Homelab Introduction to VCF

Introduction

After a longer break, I’m returning to building a lab in a home setting. This time, I decided to focus on implementing VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) in a nested environment, using only one high-capacity server. Thanks to this homelab, I will not only refresh my existing knowledge but also gain a better understanding of the latest VCF functionalities, particularly in terms of minimum requirements, integration, and management.

What is VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF)?

VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) is a comprehensive set of products and guidelines that define a standard way of building and managing VMware-based environments in data centers and the cloud. VCF includes:

• vSphere (server virtualization)

• vSAN (storage virtualization)

• NSX (network virtualization)

• SDDC Manager (facilitating overall management)

Thanks to these components, we have a cohesive and comprehensive platform that allows us to create a unified environment. If we also add aspects of automation and accountability, we have a recipe for a private public cloud. VCF also introduces specific minimum requirements—among others, an appropriate number of hosts, as well as certain network and hardware configurations.

Why Nested?

In a home environment, setting up a physical cluster with three or four servers can be difficult to achieve, mainly due to costs and space. A nested solution (running multiple ESXi hypervisors inside a single physical ESXi server) is an excellent alternative:

• Lower hardware requirements – One more powerful server with adequately allocated resources is sufficient.

• Knowledge refresh – A nested configuration is similar to a real production environment, making it suitable for training, testing, and learning.

• Flexibility – You can quickly create and remove virtual ESXi hosts, change network topology, and run various lab scenarios without modifying physical hardware.

Chosen Server

My choice fell on the Dell PowerEdge R740xd 14th Gen. The key selection criterion was a large amount of RAM and the availability of NVMe disks, among other reasons to leverage the Memory Tier feature introduced from version 8.0u3. Below is my configuration as an example:

• Model: Dell PowerEdge R740xd (14th generation)

• Processors: 2 × Intel Xeon Gold 6240, 2.6/3.9 GHz

• RAM: 16 × 32 GB DDR4 2666 MHz ECC RDIMM (512 GB in total)

• RAID Controller: Dell PERC H730 1 GB Cache Mini Mono

• Drives:

  • 1 × 960 GB SAS SSD (12 Gbps, MLC, Read Intensive)

  • 2 × 1.6 TB SAS SSD (12 Gbps, MLC, Read Intensive)

  • 3 × 1.92 TB NVMe Gen4 (U.2 SSD, TLC, Read Intensive)

• Network Card: Dell Intel i350/X710 (2×1 Gb RJ45, 2×10 Gb SFP+ NDC)

• Management: iDRAC9 Enterprise

• Power Supplies: Dell 2 × 750 W PSU

I hope this configuration will allow me to deploy the full VCF stack. We’ll find out soon enough.

Network Preparation

The first step before implementation is to carefully plan the network. My server has been connected to VLAN 105, which will handle both the iDRAC port and the main VMkernel (VMK) for ESXi. This setup enables me to:

• Manage the physical server via iDRAC.

• Run virtual ESXi hosts with management interfaces also in VLAN 105, or in other selected VLANs.

A sample schematic might look like this:
In the nested environment, we will also set up logical virtual networks (portgroups) to which the virtual machines will be connected. These machines will provide services as part of VCF. However, that topic will be covered in a separate pos

Plans for the Next Steps

In the following parts of this homelab series, I plan to:

1. Install and configure ESXi on the physical server, including enabling the Memory Tier feature.
2. Set up and configure networking, ensuring connectivity between the virtual and physical environments.
3. Create an installation file for VCF, using CloudBuilder.