Create a running environment for an IPAM integration point in vRealize Automation

Before you can define a external IPAM integration point in vRealize Automation, you need to create or access an existing running environment to serve as an intermediary between the IPAM provider and vRealize Automation. The running environment is commonly an Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure cloud account or an on-premises actions-based extensibility integration point that is associated to a cloud extensibility proxy.

External IPAM integration requires a running environment. When you define the IPAM integration point, you create a connection between Cloud Assembly and your IPAM provider by specifying an available running environment.

IPAM integration uses a set of downloaded provider-specific scripts or plug-ins in a running environment that is facilitated by a Feature-as-a-Services (FaaS) provider such as Amazon Web Services Lambda, Microsoft Azure Functions, or an actions-based extensibility (ABX) On-Prem Embedded integration point. The running environment is used to connect to the external IPAM provider, for example Infoblox.

Note: An Infoblox IPAM integration point requires an actions-based extensibility (ABX) On-Prem Embedded integration point.

Each type of runtime environment has advantages and disadvantages:

• An actions-based extensibility (ABX) integration point:
  • is free, no additional vendor usage costs.
  • can connect to IPAM vendor appliances that reside in an on-premises data center behind a NAT/firewall that is not publicly accessible, for example Infoblox.
  • is slower with slightly less available performance than commercial cloud.
• Amazon Web Services
  • has associated vendor FaaS connection/usage costs.
  • cannot connect to IPAM vendor appliances that reside in an on-premises data center behind a NAT/firewall that is not publicly accessible.
  • has fast and highly reliable performance.
• Microsoft Azure
  • has associated vendor FaaS connection/usage costs.
  • cannot connect to IPAM vendor appliances that reside in an on-premises data center behind a NAT/firewall that is not publicly accessible.
  • has fast and highly reliable performance.

Prerequisites

• Verify that you have cloud administrator credentials. See Credentials required for working with cloud accounts in vRealize Automation.
• Verify that you have the cloud administrator user role. See What are the vRealize Automation user roles.
• Verify that you have an account with the external IPAM provider, for example Infoblox or Bluecat, and that you have the correct access credentials to your organization's account with the IPAM provider.
• Verify that you have access to a deployed integration package for your IPAM provider, such as Infoblox or BlueCat. The deployed package is initially obtained as a .zip download from your IPAM provider website or from the VMware Marketplace and then deployed in Cloud Assembly.

  For information about how to deploy the provider package .zip file and make it available as a Provider value on the IPAM Integration page, see Download and deploy an external IPAM provider package for use in vRealize Automation.

Procedure

1. To create an On-Prem FaaS-based extensibility action to use as an IPAM integration running environment, select Extensibility > Library > Actions.
2. Click New Action, enter an action name and description, and specify a project.
3. In the FaaS provider drop-down menu, select On Prem.
4. Complete the form to define the extensibility action.

   For more information about creating extensibility actions, see Extending and automating application life cycles with extensibility.

   For related information about the running environment, see this Infoblox IPAM Plug-in Integration blog video at approximately 24 minutes into the video.