VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) is a comprehensive solution strategically built to manage software-defined data centers (SDDC). It seamlessly integrates different components and provides a unified and efficient infrastructure. Integration components within VCF contribute to its versatility and enable organizations to streamline and improve data center operations.
From an operational perspective, two essential elements come to the fore: metering and invoicing. These elements play a key role for service providers and partners using VMware Cloud Foundation. Metering involves measuring and tracking resource usage, while Billing ensures accurate calculation and billing for services provided through SDDC.
In short, invoicing is a key component within VMware Cloud Foundation that enables service providers and partners to accurately bill clients based on monitored resource usage. This capability ensures transparent and fair financial transactions while supporting optimal management and resource allocation in the dynamic environment of software-defined data centers.
What is VMware Chargeback?
VMware Chargeback is a tool provided by VMware that enables service providers to manage and allocate costs associated with virtualized environments. It helps providers and tenants understand resource consumption and allocate costs accordingly.
VMware Chargeback works as a tenant plug-in and offers a metering and billing interface. This interface makes it easy to track, measure, and bill for usage and services provided through VMware Cloud Director.
What’s new now?
There is a well-established understanding of chargeback—an approach to tracking and allocating costs based on resource usage—in the field of service providers using VMware solutions. Service providers are typically aware of how chargeback integrates with VMware Cloud Director, a platform for managing cloud resources and services.
Now, with the introduction VMware Aria Operations version 8.16there has been a remarkable transformation in the way Chargeback is processed. In this release, Chargeback is fully integrated into VMware Aria Operations.
Architecture:
Unlike previous versions, Chargeback is no longer a standalone app; rather, it was seamlessly integrated into the extensive VMware Aria Operations framework. This integration suggests that Chargeback is now an integral part of a larger and interconnected system or platform. It has gone from an isolated tool to one intricately designed to work seamlessly within the larger context of the VMware Aria Operations framework.
Trigger points:
To initiate the workflow, service providers initiate the process from the VMware Aria Operations page. Within this interface, they will be able to effortlessly integrate VMware Cloud Director with Chargeback. Providers can then proceed to configure Chargeback and fine-tune various outgoing settings such as email configuration.
In addition, providers have the authority to formulate pricing policies and assign them to the corresponding tenants. This includes specifying the rules and criteria governing the application of fees. In addition, providers can delve into configuration options including billing settings, allowing them to customize the financial aspects of their services. They also have the flexibility to configure tenant notifications, ensuring timely and relevant communications. In addition, providers can use the system to set up and share detailed reports, enabling a transparent and comprehensive view of the usage and costs associated with their services.
However, tenant users can access Chargeback features through the VMware Cloud Director portal using the Operation Manager plugin.
Chargeback features on the VMware Aria Operations product page:
VMware Cloud Director (VCD) Operations and Chargeback
- All Chargeback (formerly known as VMware Chargeback or Tenant App) capabilities are natively available in VMware Aria Operations.
- A dedicated dashboard view for the VMware Cloud Director infrastructure layer for all key Chargeback functions and operations.
- Ability to create and assign VMware Cloud Director pricing policies through VMware Aria Operations policies.
- Ability to manage tenant or Operations Manager views (metrics, pages and data retention).
- Support for tenant user and email management features.
- Support for tenant reports, alerts and notification management capabilities.
- Billing overview across organizations, OVDC, vApps and VMs.
- Support for invoice generation and planning.
- Support for VMware Cloud Director (VCD 10.5.1 and higher) on VMware Aria Operations on-prem (VMware Aria Operations 8.16).
- New and improved operations manager plugin in VMware Cloud Director (VCD 10.5.1 and higher).
- New migration flow for migrating from VMware Chargeback (VMware Chargeback 8.16) to VMware Aria Operations (VMware Aria Operations 8.16)-based Chargeback and VMware Cloud Director Operations (VCD 10.5.1 and higher).
Note: VMware Aria Operations 8.16 has many more updates, this blog only focuses on VMware Chargeback integration.
What problems does this integration overcome?
- Chargeback features seamlessly integrate into the broader VMware Aria Operations environment.
- Onboarding is simplified and provides customers with a more user-friendly experience.
- No additional tasks are required for standalone application maintenance and upgrades.
