VMware Cloud on AWS
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What is VMware Cloud on AWS
VMware Cloud on AWS is a jointly engineered managed cloud service that runs VMware’s SDDC stack (vSphere, vSAN, and NSX) on dedicated AWS infrastructure. It is primarily used by IT infrastructure teams to extend or migrate on‑premises VMware environments to the public cloud while keeping operational consistency with existing VMware tools and processes. The service integrates with AWS networking and native services, enabling hybrid architectures and disaster recovery or burst capacity use cases. It is delivered and supported as a managed offering rather than customer-managed software installed directly on AWS.
Operational continuity for VMware
It uses the same core VMware virtualization, storage, and networking components that many enterprises run on premises. This reduces re-platforming effort for workloads that depend on vSphere constructs and operational runbooks. It also supports common VMware management and automation tooling, which can shorten migration timelines compared with rebuilding on different cloud primitives.
Managed SDDC on AWS
The service provides a managed VMware SDDC running on dedicated AWS bare-metal hosts, shifting responsibility for much of the underlying infrastructure lifecycle to the provider. This can simplify patching and platform maintenance compared with self-managed private cloud software deployments. It also provides a standardized way to consume VMware infrastructure as a cloud service rather than procuring and operating hardware.
Hybrid connectivity and integration
It supports hybrid connectivity patterns between on‑premises VMware environments and the cloud SDDC, which is useful for phased migrations and disaster recovery. The deployment runs within AWS regions and can integrate with AWS services for adjacent capabilities (for example, data services, analytics, or security tooling). This enables architectures where VMware-hosted workloads consume cloud-native services without fully re-architecting the application stack.
Cost and licensing complexity
Pricing combines dedicated host consumption with VMware software entitlements and support, which can be difficult to model against alternative IaaS or private cloud approaches. Costs can be higher for steady-state workloads that do not benefit from elasticity or managed-service tradeoffs. Organizations often need careful analysis of reserved capacity, host sizing, and licensing terms to avoid unexpected spend.
AWS-centric deployment constraints
The service runs specifically on AWS infrastructure, which can limit portability for organizations pursuing a multi-cloud strategy. Regional availability, host types, and some platform features depend on AWS region support and service rollouts. This can create constraints compared with solutions that can be deployed across multiple infrastructure providers or on customer-owned hardware.
Not cloud-native by default
The primary value is compatibility with VMware environments, not modernization to cloud-native architectures. Applications may still require redesign to take full advantage of managed platform services, autoscaling patterns, or container-native operations. Teams can end up maintaining traditional VM-based operational models longer than intended if modernization is not planned in parallel.
Plan & Pricing
Pricing model: Pay-as-you-go (host-hour) with optional term subscriptions (1-year, 3-year) Free tier/trial: Single-host 30-day evaluation SDDC (time-limited) — see notes below Example costs:
- On‑demand (MSRP): i3 host — $8.3681 per host-hour (MSRP list price shown in VMware usage docs).
- Term/Reserved: 1-year and 3-year subscriptions are available (prepaid); VMware documents that prepaid longer-term subscriptions deliver significant savings (VMware notes up to 50% savings for longer-term prepay on some SKUs/add-ons). Other charge examples & notes:
- Data egress (examples from VMware): ~$0.02/GB over Direct Connect and ~$0.05/GB over VPN for US/Europe regions; cross-AZ and other network fees may apply (VMware provides guidance and region-specific details).
- Entry-size options: VMware supports Single‑Host (time-limited, POC/dev/test) and 2‑host persistent production clusters (2‑host lowers entry cost ~33% vs older 3‑host minimum for i3.metal clusters). Discounts / commitment options:
- 1‑year and 3‑year prepaid subscriptions (reserved hosts) reduce costs vs on‑demand; VMware documents substantial discounts for prepaid terms (up to 50% cited for some offerings). Region / host-type variability:
- Prices vary by AWS region and host type (i3, i3en, i4i, etc.); VMware directs customers to the VMware Cloud pricing pages/console for the latest region-specific MSRP.
Notes: All information above was taken from VMware’s official website (blogs, provider hub documentation and product pages) and VMware Cloud on AWS official guidance. Where VMware points to the cloud.vmware.com pricing console for the latest MSRP, customers should confirm region/host-specific pricing there.
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Broadcom Inc.
Palo Alto, California, USA
1961
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https://www.broadcom.com/
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