Best Cluster Management Software for VMware Cloud

xCAT, or Extreme Cloud Administration Toolkit, is a versatile open-source solution aimed at streamlining the deployment, scaling, and oversight of both bare metal servers and virtual machines. It delivers extensive management functionalities tailored for environments such as high-performance computing clusters, render farms, grids, web farms, online gaming infrastructures, cloud setups, and data centers. Built on a foundation of established system administration practices, xCAT offers a flexible framework that allows system administrators to identify hardware servers, perform remote management tasks, deploy operating systems on physical or virtual machines in both disk and diskless configurations, set up and manage user applications, and execute parallel system management operations. This toolkit is compatible with a range of operating systems, including Red Hat, Ubuntu, SUSE, and CentOS, as well as architectures such as ppc64le, x86_64, and ppc64. Moreover, it supports various management protocols, including IPMI, HMC, FSP, and OpenBMC, which enable seamless remote console access. In addition to its core functionalities, xCAT's extensible nature allows for ongoing enhancements and adaptations to meet the evolving needs of modern IT infrastructures.

Evidian SafeKit is a robust software solution aimed at achieving high availability for crucial applications across both Windows and Linux systems. This comprehensive tool combines several features, including load balancing, real-time synchronous file replication, automatic failover for applications, and seamless failback after server outages, all packaged within one product. By doing so, it removes the requirement for additional hardware like network load balancers or shared disks, and it also eliminates the need for costly enterprise versions of operating systems and databases. SafeKit's innovative software clustering allows users to establish mirror clusters that ensure real-time data replication and failover, as well as farm clusters that facilitate both load balancing and failover capabilities. Furthermore, it supports advanced configurations like farm plus mirror clusters and active-active clusters, enhancing flexibility and performance. Its unique shared-nothing architecture greatly simplifies the deployment process, making it particularly advantageous for use in remote locations by circumventing the challenges typically associated with shared disk clusters. In summary, SafeKit provides an effective and streamlined solution for maintaining application availability and data integrity across diverse environments.

Manage and orchestrate applications seamlessly on a Kubernetes platform that is fully managed, utilizing a centralized SaaS approach for overseeing distributed applications through a unified interface and advanced observability features. Streamline operations by handling deployments uniformly across on-premises, cloud, and edge environments. Experience effortless management and scaling of applications across various Kubernetes clusters, whether at customer locations or within the F5 Distributed Cloud Regional Edge, all through a single Kubernetes-compatible API that simplifies multi-cluster oversight. You can deploy, deliver, and secure applications across different sites as if they were all part of one cohesive "virtual" location. Furthermore, ensure that distributed applications operate with consistent, production-grade Kubernetes, regardless of their deployment sites, which can range from private and public clouds to edge environments. Enhance security with a zero trust approach at the Kubernetes Gateway, extending ingress services backed by WAAP, service policy management, and comprehensive network and application firewall protections. This approach not only secures your applications but also fosters a more resilient and adaptable infrastructure.