VarunSidana - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Team Lead at Golf Business Machine
Real User
Allows multi-tenancy, but has a complicated installation process, and needs more integration with other network devices
Pros and Cons
  • "What I found most valuable in vCloud Director is the multi-tenancy."
  • "What could be improved in vCloud Director, particularly from the networking side, is its integration with other network devices. It also needs a more simplified installation because the process is a little bit complicated."

What is most valuable?

What I found most valuable in vCloud Director is the multi-tenancy.

What needs improvement?

What could be improved in vCloud Director, particularly from the networking side, is its integration with other network devices. Currently, it is not connected with the core network devices, for example, Palo Alto or any firewall used in the company. Though there is good integration with NSX, some of the customers don't use NSX. There should be a good amount of integration between vCloud Director and the other network providers, because if there's search integration, then things will become more automated and it'll be more tightly integrated with everything.

What vCloud Director needs is a more simplified installation, because the process is a little bit complicated, compared to installing vRealize Automation or the set of vRealize solutions. They're much easier to deploy than vCloud Director.

Making the installation automated is an additional feature I'd like to see in the next release of the solution. Now that VMware VCF is there, they have the automation layer ready. If any company or organization is planning to deploy vCloud Director, they will start from scratch. They will start from the hardware level itself. If they a tie-up with Dell or HP and from the server level itself, if they can start deploying with vCloud Director by following the best practices and verified architecture, then it makes sense.

For how long have I used the solution?

I used version 10.2 of vCloud Director for the past twelve months, and the total number of years I used it was from four to five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

vCloud Director is quite stable. It has good stability.

Buyer's Guide
vCloud Director
April 2024
Learn what your peers think about vCloud Director. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
771,212 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

vCloud Director, in terms of scalability, can be improved.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup for vCloud Director was simple when we started, but then it became complex, particularly when we started growing. When we had multiple tenants, and a unique set of tenant organizations within vCloud Director, setting it up started to get complex.

What other advice do I have?

I'm a team leader of a set of consultants in one company in UAE, so I downloaded reports, for example, about vCloud Director for reference. It helped me in designing a solution. I used to work for VMware as a post-sale consultant based in India, but then I quit and joined a different company. I have a personal experience with the vCloud Director.

In terms of maintaining vCloud Director, if you have a good amount of footprint of VMware staff, it would still depend on the number of objects you are controlling through the solution. If you have just one or two organizations created, it's fine, meaning one person can do the maintenance. In my scenario, however, I was supporting a customer who is one of the largest clients in VMware, who is using vCloud Director, so it was almost a team of six to seven people who were involved in maintaining the solution.

My advice to people looking into implementing vCloud Director would depend on their use case. vCloud Director has a very limited use case because most needs can be taken care of by vRealize Automation. If you're not a VCPP (VMware certified partner) and providing the VMware services to the external organization, you don't need the vCloud Director. You can have your private cloud based on open shift, open stack, vRealize, and a bunch of other solutions. vCloud Director is predominantly only for the VCPPs who are authorized to sell the VMware cloud to external customers, which they manage on behalf of VMware.

I'm rating vCloud Director seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
PurwandiPurwandi - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Cloud Engineer at PT. Sigma Cipta Caraka (Telkomsigma)
MSP
Manage and onboard permission but has high cost
Pros and Cons
  • "They can do any provisioning for the virtual machines. For instance, they will only see those resources if we allocate 10 Ghz database storage. The limitation is due to our setup: we need to ensure customer isolation, as vCloud Director supports multi-tenancy."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the solution to manage and onboard permission and access on the laptop.

    How has it helped my organization?

    We have limitations on the capabilities of its sender. We send our prospect to speak with the administration through the administrator on their phone. It's very easy for the user but quite tricky for the administration.

    What is most valuable?

    They can do any provisioning for the virtual machines. For instance, they will only see those resources if we allocate 10 Ghz database storage. The limitation is due to our setup: we need to ensure customer isolation, as vCloud Director supports multi-tenancy.

    We can access vCloud Director from the Internet. Once we access it, somebody else can do the same.

    What needs improvement?

    The data probability is advanced for the monitoring surface and the application. We need to improve the physical data for monitoring and understanding scalability with automation for autoscaling.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using vCloud Director since 2015. We are using the V10 of the solution.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    We need to verify compatibility, which is crucial to ensuring stability.

