VMware Cloud: Cloud Flex Compute
A new, easy-to-get-started, flexible, and cost-effective service for IT admins beginning the transition to public cloud
VMware Cloud: Cloud Flex Compute
A new, easy-to-get-started, flexible, and cost-effective service for IT admins beginning the transition to public cloud
VMware Cloud: Cloud Flex Compute
A new, easy-to-get-started, flexible, and cost-effective service for IT admins beginning the transition to public cloud
My Role
UX Designer — Interaction Design, User Flows, Prototyping
Team
Frances, PM
Rashmi, PM
Sarah, Lead UXD
Nathan, Solutions Architect
William, Solutions Architect
Vasil, SWE
Arvind, SWE
Akshay, SWE
Dongfeng, SWE
Timeline
November 2022 - March 2023
Overview
Cloud Flex Compute is a new, innovative way to consume the cloud. It offers IT admins seeking a lighter, more cost-effective transition to public cloud a highly customizable deployment option within the VMware Cloud console. This solution integrates cost transparency from the start and includes familiar core vSphere functionality in easy-to-use workflows, addressing the need for clear, efficient management.
I collaborated with the lead designer on the actions menu and detail view features, while also contributing to the unification of VMs from Cloud Flex Compute and vSphere+, ensuring a seamless and consistent experience for managing virtual infrastructure across both services on the VMware Cloud console.
Highlights
Easy discovery and onboarding
Quickly find and access the new service, with a comprehensive guide that simplifies the onboarding process and ensures a smooth start.
Highlights
Easy discovery and onboarding
Quickly find and access the new service, with a comprehensive guide that simplifies the onboarding process and ensures a smooth start.
Highlights
Easy discovery and onboarding
Quickly find and access the new service, with a comprehensive guide that simplifies the onboarding process and ensures a smooth start.
Deploy and configure a Flex Space
Easily define and configure Flex Space with intuitive options for compute, memory, and storage profiles, alongside simplified networking setup with built-in presets and real-time field validation.
Deploy and configure a Flex Space
Easily define and configure Flex Space with intuitive options for compute, memory, and storage profiles, alongside simplified networking setup with built-in presets and real-time field validation.
Deploy and configure a Flex Space
Easily define and configure Flex Space with intuitive options for compute, memory, and storage profiles, alongside simplified networking setup with built-in presets and real-time field validation.
View and manage Flex Space details
Gain a clear overview of workloads and resource usage, allowing for streamlined management of your Flex Space environment.
View and manage Flex Space details
Gain a clear overview of workloads and resource usage, allowing for streamlined management of your Flex Space environment.
View and manage Flex Space details
Gain a clear overview of workloads and resource usage, allowing for streamlined management of your Flex Space environment.
View and manage VMs on a Flex Space
Gain a clear overview of workloads and resource usage, allowing for streamlined management of your Flex Space environment.
View and manage VMs on a Flex Space
Gain a clear overview of workloads and resource usage, allowing for streamlined management of your Flex Space environment.
View and manage VMs on a Flex Space
Gain a clear overview of workloads and resource usage, allowing for streamlined management of your Flex Space environment.
CONTEXT
Scale into public cloud at your own pace
CONTEXT
Scale into public cloud at your own pace
CONTEXT
Scale into public cloud at your own pace
The inception of Cloud Flex Compute
Cloud Flex Compute was initiated to address VMware's challenge of growing its Cloud Console among virtual infrastructure (VI) admins, especially those from vSphere. Initial research revealed that admins, preferred a gradual, scalable transition to new solutions. This led to the realization that the minimum host requirements for our VMC on AWS offering were too large for their needs.
The project aimed to create a user-friendly experience for this new model while ensuring seamless integration with VMware Cloud Console. UX's role was to balance introducing innovative technology with maintaining a unified experience across services like vSphere+.
The inception of Cloud Flex Compute
Cloud Flex Compute was initiated to address VMware's challenge of growing its Cloud Console among virtual infrastructure (VI) admins, especially those from vSphere. Initial research revealed that admins, preferred a gradual, scalable transition to new solutions. This led to the realization that the minimum host requirements for our VMC on AWS offering were too large for their needs.
