VCF 9.x · Import, Visualise, Validate

Stop defending spreadsheets
at change board.

A structured design environment for VMware Cloud Foundation 9.x.
Elevate spreadsheet-based planning with validated, document-ready architectures.

You author the design — VCF Designer runs 113 validation rules, sizes every domain, and assembles the High-Level Design document.

Days → Hours 113 Rules Zero Guesswork Licensing Clarity Built In Data Remains Local
Request Early Access See Capabilities
Workbook to HLD — End-to-End Workflow From raw architecture data to a stakeholder-ready design document PERSONA VCF Architect Design decisions, sizing requirements inputs INPUT Excel Workbook Architecture raw data, host counts, networks translate DESIGN ENGINE VCF Designer Validate · Estimate Add value generate OUTPUT Branded HLD Diagrams, compliance, licensing + your logo deliver AUDIENCE Business Owner Stakeholder-ready, no translation needed 113 rules validated · Licensing estimated · Diagrams auto-generated · Zero data leaves the browser
113
Validation rules
Hours
Not days to CAB-ready
0 bytes
Sent to any server
8.4/10
Expert panel score (n=10)
Audience

Built for VCF Practitioners

Independent consultants

Import your Planning Workbook or RVTools export. Every constraint validated, topology visualised, HLD assembled. Arrive at delivery with a defensible design, not a best-effort spreadsheet.

Consulting firms

Consistent, traceable design quality across every team and engagement. Every architect working to the same 113-rule standard — so designs survive change board, not just peer review.

Internal platform engineers

Design with the same rigour as external specialists. Every rule traceable to published VMware by Broadcom specifications — a complete audit trail from design decision to documented maximum.

Before and after

What Changes

Current ProcessWith VCF Designer
Manual resource calculation in ExcelReal-time sizing engine with per-cluster capacity breakdowns
Post-hoc validation against VMware by Broadcom maximumsLive validation against published VMware by Broadcom configuration maximums with categorised warnings and errors
Separate HLD authoring in WordStructured Word export with cover page, TOC, embedded diagrams, and validation appendix
Copy-paste between workbook and HLDDesign data flows directly into all export formats
Single-instance workbook per siteFleet architecture with multi-instance design, aggregate resource views, and NSX Federation
No HCL checks at design timeStorage device validation against publicly available VMware by Broadcom Hardware Compatibility List data
Current Process 01 Manual resource calculations 02 Copy-paste between workbook and Word 03 Post-hoc validation (or none at all) 04 Single-instance per workbook 05 Version tracked by filename With VCF Designer 01 Real-time sizing engine ✓ 02 Design data flows into all exports ✓ 03 113 rules validated live as you design ✓ 04 Fleet architecture, multi-instance ✓ 05 5 snapshots with readable diffs ✓
Design workflow

Where the Planning Workbook Stops

Design errors caught here cost nothing. The same errors surfaced at change board cost credibility, rework, and project time.

  1. 01
    Manual resource calculations. CPU, memory, and storage totals computed by hand. Errors propagate silently across sheets.
  2. 02
    No live validation. Configuration maximums checked after the fact, or not at all.
  3. 03
    Document generation is separate. The workbook captures data. The HLD is authored in Word. Keeping the two in sync is manual effort.
  4. 04
    No fleet-scale design. Multi-instance deployments require duplicating and cross-referencing multiple workbooks.
  5. 05
    No version history. Changes between design iterations tracked by filename or memory.
Validation Pipeline 113 rules checked before your design reaches review [IN] Import Planning Workbook or RVTools → [>>] Parse Domains, clusters, appliances extracted → [OK] Validate 113 rules checked across 6 categories → [!!] Report Errors, warnings, info — all categorised → [OUT] Export HLD, Excel, Diagrams Capacity Config Max Network Storage HCL Compatibility Capacity Config Max Network Storage HCL Compatibility 6 categories · 113 rules · version-specific
Capabilities

What the Design Engine Does

From a single Management Domain to fleet-scale NSX Federation — one tool, one source of truth.

