This onboarding checklist highlights the steps and resources that are available to you as you prepare to create your first deployments in VMware Cloud.

Use the Launchpad

The VMware Cloud Launchpad is a consolidated starting point designed to help you learn about the latest VMware Hybrid Cloud solutions and infrastructure providers.

The Launchpad provides technical details on how you can use VMware products and solutions to achieve business outcomes. The Launchpad is available to anyone, even if you are not logged in to the VMware Cloud Console. It includes detailed technical information, relevant tools, and tested workflows for VMware Hybrid Cloud solutions and infrastructure.

For each product or solution, Launchpad content includes these categories:
Overview

The Overview typically consists of a short video or image that provides a technical overview of the offering followed by additional details and diagrams covering the architecture and technical capabilities.

Journey
The Journey page helps you envision your end-to-end journey with VMware for the offering. The Journey typically consists of 3 or more stages, structured to help you achieve these key objectives:
  1. Learn about the offering and prepare your environment.
  2. Deploy the offering.
  3. Configure the offering to maximize its capabilities and value.
For some offerings, the Journey also enables you to track and monitor your progress.
Resources
The Resources page includes links to technical documents, including white papers, solution briefs, and reference architectures, along with videos, FAQs, and other documents that can help you understand the technical details of the offering and its underlying technologies.
The Launchpad also offers access to VMware Cloud Packs. VMware Cloud Packs are product bundles designed to simplify and accelerate your multi-cloud adoption. Four different Cloud Packs are available:
  • Compute with Advanced Automation
  • HCI
  • HCI with Advanced Automation
  • VMware Cloud Foundation

For more information on VMware Cloud Packs and what is included, see Accelerate Your Cloud Transformation with a Cloud-Smart Strategy.

A free trial is available for HCI with Advanced Automation. This trial includes use of all the products and services in the selected Cloud Pack for 30 days.

To activate the free trial:
  1. Go to the Launchpad at https://vmc.vmware.com/home.
  2. Click VMware Cloud Packs and then click Learn More.
  3. Click Start Trial.
  4. Log in to your VMware Cloud account, or create one as described in Creating an Account.
  5. Select or create an organization and click Complete Signup.
  6. Click Connect vCenter Server, and continue by following the instructions in Connect Your vCenter Server.

After you have activated the free trial, consult the documentation for the products included in the selected Cloud Pack to learn more.

Read Your Service Welcome Email

During the deal process, your Cloud Sales Specialist or Client Executive requested that you identify a Fund Owner and a Fund User. After your deal is processed, VMware sends a service welcome email to the Fund Owner and Fund User.

The welcome email is entitled "Welcome to VMware Cloud". If you do not recall seeing it, check your spam message or corporate spam filter. This email contains a unique service activation link which directs you to the VMware Cloud Console. It is important to use this service activation link when you log into the VMware Cloud Console for the first time.

Update Your My VMware Account

Prior to logging in to the VMware Cloud Console, ensure that your My VMware account is up-to-date and all required fields are filled in. If required fields are missing, you will not be able to create your first SDDC.

You must provide a valid address as part of your My VMware profile. In addition, spell out the name of your state in full. For example, enter California rather than CA.

View Your Subscription Purchase Program Fund

Many customers select to purchase Subscription Purchase Program (SPP) credits, which can be redeemed against VMware Cloud in either an On-demand or Subscription consumption model. The Subscription model is similar to an AWS Regional Reserved Instance. An SPP fund dedicated specifically to VMware Cloud Universal purchases is available.

It is your responsibility to be aware of your SPP fund balance and manage users who should have access to it. Only a Fund Owner can add additional Fund Users. Fund Owners and Fund Users can direct VMware Cloud to use the SPP fund as a payment method.

  • View your SPP fund balance on My VMware: https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2143195.

    If you don't see an SPP fund listed under Accounts > Hybrid & Subscription Purchasing Programs (HPP/SPP), then contact your Cloud Sales Specialist or Customer Success Manager.

  • For more information on adding or removing fund users, see https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2094497.
  • To change a Fund Owner, do one of the following.
    • Select Support > Product Licensing.
    • Select Account > VMware Cloud Services - User Management.
    • Speak to your Customer Success Manager.

Log into the VMware Cloud Console

The service activation link provided to you in the service welcome email directs you to the VMware Cloud Console.

  1. Click the service activation link that was provided to you in the service welcome email.

    You will be directed to the VMware Cloud Console.

  2. Use the email and password from your My VMware account to log in.

    This account must also be either the Fund Owner or Fund User and have access to the SPP fund.

Add Organization Owners and Organization Users

VMware Cloud accounts are based on an Organization, which corresponds to a group or line of business subscribed to VMware Cloud services.

Each Organization has one or more Organization Owners, who have access to all the resources and services of the Organization and can invite additional users to the account. By default, these additional users are Organization Users, who can create, manage, and access SDDCs belonging to the Organization, but cannot invite new users.

Create a Subscription

Subscriptions allow you to save money by committing to buy a certain amount of capacity for a defined period. Some VMware Cloud products, such as VMware Cloud Foundation subscriptions require a subscription purchase. Others, such as VMware Cloud on AWS, can be purchased either on a subscription or on-demand basis.

You can use your SPP fund to purchase a subscription. You would have agreed to the number of hosts, type of hosts, and term (1 year or 3 year subscription) during the sales process to determine the amount of SPP credit purchased.

Sales promotions discounts are applied to your fund after the first billing cycle.

Contact your Cloud Sales Specialist if you are uncertain of what your company committed to in terms of hosts under subscription.

View Your Billing Information

Fund owners can view billing information for the active method of payment in the organization. You can only view billing information if you are the fund owner.

To display your billing information in My VMware, click Billing on the VMware Cloud Services Console page, or on the menu, click the VMware Cloud Services icon and click Billing.

View the VMware Cloud Release Notes

is able to release new features at a much faster pace that our traditional on premises software products. Check the release notes page frequently to keep updated on the new features that have been released: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Cloud/services/rn/VMware-Cloud-Release-Notes.html.

Sign Up to Receive Service Alerts

The VMware Cloud Operations team posts updates on planned maintenance events, maintenance start and end times, and service incidents on the VMware Cloud Services status page.