The project aimed to create a user-friendly experience for this new model while ensuring seamless integration with VMware Cloud Console. UX's role was to balance introducing innovative technology with maintaining a unified experience across services like vSphere+.
The inception of Cloud Flex Compute
Cloud Flex Compute was initiated to address VMware's challenge of growing its Cloud Console among virtual infrastructure (VI) admins, especially those from vSphere. Initial research revealed that admins, preferred a gradual, scalable transition to new solutions. This led to the realization that the minimum host requirements for our VMC on AWS offering were too large for their needs.
The project aimed to create a user-friendly experience for this new model while ensuring seamless integration with VMware Cloud Console. UX's role was to balance introducing innovative technology with maintaining a unified experience across services like vSphere+.
Flex Space — The building block of Cloud Flex Compute
A Flex Space is a versatile and customizable resource slice designed to optimize cloud resource management.
Within VMware Cloud's Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC), which requires at least two hosts for workload deployment, a Flex Space offers a more granular approach. It provides a segment of a host, allowing for tailored resource allocation and efficient scaling. This makes Flex Spaces ideal for managing smaller, specific workloads, while still benefiting from the robustness of the SDDC environment.
Flex Space — The building block of Cloud Flex Compute
A Flex Space is a versatile and customizable resource slice designed to optimize cloud resource management.
Within VMware Cloud's Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC), which requires at least two hosts for workload deployment, a Flex Space offers a more granular approach. It provides a segment of a host, allowing for tailored resource allocation and efficient scaling. This makes Flex Spaces ideal for managing smaller, specific workloads, while still benefiting from the robustness of the SDDC environment.
Flex Space — The building block of Cloud Flex Compute
A Flex Space is a versatile and customizable resource slice designed to optimize cloud resource management.
Within VMware Cloud's Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC), which requires at least two hosts for workload deployment, a Flex Space offers a more granular approach. It provides a segment of a host, allowing for tailored resource allocation and efficient scaling. This makes Flex Spaces ideal for managing smaller, specific workloads, while still benefiting from the robustness of the SDDC environment.
PROBLEM SPACE
The strains of shifting to public cloud
PROBLEM SPACE
The strains of shifting to public cloud
PROBLEM SPACE
The strains of shifting to public cloud
Obstacles in migrating infrastructure to public cloud
Meet Anita, a virtual infrastructure (VI) admin.
Her day-to-day tasks include setting up and managing infrastructure deployments, overseeing workloads, and handling assets. She ensures smooth operations using vSphere, applying her expertise to manage resources and resolve issues efficiently.
Obstacles in migrating infrastructure to public cloud
Meet Anita, a virtual infrastructure (VI) admin.
Her day-to-day tasks include setting up and managing infrastructure deployments, overseeing workloads, and handling assets. She ensures smooth operations using vSphere, applying her expertise to manage resources and resolve issues efficiently.
As her company looks to move into the public cloud, she faces numerous pain points:
As her company looks to move into the public cloud, she faces numerous pain points:
As her company looks to move into the public cloud, she faces numerous pain points:
Investment in vSphere knowledge
A significant amount of time and expertise has been invested in vSphere, leading to friction when moving to a new public cloud environment.
Learning curve for Public Cloud
Adapting to the new domain of public cloud services outside of VMware presents a steep learning curve, especially when mandated by organizational requirements
Time to value
There is a pressing need to start utilizing new solutions quickly, which can be challenging with the complexities of cloud migrations.
Budget approvals
Securing budget approvals for the total cost of ownership (TCO) of new cloud solutions can be a significant hurdle.
DESIGN PROCESS AND ALIGNMENT
Bridging gaps for a cohesive experience
DESIGN PROCESS AND ALIGNMENT
Bridging gaps for a cohesive experience
DESIGN PROCESS AND ALIGNMENT
Bridging gaps for a cohesive experience
A picture is worth a million words... and questions
To develop a comprehensive understanding of the user’s perspective and align with our team's overall direction, we began by exploring the initial lo-fi sketches, which revealed several questions and gaps in our knowledge amid changing technical requirements.
A picture is worth a million words... and questions
To develop a comprehensive understanding of the user’s perspective and align with our team's overall direction, we began by exploring the initial lo-fi sketches, which revealed several questions and gaps in our knowledge amid changing technical requirements.
