Understanding VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 Fleet Latency

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0 introduces advanced capabilities for managing multi-instance environments with improved automation, operations, and latency considerations. One of the critical aspects of VCF architecture is understanding fleet latency—the network communication delays between different VCF instances and their components.

What is Fleet Latency?

Fleet latency refers to the time taken for data and control signals to travel between VCF instances, management domains, and workload domains. In a multi-instance deployment, latency impacts operations such as lifecycle management, monitoring, and automation. VMware provides guidelines and diagrams to help architects design networks that minimize latency and ensure optimal performance.

Network Architecture Overview

The diagram illustrates two VCF instances—VCF Instance 1 and VCF Instance 2—each with its own Management Domain and Workload Domain. Key components include:

• VCF Automation LayerRepresented by the green lines at the top, this layer handles automation tasks across instances.

• VCF Operations LayerShown in blue, this layer includes the VCF Operations Panel Manager and collectors that gather telemetry data for monitoring and analytics.

• Management Domain ComponentsEach instance has:

  • vCenter for centralized management.

  • SDDC Manager for lifecycle and configuration management.

  • NSX Manager and NSX Edge for network virtualization.

• Workload Domain ComponentsIncludes ESXi hosts and vCenter instances dedicated to workloads

Latency Considerations

The arrows in the diagram represent communication paths between components. These paths are critical for:

• Automation workflows (green arrows)

• Operational telemetry and monitoring (blue arrows)

• Inter-instance communication for fleet-wide management

VMware recommends keeping latency within specific thresholds:

• Management-to-Management Domain: Low latency for SDDC Manager and vCenter interactions.

• Operations Layer: Ensure telemetry data flows efficiently to avoid delays in monitoring and alerting.

• Automation Layer: Minimize latency for orchestration tasks across instances.

Best Practices

1. Network Design: Use high-bandwidth, low-latency links between VCF instances.

2. Segmentation: Separate management, workload, and operations traffic for better performance.

3. Monitoring: Continuously measure latency and optimize network paths.

4. Redundancy: Implement failover mechanisms to maintain connectivity during outages.