vCloud API or vSphere API for provisioning multi-VM applications?

[srfamr]

Hi experts.  I'm investigating how to provision multi-server products/applications in a VMware environment (and configure them, apply updates, etc, but that's domain specific).

The vCloud API's higher-level abstractions, networking flexibility, configuration abilities (eg. able to set VM start-up order), etc, seem to make the job much easier than using the vSphere API.  Is this correct?  The vCloud Java SDK seems particularly attractive. 

Does the vSphere API also support multi-VM vApps and vApp Templates?  I understand it does via the vSphere Client interface.  We're looking to deploy these apps repeatedly, probably from templates, so API functionality is important.

Assuming the vCloud API is the way to go, my next problem is picking a test environment.  We do have vCloud Director but currently it appears that an eventual production environment will have vCloud Automation Center, not vCD.  Does vCAC support the vCloud API?  If not as I believe, when would it?

Thanks for your thoughts!

[cfor]

For multi-tier application and self provisioning the direction from VMware is vCloud Director or vCloud Automation Center.  It really comes down currently to what you need out of the system.  If you are going to stay 100% VMware and not really interested in the other cloud providers (ie EC2, OpenStack) then vCloud Director is nice and simple.  If you need a full provision environment that will handle workflow, and multi cloud types vCloud Automation Center is worth a look.

VCloud director has been around with VMware a little longer so it is a little more muture, but it seems pretty clean VMware is pushing more on new deployments using vCAC.

[srfamr]

Thanks, that clarifies what I've been finding.  Later, the sky's the limit :smileywink:, but right now it's 100% VMware and workflow isn't needed, at least complex workflow.  I guess it's a private cloud for hosting our products for customers.

Our infrastructure guys are leaning to vCAC, so anybody know if it supports the vCloud API?

I'm about to try this using the vCloud Director 5.1 Evaluation, but would switch to vCAC if I can find an evaluation for it, or get access to an installation in-house.

Thanks.

[cfor]

"so anybody know if it supports the vCloud API?"

vCAC has it's own API and workflow setup (and it seems to be getting some updates).  vCAC can control a vCloud instance in some limit fashions, and I would think it is safe to say VMware would be adding more control ability in over time.

[mcfadyenj]

vcac also integrates with vco. I haven't seen anything that vCO cannot do that vCD can do. In fact I think vCO can likely do even more.

I think between vcac and vco there won't be much you cannot access from the api.