Deployment Types and General Workflow

The HCX deployment type varies depending on the environments being connected. Regardless of the deployment type, the overall installation workflow is the same.

HCX Deployment Types

HCX deployments use the following terminology:

Software Defined Data Center (SDDC)

Software Defined Data Center (SDDC) refers to an environment using current VMware software. An SDDC can refer to a private (on-premises) cloud or a public cloud that meets the requirements of the HCX destination. The SDDC is typically the destination for HCX migrations and network extension. See Software Version Requirements.

Legacy vSphere

A legacy environment uses vSphere Version 6.0 or higher and optionally uses NSX. These environments typically contain the workloads to migrate and the networks to extend.

Public Cloud

An SDDC that is offered as a service by HCX activated public cloud providers. VMware Cloud on AWS is a public cloud. A public cloud is typically the destination for migrations and network extension.

Note:

VMware Cloud on AWS uses the term "SDDC" to describe a compute instance in the cloud.

HCX is available for the following hyperscaler and VMware partner environments:

• Azure VMware Solution

• Google Cloud VMware Engine

• Oracle Cloud VMware Solution

• VMware Cloud on AWS

• VMware Cloud on Dell EMC

• VMware Cloud Services Providers

HCX deployments fall into several types:

Deployment	Description
Legacy vSphere to SDDC	In this deployment type, the HCX Connector at the Legacy site initiates Site Pairing, and the Service Mesh appliances initiate the Interconnect tunnels. The HCX Cloud manager and the Service Mesh appliances at the SDDC site are the receivers.
Legacy vSphere to Public Cloud	In this deployment type, the HCX Connector at the Legacy site initiates Site Pairing, and the Service Mesh appliances initiate the Interconnect tunnels. The HCX Cloud Manager and the Service Mesh appliances at the Public Cloud are the receivers.
Cloud-to-Cloud (Public Cloud to Public Cloud, SDDC to SDDC, or SDDC to Public Cloud)	In this deployment type, the HCX Manager at the SDDC or the Public Cloud can initiate or receive Site Pairing requests and act as the initiator or receiver during the Service Mesh creation. Note: Cloud-to-cloud deployment is not available for VMware Cloud Director.

HCX Installation Workflow

In any of these deployment types, HCX operation is functionally the same, and the same general workflow applies: