Create Hybrid Cloud Stretched Clusters Using VMware, AWS, and SDS

Enterprises are evolving their vSphere environments from standard DR configurations to high availability (HA) architectures. VMware vSphere Metro Storage Cluster is a key capability in this evolution. Parallel to this, companies are embracing hybrid cloud and AWS in particular. In many cases enterprises treat AWS as a passive DR site. But what if you could evolve AWS to be part of an HA stretch cluster? That’s where software-defined storage (SDS) comes in. SDS solutions provide the flexibility to run on commodity servers as well as cloud computing instances. Couple that with advanced multi-site replication, per-VM storage policies, deduplication, snapshotting, cloning, and VMware’s recent announcement with AWS, and SDS is now the ideal enabler for automated failover in a hybrid cloud stretched cluster. In this session we’ll: - Provide an architecture for software-defined storage running a stretched cluster between a private vSphere cloud and AWS. - Discuss how this provides seamless failover, HA, DR, and cloud bursting—all at scale. - Highlight how data efficiency techniques like deduplication, thin provisioning, auto-tiering, and caching optimize hybrid cloud economics. Bio: Chris is a VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) and senior solutions architect at Hedvig. Chris has in-depth experience in cloud, virtualization, storage, data center, and software-defined technologies gained from his work across numerous practices including web development, systems administration, and consulting. His advisory expertise helps customers better adopt and adapt to the technologies that best fit for their business requirements.