of reserving and assigning, are allocated at least the hardware resources that have been reserved for the resource pool created for the management appliances.

Abstract: A method of upgrading a VIM server appliance includes: creating a snapshot of logical volumes mapped to physical volumes that store configuration and database files of virtual infrastructure management (VIM) services provided by a first VIM server appliance to be upgraded; after the snapshot is created, expanding the configuration and database files to be compatible with a second VIM server appliance; replicating the logical volumes which have been modified as a result of expanding the configuration and database files, in the second VIM server appliance; after replication, performing a switchover of VIM services that are provided, from the first VIM server appliance to the second VIM server appliance; and upon failure of any of the steps of expanding, replicating, and performing the switchover, aborting the upgrade, and reverting to a version of the configuration and database files that was preserved by creating the snapshot.

Abstract: A system and method for establishing trust between management entities with different authentication mechanisms in a computing system utilizes a token exchange service to acquire a second security token used in a second management entity in exchange for a first security token used in a first management entity. In an embodiment, an endpoint is set at the first management entity as an authentication endpoint for the second management entity, which is used to authenticate a request with the second security token that is sent from the first management entity to the second management entity. After authentication, the request is processed at the second management entity and a response is transmitted to the first management entity.

Abstract: In one example, a computer implemented method may include designating a configurable object as a guarded object to restrict access to the configurable object. Further, the method may include receiving a request to access the guarded object and determining whether the request is received from a user having a privilege to access the guarded object. Furthermore, the method may include controlling the access to the guarded object based on the determination.

Abstract: An example method of deploying a logical network platform in a virtualized computing system, the virtualized computing system including a host cluster and a virtualization management server connected to a physical network, the host cluster having hosts and a virtualization layer executing on hardware platforms of the hosts is described. The method includes receiving, at the virtualization management server, a declarative specification describing a proposed state of the logical network platform; deploying, by the virtualization management server, a network manager of the logical network platform in response to the proposed state in the declarative specification; and deploying, by the virtualization management server in cooperation with the network manager, binaries to the hosts in the host cluster.

Abstract: In one example, a management service may be deployed in a first container. Further, a shadow service corresponding to the management service may be generated in the first container. Furthermore, network traffic may be routed to an active one of the management service and the shadow service, via a watchdog service in the first container, to provide high availability at a service level.

Abstract: In one example, a management service may be deployed in a first container. Further, a shadow service corresponding to the management service may be generated in the first container. Furthermore, network traffic may be routed to an active one of the management service and the shadow service, via a watchdog service in the first container, to provide high availability at a service level.