By Jim Hannan (@HoBHannan)

VMware vCloud Director (VCD) is software that provides IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service). Officially the new version is 5.1, but I would contend that is really only on its 3rd major release. That said I like the idea of it matching the vSphere version currently released. VCD has been positioned by VMware as an IaaS tool; it provides a platform that allows consumer to deploy and consumer resources without needing to involve a vSphere administrator. Some of my favorite features in the previous versions are:

• Linked Clones
• Network Isolation with NAT and Layer 2 technologies
• Simplified cloning of vApps
• vShield Edge Security
• Resource Allocation and management
• Automated decommissioning capabilities
• Integration with ChargeBack or ShowBack

I am really looking forward to the new 5.1 release — it has some really exciting new features. In the table below, I list some of my new favorites along with some commentary on why I believe these features are important.

New Features

For a list of all the new features read VMware’s whitepaper: What’s New with VMware vCloud Director 5.1