Getting started with AWS Management Portal for vCenter
AWS Management Portal for vCenter
enables you to manage your AWS resources
using VMware vCenter.
In this video we will explain the benefits
of AWS Management Portal for vCenter.
And will demonstrate how to use it to perform the tasks
most commonly done by virtual machine administrators.
AWS Management Portal for vCenter
provides a simple, easy-to-use interface
for creating and managing AWS resources
from VMware vCenter.
The portal installs as a vCenter plug-in
within your existing vCenter environment.
And it offers a familiar look and feel
for experienced to vCenter administrators.
It includes integrated support
from migrating vCenter virtual machines
to compute instances in Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud,
Amazon EC2.
As well as creating new compute instances from templates.
You can also use the portal to administer EC2 instances,
both those you migrated from vCenter VMs
and those you created from templates.
Because AWS Management Portal for vCenter
offers access to AWS regions around the world
you can use it to create and manage EC2 instances
that are close to your on-premises computing
and close to your customers.
The inventory is the fundamental way VMware vCenter organizes resources.
Inventories present virtual machines and many other vCenter concepts
in a hierarchical way.
AWS Management Portal for vCenter
also presents the elements you can manage
in a hierarchical inventory.
Let's examine these elements.
The AWS cloud is made up of AWS regions around the world.
AWS Management Portal makes it easy for you to use any of these regions.
To start using a new AWS region
you or your vCenter administrator will define an environment in it.
That is associated with your AWS account.
An environment gathers together one or more templates,
which you will use to create new compute instances
as well as one or more IP subnets.
Templates also service folders
for the compute instances you create from them.
Compute instances created by importing from vCenter virtual machines
appear under a special imported instances folder.
Now let's see a demonstration of the day-to-day tasks
for which a vCenter administrator would use AWS Management Portal.
In this demonstration we will start with an environment
that's already been configured.
First let's migrate the vCenter VM to an Amazon EC2 instance.
We'll select the desired VM inside vCenters inventory
after having confirmed that the guest operating system
inside the VM is configured to get its IP address from DHCP
and that the VM is stopped.
Now right click the VM and then click Migrate VM to EC2.
Select the guest operating system running inside the VM.
Then choose an AWS region.
vCenter will offer the environments in that AWS region
to which you have access.
Choose one.
Select a subnet for the instance.
Check with your administrator if you need more information
about this subnet's address spaces and connectivity.
Select an instance type.
Amazon EC2 instance types comprise varying combinations
of CPU, memory, storage and networking capacity.
You may optionally enter a private IP address.
If you don't specify a private IP address,
AWS Management Portal will select one for you
from the appropriate subnet range.
Now choose a security group for the instance.
Security groups like firewalls
limit access to particular network ports.
Your administrator can give more information
about the security groups already defined in this environment
or define new ones.
Now click Migrate to EC2.
After the migrate task begins,
we display an import task ID.
Note to this ID:
if you'd like to monitor the migrate task,
the migration happens in the background
so there was no need to leave the vCenter client open
while them migration runs.
Once the migration is complete,
the portal shows the newly created instance
and we can administer it.
Next, let's deploy a new EC2 compute instance
from a template provided to you by your administrator.
From vCenter click Home and then click AWS Management Portal.
From the dashboard expand the region
and the environment for the new instance.
Then select the template.
On the Getting Started tab click Deploy an instance.
Templates encompass a software image
called an Amazon Machine Image or AMI,
which is like a Golden Master in VMware terms,
as well as a choice of subnet
and other important configuration choices.
Enter a useful name for the instance in the name field.
You can specify one or more tags for the instance.
Your AWS bill will use these tags to help you understand your charges.
Select a subnet for the instance and then click Next.
Review the configuration for your instance.
When you are ready to deploy the instance, click Finish.
Your instance will be launched and you can administer it
through AWS Management Portal's inventory.
AWS Management Portal for vCenter
is the simplest and most user-friendly option
for migrating VMs to AWS.
The tool offers you access to AWS regions around the world.
The portal is at no additional charge.
You pay only for the resources you'd use.
You can learn more about the portal and its capabilities
at the URLs shown.
This concludes our video.