Engine

Design Engine

  • Domain & Appliance Modelling — Management and Workload Domains, 8 appliance types with deployment modes, cluster configuration
  • Sizing & Validation — Real-time resource calculations and configuration maximum checks against published VMware by Broadcom specifications
  • Compatibility Assurance — Storage device validation against publicly available VMware by Broadcom HCL data
Scale

Enterprise Architecture

Fleet Architecture, Stretched vSAN, Availability Zones, Multi-Rack Networking

Network

NSX Networking and Security

Tier-0/Tier-1 Gateways, VPC Architecture, DFW Microsegmentation, Edge Clusters

Config

IP Configuration

Per-Host IP Config, Auto-Fill Pattern Detection, Appliance IP Management, IP Conflict Detection

Output

Export and Documentation

  • Word Export (.docx) — HLD with 3 templates, 6 embedded diagrams
  • Excel Export (.xlsx) — Multi-sheet workbook
  • Operations Runbook — Day-2 operations with design-aware health checks
  • Design Decisions — Documented based on configured design inputs
  • Architecture Diagrams — 6 types exported as PNG
  • Design File (.vcfdesign) — Portable save/restore
Brand

Company Branding

Logo, company details, document metadata. Exports carry the firm's branding.

VCF Architecture — Design Scope What VCF Designer models, validates, and documents FLEET ARCHITECTURE Management Domain SDDC Manager vCenter Server NSX Manager vSAN / Storage Workload Domain 1 Clusters VMs vSAN Workload Domain N (repeatable) NSX Networking & Security Layer Tier-0 / Tier-1 Gateways Edge Clusters DFW Microsegmentation VPC Architecture NSX Federation Physical Infrastructure & IP Configuration Per-host IPs · VLAN mapping · Multi-rack L2/L3 · Stretched vSAN · Availability Zones
Workflow

Workbook to HLD in Five Steps

01
Configure the
Management Domain
02
Add Workload
Domains
03
Configure
Networking
04
Review Sizing
& Validation
05
Export

Design files can be saved, reopened, and versioned. The last five snapshots are retained for comparison.

In action

Import. Visualise. Validate. Export.

vcfdesigner.com — Import Workbook
VCF Designer — import and design workspace
Import — your Planning Workbook or RVTools export, structured into a live design workspace
vcfdesigner.com — Architecture Visualiser
VCF Designer — topology visualisation
Visualise — your VCF architecture rendered automatically from your design data
vcfdesigner.com — Validation Report
VCF Designer — validation report
Validate — 113 rules checked, every conflict surfaced with severity before change board
vcfdesigner.com — Export HLD
VCF Designer — HLD export templates
Export — client-ready High-Level Design document assembled automatically from your design
Licensing

Estimate Before You Commit

Base VCF subscription plus add-on features — see the full cost picture during design, not after procurement.

VCF Licensing Estimate Calculator Base subscription + add-on features — see the full picture before you commit Base VCF Subscription ✓ vSphere (ESXi) Included ✓ vSAN Included ✓ NSX Included ✓ SDDC Manager Included ✓ VCF Operations Included ✓ HCX Included Add-On Features ✓ VMware Firewall $XX /core/yr vSAN Capacity Add-On $XX /TiB/yr ✓ Tanzu Platform $XX /core/yr Site Recovery (DR) $XX /VM/yr Ransomware Recovery $XX /VM/yr Tanzu Guardrails $XX /core/yr Estimated Annual Cost: Calculated from your design inputs
Early access

Request Early Access

VCF Designer is invite-only. Request your spot and we'll notify you when access opens.

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Common questions

FAQ

A browser-based design and validation tool for VMware Cloud Foundation by Broadcom. Import a Planning Workbook, validate against 113 rules, and export a client-ready HLD. Nothing leaves your machine.

Yes. After the initial page load, no backend connection is required. Design data stays in browser storage and is never transmitted.

VCF 9.0 is fully supported today. Support for VCF 9.1 will be added once released. All validation rules are version-specific.

Yes. Planning Workbooks import directly, including multi-file import for fleet instances. RVTools is also supported for VM inventory.

Word (.docx), Excel, JSON, Draw.io, and .vcfdesign native format. All exports carry your configured company branding.

Yes. VCF Designer includes a licensing estimate calculator that factors in core counts, base VCF subscription costs, and add-on features such as VMware Firewall, vSAN capacity, Tanzu, and disaster recovery. It gives consultants and clients a realistic view of what the full architecture — including optional feature sets — could cost to license.

All resource requirements are sourced from official VCF 9.0 specifications. Capacity validation includes HA headroom across all 8 appliance types.

Yes — stretched vSAN, Availability Zones, multi-rack networking (L2/L3), NSX Federation with Global Manager, and cross-site RTEP.

Yes. A step-by-step wizard captures project context, business requirements, and infrastructure settings — your design is pre-configured from the answers.

A panel of 10 senior VCF architects and certified specialists scored it 8.4/10 on production readiness. All 10 said they would use it.

Auto-saved to browser storage. Export as .vcfdesign or JSON to share. Version history keeps the last 5 snapshots with readable diffs.