A picture is worth a million words... and questions
To develop a comprehensive understanding of the user’s perspective and align with our team's overall direction, we began by exploring the initial lo-fi sketches, which revealed several questions and gaps in our knowledge amid changing technical requirements.
An opportunity to unify workflows across different services
We identified overlapping workflows between our service and the other, vSphere+, within the VMC Console. By addressing these commonalities, we streamlined requirements into cohesive workflows, ensuring a smoother end-to-end journey for users.
An opportunity to unify workflows across different services
We identified overlapping workflows between our service and the other, vSphere+, within the VMC Console. By addressing these commonalities, we streamlined requirements into cohesive workflows, ensuring a smoother end-to-end journey for users.
An opportunity to unify workflows across different services
We identified overlapping workflows between our service and the other, vSphere+, within the VMC Console. By addressing these commonalities, we streamlined requirements into cohesive workflows, ensuring a smoother end-to-end journey for users.
CONSISTENCY AND UNIFICATION
The start of the “Great Unification”
CONSISTENCY AND UNIFICATION
The start of the “Great Unification”
CONSISTENCY AND UNIFICATION
The start of the “Great Unification”
Auditing the current experience to define a phased approach
To ensure a consistent user experience between Cloud Flex Compute (CFC) and vSphere+ within the VMC console, we took decisive action.
We conducted an audit of VM management processes in both services, identifying key inconsistencies. By documenting these gaps, we collaborated with stakeholders to create a phased plan for unification, addressing both immediate and long-term needs to streamline and align the user experience across both services.
Auditing the current experience to define a phased approach
To ensure a consistent user experience between Cloud Flex Compute (CFC) and vSphere+ within the VMC console, we took decisive action.
We conducted an audit of VM management processes in both services, identifying key inconsistencies. By documenting these gaps, we collaborated with stakeholders to create a phased plan for unification, addressing both immediate and long-term needs to streamline and align the user experience across both services.
Auditing the current experience to define a phased approach
To ensure a consistent user experience between Cloud Flex Compute (CFC) and vSphere+ within the VMC console, we took decisive action.
We conducted an audit of VM management processes in both services, identifying key inconsistencies. By documenting these gaps, we collaborated with stakeholders to create a phased plan for unification, addressing both immediate and long-term needs to streamline and align the user experience across both services.
FINAL DESIGNS
Cloud Flex Compute: Scalable and adaptive deployment for your evolving needs
FINAL DESIGNS
Cloud Flex Compute: Scalable and adaptive deployment for your evolving needs
FINAL DESIGNS
Cloud Flex Compute: Scalable and adaptive deployment for your evolving needs
IMPACT
The beginning of the end
IMPACT
The beginning of the end
IMPACT
The beginning of the end
Cloud Flex Compute announced at VMware Explore
Cloud Flex Compute received positive feedback at VMware Explore and beyond, leading to a focused effort on advancing the unification work to align more closely with the vision for a unified multi-cloud platform.
Cloud Flex Compute announced at VMware Explore
Cloud Flex Compute received positive feedback at VMware Explore and beyond, leading to a focused effort on advancing the unification work to align more closely with the vision for a unified multi-cloud platform.
Cloud Flex Compute announced at VMware Explore
Cloud Flex Compute received positive feedback at VMware Explore and beyond, leading to a focused effort on advancing the unification work to align more closely with the vision for a unified multi-cloud platform.
Cloud Flex Compute paused indefinitely...
Unfortunately, shortly afterwards following the Broadcom acquisition of VMware, the product portfolio was simplified, leading to the shutdown of non-core projects like Cloud Flex Compute and vSphere+.
Cloud Flex Compute paused indefinitely...
Unfortunately, shortly afterwards following the Broadcom acquisition of VMware, the product portfolio was simplified, leading to the shutdown of non-core projects like Cloud Flex Compute and vSphere+.
Cloud Flex Compute paused indefinitely...
Unfortunately, shortly afterwards following the Broadcom acquisition of VMware, the product portfolio was simplified, leading to the shutdown of non-core projects like Cloud Flex Compute and vSphere+.
