The deployment process for VMware Cloud Foundation greatly simplifies the complex process of standing up an end-to-end software-defined data center (SDDC) environment. VMware Cloud Foundation uses a structured stand-up process that provides the following features and services:

• An imaging platform that can be used for initial and subsequent deployment of all VMware Cloud Foundation component software, including management and workload domains
• A configuration process that captures all required environment settings
• A validation process that validates configuration data before attempting deployment
• Deployment tooling, automation, logging, and troubleshooting
• Post-installation management and configuration through the SDDC Manager tool

While VMware Cloud Foundation abstracts much of the installation and integration of the various underlying SDDC components, you must still invest significant time, thought, and effort into the predeployment and planning processes; these areas are critical to a successful VMware Cloud Foundation deployment.

While a detailed walkthrough of a VMware Cloud Foundation deployment is outside the scope of this document, this chapter covers the high-level procedural steps for deploying VMware Cloud Foundation on Ready Stack.

While Ready Stack supports both the standard and consolidated VMware Cloud Foundation architecture models, this deployment is based on the former. If you do not require discrete isolation of management and workload domains, you can choose the latter model.

For detailed VMware Cloud Foundation planning, sizing, deployment, and troubleshooting guidance, see VMware Cloud Foundation Documentation.