When deploying a workload domain, you specify the name, compute, and networking details for the VI workload domain. You then select the hosts for the VI workload domain and start the workflow.
When you deploy a new VI workload domain, VMware Cloud Foundation deploys a new vCenter Server for that workload domain. The vCenter Server is associated with a vCenter Single Sign-On Domain (SSO) to determine the local authentication space. Prior to VMware Cloud Foundation 5.0, the management vCenter Server and all VI workload domain vCenter Servers were members of a single vSphere SSO domain, joined together with vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode. Starting with VMware Cloud Foundation 5.0, when you deploy a new VI workload domain, you can choose to join the management domain SSO domain, or create a new SSO domain.
The workflow automatically:
  • Deploys a vCenter Server Appliance for the new VI workload domain within the management domain. By using a separate vCenter Server instance per VI workload domain, software updates can be applied without impacting other VI workload domains. It also allows for each VI workload domain to have additional isolation as needed.
  • Configures networking on each host.
  • Configures vSAN storage on the ESXi hosts.
  • For the first VI workload domain, the workflow deploys a cluster of three NSX Managers in the management domain and configures a virtual IP (VIP) address for the NSX Manager cluster. The workflow also configures an anti-affinity rule between the NSX Manager VMs to prevent them from being on the same host for high availability. Subsequent VI workload domains can share an existing NSX Manager cluster or deploy a new one. To share an NSX Manager cluster, the VI workload domains must use the same update method. The VI workload domains must both use vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM) images, or they must both use vLCM baselines.
  • By default, VI workload domains do not include any NSX Edge clusters and are isolated. To provide north-south routing and network services, add one or more NSX Edge clusters to a VI workload domain. See Managing NSX Edge Clusters in VMware Cloud Foundation.
Note: Starting with VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2, when you deploy a new VI workload domain, it uses the same versions of vCenter Server and NSX Manager that the management domain uses. For example, if you applied an async patch to the vCenter Server in the management domain, a new VI workload domain will deploy the same patched version of vCenter Server.