Each VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC is eligible for vRealize Automation Cloud trial activation. Your organization can initiate one vRealize Automation Cloud trial activation for each available VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC.

In this procedure, you'll activate the vRealize Automation Cloud trial from a VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC.

Prerequisites

Before you can start the trial activation process, you and your VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC administrator should review and understand the implications of meeting the following SDDC prerequisites:
  1. On the vCenter page for the source SDDC where you want to initiate the trial, examine the cluster names under the SDDC-Datacenter node. The source SDDC is the one you'll use to initiate the trial activation and to automatically create starter objects in vRealize Automation Cloud.

    Your source SDDC should have a cluster named either Cluster-1 or Cluster-sddc_index_number-1. This is the default cluster and resource pool in the SDDC. The vRealize Automation Cloud trial activation process uses this cluster and resource pool to create placement zones for the starter cloud account.

  2. On the vCenter page for the source SDDC where you want to initiate the trial, verify that the SDDC-Datacenter node contains a data store named WorkloadDatastore.

    This is the default data store in the SDDC. It is used by the trial activation process to create a storage profile.

    If the data store doesn't exist, the trial activation process cannot create a starter storage profile. If the trial activation process cannot create the starter data store, you must create one manually after the trial is activated.

  3. Navigate to the SDDC Networking & Security tab and check the network segments list. Verify that the SDDC-Datacenter node contains a network segment named sddc-cgw-network-1.

    This is the default network in the SDDC. It is used by the trial activation process to create a network profile.

    If the default network sddc-cgw-network-1 is not present or has been renamed, the trial activation process cannot create a starter network profile. In this case, vRealize Automation Cloud will choose a network at random to connect VMs to during provisioning. If the network that vRealize Automation Cloud chooses does not have sufficient privileges, provisioning errors may occur vRealize Automation Cloud.

  • Trial activation is not available if your organization already has a vRealize Automation Cloud subscription. An existing subscription appears as a vRealize Automation Cloud card on your VMware Cloud Services page.
  • Trial activation is only available for a source VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC that resides in a US region data center.
  • Trial activation is not available for a source VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC that has already been activated. Both the VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC and vRealize Automation Cloud must reside in a US region.

Procedure

Use the following procedure to start the vRealize Automation Cloud trial activation process.
  1. Log in to your VMware Cloud on AWS console in vCenter as a user with the Organization Owner role in the organization that owns the source SDDC.
  2. Open the page that lists all of your SDDCs and select the SDDC that you want to use as the source for the vRealize Automation Cloud trial.

    Screen shows SDDC selected in application sidebar menu.

    This functionality is only available for SDDCs that reside in the US region.

  3. On the selected SDDC page, click its Integrated Services tab.
  4. On the vRealize Automation Cloud add-on card, click Activate.

    A VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC can only be used by one vRealize Automation Cloud trial at a time.

  5. Click Activate and wait for the trial activation process to complete.
    The following events occur automatically, with no further user intervention, during the vRealize Automation Cloud trial activation process. The process takes approximately 20 - 30 minutes to complete.
    • Your organization is created with 45 day trial access to vRealize Automation Cloud.
    • The required vRealize Automation Cloud user roles are granted to you.
    • The VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC is registered in vRealize Automation Cloud.
    • A VMware Cloud on AWS cloud account is created that corresponds to the source SDDC. The cloud account name corresponds to the source SDDC name.
    • A project and cloud zone are created for the VMware Cloud on AWS cloud account/region using functions that are available in the Cloud Assembly service. The project name and cloud zone name correspond to the source SDDC name.
    • Network profiles and storage profiles are created, including a single network segment, as are image mappings and flavor mappings. The network profile name and storage profile name correspond to the source SDDC name.
    • A cloud template is created in the Cloud Assembly service that contains information for each virtual machine image in the source VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC. The cloud template name corresponds to the source SDDC name.
    • A catalog item is created in the Service Broker service that corresponds to the cloud template. The catalog item name corresponds to the source SDDC name.
  6. When the trial activation process is completed, click Open vRealize Automation Cloud on the SDDC's vRealize Automation Cloud add on card.

    The vRealize Automation Cloud trial opens in the Service Broker displaying the catalog item that was created by the trial activation process.

  7. You can experiment with catalog items, cloud templates, profiles, and other resource objects by using the Cloud Assembly and Service Broker services in vRealize Automation Cloud, as well as the Code Stream service. For initial guidance, see Explore the vRealize Automation Cloud trial for VMware Cloud on AWS.

For more information about vRealize Automation Cloud, see the vRealize Automation product page and vRealize Automation product documentation.