Modes of Deployment

Depending on the level of vCenter access provided, Avi Load Balancer can be deployed in a VMware cloud in the following modes:

Write access mode:

This mode requires a vCenter user account with write privileges. The Controller automatically spins up the Service Engines as needed and accesses vCenter to discover information about the networks and VMs.

No Orchestrator mode:

The Controller does not access vCenter. The Avi Load Balancer and vCenter administrator manually deploy the Service Engines, define networks and interface IP addresses, and map the Service Engines to the correct networks.

Write access is the recommended deployment mode. It is the quickest and easiest way to deploy and offers the highest levels of automation between Avi Load Balancer and vCenter.

In No Orchestrator mode,

• The Controller does not access vCenter and does not automatically deploy the SEs or connect them to the networks.

• The SE deployment and network placement are performed by Avi Load Balancer and vCenter administrators.

• The Avi Load Balancer supports all Avi Load Balancer features, including virtual service and SE analytics. However, the Service Engine lifecycle management is not handled by Avi Load Balancer Controller.

• vCenter’s OVF property Controller Cluster UUID for the Controller must be set.