    I rate the solution’s stability a seven out of ten.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Two hundred users are using the solution. We plan to increase the use of the vCloud director in the future.

    I rate the solution’s scalability a six out of ten.

    How are customer service and support?

    Sometimes, we encounter challenges with support. When we open a support case, it is handled by representatives from various locations, such as the US or England. The initial response might come from India or elsewhere. Occasionally, we have to reiterate our issue from scratch, which can be frustrating. Ideally, we should get support personnel with historical data to avoid repeating explanations every time we reach out for assistance.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Neutral

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is very difficult and takes two weeks to complete. Separate coding is very difficult. Ten people are required for the solution's deployment.

    We have to prepare, it may only take one or two days. However, we must ensure thorough preparation from the bottom up, starting with the server and setting up a vSphere server. Additionally, we need to prepare some data for vCenter. We can proceed with the installation of the vCloud Director.

    I rate the initial setup as three out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.

    What was our ROI?

    The licensing model is fair. The company management is happy because we pay for the services, and they become available. However, it's too expensive. We are considering changing our solution.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    I rate the product’s pricing a six out of ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    When scanning thoroughly, we integrate automation. It would be easier if VMware improved its capabilities. Then, we can implement autoscaling through the web interface.

    There is multi-channel support, yet Net Depot is used for security and monitoring. This is crucial if we expose profiles to the Internet for security reasons. We need to enhance security, especially in protecting vCloud Director. If anyone pushes or plugs in something, it could compromise customer access. VMware may be better prepared for security reasons.

    Two persons are required to maintain the solution.

    If we only have a small amount of resources, we'll opt for the public vCloud but if we have a large amount of resources like 100s, 1000s then vCloud Director might be a better solution.

    Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    Flag as inappropriate
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    vCloud Director
    April 2024
    Learn what your peers think about vCloud Director. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: April 2024.
    771,212 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Roberto Cardenas - PeerSpot reviewer
    Ingeniero De Preventa De Cloud Y Servicios Profesionales at Licencias OnLine
    Reseller
    Has an easy installation process and provides efficient security features
    Pros and Cons
    • "It helps ensure security across our cloud environments."
    • "The product installation process could be easier for new users as well."

    What is our primary use case?

    The primary use case for vCloud Director is deploying a cloud infrastructure in collaboration with partners to provide a data center environment for clients.

    What is most valuable?

    The platform's most valuable feature is security.

    What needs improvement?

    The product installation process could be easier for new users as well. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I rate the platform's stability a ten out of ten.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I rate the platform's scalability a nine out of ten.

    How are customer service and support?

    The technical support team always responds with a resolution in case of queries.

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I previously used Azure and AWS databases for cloud management. The main reason I switched to VMware, particularly vCloud Director, was the need for better flexibility and stability in managing my infrastructure.The product is inexpensive compared to AWS, Azure, and GCP.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is easy. However, it requires essential work experience and information to understand the platform.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The product is inexpensive compared to AWS, Azure, and GCP.

    What other advice do I have?

    VMware's vCloud Director solution has been instrumental in addressing multi-tenancy needs within my organization. By leveraging the product alongside VMware's vSphere BitLocker Center, my clients can securely utilize their dedicated data centers while benefiting from scalability. Additionally, it helps ensure security across our cloud environments.

    It primarily caters to public cloud environments. I rate it a ten out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    Flag as inappropriate
    PeerSpot user
    Technical Team Leader - Microsoft at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
    Real User
    Top 20
    Difficult to install, but provides good stability
    Pros and Cons
    • "vCloud Director is a stable solution."
    • "The solution's installation is difficult, and you need somebody with the solution's knowledge to do the installation."

    What is most valuable?

    vCloud Director is a stable solution.

    What needs improvement?

    The solution's installation is difficult, and you need somebody with the solution's knowledge to do the installation.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using vCloud Director for three years.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    I have around 20 to 25 customers for vCloud Director.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    vCloud Director is a very expensive solution. Before January, you had to pay for what you use. A single CPU call costs 200 euros, and we currently need to license 3,500 CPU calls, which is a lot of money.

    What other advice do I have?

    VMware took the decision one day to change all the usage types and gave us only three months to change, which is a really bad thing.

