🚀 Introduction
Modern businesses demand agility, security, and seamless coexistence of legacy and cloud-native workloads. VMware Cloud Foundation 9 (VCF 9) with vSphere Kubernetes Service (VKS)—formerly known as Tanzu—delivers just that. VKS is the native, upstream-conformant Kubernetes runtime embedded directly in vSphere, managed via VCF’s SDDC Manager.
This deep integration empowers you to run VMs and Kubernetes side-by-side with consistent APIs, policy-based control, and enterprise-grade resilience.
🧩 What is VKS?
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VKS is the Kubernetes runtime built into vSphere via the vSphere Supervisor, enabling both VMs and K8s workloads on the same cluster
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Supports upstream-conformant Kubernetes, certified by CNCF, and aligns with current plus N–2 Kubernetes versions
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Enables independent upgrades of Kubernetes without affecting core vSphere components
🔍 Key App Modernization Features via VKS
1. Unified API for VMs & Kubernetes
Provision and manage VMs and Kubernetes clusters via a single API/GUI/CLI through the vSphere Supervisor—simplifying operations and governance.
2. Namespace-as-a-Service with Policy Control
Create vSphere Namespaces for team-specific workloads with set CPU/memory/storage limits, RBAC, and networking policies—all managed by IT for secure self-service .
3. Modern Cluster Lifecycle Management
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Asynchronous VKS release cadence, aligned with upstream Kubernetes.
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Support for current + two prior Kubernetes versions.
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Independent upgrades for flexibility
4. Integrated DevOps & Security
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Storage via CSI on vSAN.
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Networking and micro-segmentation via NSX integration.
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Load balancing via Avi or NSX.
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Fine-grained RBAC and FIPS-compliant OS modes
5. Pod & VM Co-Location
Run vSphere Pods directly on ESXi for latency-sensitive services, alongside Kubernetes worker nodes, all regulated by unified policy frameworks
🌐 Business Benefits of VKS in VCF 9
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| ⚡ DevOps Speed | Self-service container provisioning without siloed tools |
| 🔒 Governance | Centralized control with namespace and policy guardrails |
| 🎯 Agility | Kubernetes upgrades separate from infrastructure |
| 🌍 Portability | Runs everywhere vSphere is available |
| 💰 Efficiency | Consolidated infrastructure for VMs & containers |
🏁 Conclusion
With VKS, VCF 9 offers a powerful hybrid platform where legacy and cloud-native coexist—delivering agility, governance, and efficiency. You get modern app velocity with enterprise-grade control.