    Overall, I rate the solution a five out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    Flag as inappropriate
    PeerSpot user
    Martin Helms - PeerSpot reviewer
    CEO & Owner at Rackhosting
    Real User
    Top 10
    A highly stable solution that provides the ability to host customers on their own cloud
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable feature of vCloud Director is its ability to host customers on their own cloud."
    • "vCloud Director should include better billing options for businesses like mine or more options for customers to see their usage and billing situation regarding the usage of vCloud Director."

    What is our primary use case?

    I own a hosting company and use vCloud Director for my customers.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature of vCloud Director is its ability to host customers on their own cloud.

    What needs improvement?

    vCloud Director should include better billing options for businesses like mine or more options for customers to see their usage and billing situation regarding the usage of vCloud Director. vCloud Director's graphical user interface should be made easier.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using vCloud Director for around 12 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I rate vCloud Director ten out of ten for stability.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    vCloud Director has good scalability. I rate vCloud Director a nine out of ten for scalability.

    How was the initial setup?

    Compared to its competitors, the initial setup of vCloud Director is more difficult than it should be.

    What was our ROI?

    We have seen a return on investment with vCloud Director.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    We are paying around $ 15,000 per month for vCloud Director, and it would be nice if it could be made cheaper.

    What other advice do I have?

    Users need to be educated to use vCloud Director.

    Overall, I rate vCloud Director an eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Private Cloud
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    Flag as inappropriate
    PeerSpot user
    Søren O. Bendtsen - PeerSpot reviewer
    Team Manager - Private Cloud Platform & Storage at ITM8
    Real User
    Top 10
    Helps to connect different clouds
    Pros and Cons
    • "We use the solution to connect clouds to different clouds."
    • "It would be great if Microsoft and VMware come together and become a common tool."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the solution to connect clouds to different clouds. 

    What needs improvement?

    It would be great if Microsoft and VMware come together and become a common tool. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with the product for ten years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is stable. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The product is scalable. 

    How are customer service and support?

    The solution's support depends on the partnership. We do not attend to level 1 and level 2 support cases but level 3 support cases. 

    How would you rate customer service and support?

    Positive

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The solution's price is the market standard and depends on usage. 

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate the product a nine out of ten. The tool is simple and easy to use. The solution provides API and GUI interfaces. 

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    Ronaldo-Barbieri - PeerSpot reviewer
    Sales Director at Abentro
    Reseller
    Top 20
    Reliable in usage and beneficial support provided
    Pros and Cons
    • "vCloud Director is a stable solution."
    • "The initial setup of the vCloud Director was not complex and not easy, it was in the middle range of difficulty. It could be made easier."

    What is our primary use case?

    vCloud Director is used for our customers and my company for the cloud.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using vCloud Director for approximately one year.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    vCloud Director is a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We have approximately three people using vCloud Director in my company.

    How are customer service and support?

    The support provided by the vCloud Director is good.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup of the vCloud Director was not complex and not easy, it was in the middle range of difficulty. It could be made easier. 

    What other advice do I have?

    My advice to others is for them to check the requirements before implementation.

    I rate vCloud Director a nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    Public Cloud
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
    PeerSpot user
    Mohamed-Lotfy - PeerSpot reviewer
    L2 Cloud Ops Engineer at Orange
    Real User
    Top 20
    Reliable with a user-friendly interface
    Pros and Cons
    • "The solution is reliable and performs well."
    • "There are too many errors, it could be more stable."

    What is our primary use case?

    Yes, we are using this solution to provide cloud services to our customers. I'm an L2 Cloud Ops Engineer.

    What is most valuable?

    The solution has a user friendly interface. It's easy for us to provide services to customers and our customers find the UI easy too. The solution is reliable and performs well. 

    What needs improvement?

    We get too many errors, whether it's the URL not working or errors in some of the UI features. I think it needs to be more stable.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've been using this solution for two years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability could be improved.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    We have around 50 users for now and we're able to scale up at any time. The solution is used on a daily basis and we have one person who deals with maintenance. 

    How are customer service and support?

    The technical support is good. 

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was pretty easy.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would advise anyone wanting to use the solution to get training from VMware. 

    I rate the solution eight out of 10. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free vCloud Director Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: April 2024
    Product Categories
    Cloud Management
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free vCloud Director Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.