VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 brings private cloud, Kubernetes and AI under one platform
Broadcom’s VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 is an integrated private-cloud platform designed to run traditional virtual machines, Kubernetes applications and increasingly demanding AI workloads on infrastructure controlled by the organisation.
VCF combines VMware’s established virtualisation technologies with software-defined storage, networking, automation, operations and security. Its core components include vSphere, vSAN, NSX, vSphere Kubernetes Service, VCF Operations, VCF Automation, HCX and VCF Private AI Services.
Broadcom made VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 generally available in May 2026. The release builds on the architectural changes introduced with VCF 9.0, adding improved infrastructure efficiency, application automation, security, Kubernetes management and support for production AI workloads.
TechnologyBlog.co.za has not deployed or independently benchmarked VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1. This article therefore focuses on documented features, architecture and use cases rather than making performance or cost-saving conclusions.
What is VMware Cloud Foundation?
VMware Cloud Foundation, usually shortened to VCF, is Broadcom’s integrated software platform for building and operating private clouds.
Rather than deploying compute, storage, networking, Kubernetes and management tools as unrelated products, organisations can use VCF as a unified infrastructure stack.
Broadcom defines VCF as a private-cloud platform combining enterprise compute, storage, networking, Kubernetes, management and security.
The platform is primarily aimed at enterprises, government departments, service providers and organisations running substantial data-centre infrastructure. It is not a hosted public-cloud service comparable to renting individual virtual machines from a hyperscale cloud provider.
Instead, VCF gives organisations cloud-style infrastructure services while allowing them to retain greater control over the underlying environment.
Broadcom now owns VMware
VMware Cloud Foundation remains a VMware-branded product, but VMware has formed part of Broadcom since November 2023.
Broadcom completed its acquisition of VMware on 22 November 2023 and subsequently made VMware Cloud Foundation central to its enterprise infrastructure-software strategy.
That ownership change also brought significant changes to VMware’s product portfolio and licensing approach.
Broadcom moved VMware products towards a simplified subscription portfolio, with VMware Cloud Foundation becoming its principal full private-cloud offering.
Customers evaluating VCF should therefore distinguish current Broadcom-era licensing and product documentation from older VMware material that may describe discontinued bundles, perpetual licences or previous product names.
VCF 9.1 is the current major release
Broadcom announced VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 on 5 May 2026 and subsequently confirmed its general availability.
The release concentrates on three broad areas: making infrastructure more efficient, speeding up application delivery and strengthening resilience and security.
VCF 9.1 is therefore more than a hypervisor update.
Its features span vSphere compute, vSAN storage, NSX networking, Kubernetes, automation, lifecycle management, security and private AI infrastructure.
For existing VMware customers, this integrated approach represents one of the biggest conceptual differences from simply operating standalone ESXi hosts and vCenter.
What does VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 include?
The primary VCF 9.1 components include:
| Component | Main role |
|---|---|
| VMware vSphere | Server virtualisation and compute |
| VMware vSAN | Software-defined storage |
| VMware NSX | Software-defined networking |
| vSphere Kubernetes Service | Kubernetes cluster infrastructure |
| VCF Operations | Monitoring, operations and lifecycle management |
| VCF Automation | Infrastructure and application automation |
| VMware HCX | Workload migration and mobility |
| VCF Private AI Services | Private AI infrastructure and services |
Broadcom also offers advanced services separately, including advanced security, cyber compliance, load balancing, application services, data services, network observability, business operations and identity security. These add-ons are not automatically included in the core VCF package.
This distinction is important when comparing VCF deployments because two organisations using VMware Cloud Foundation may have different functionality depending on the additional services they licence and deploy.
vSphere remains the compute foundation
VMware vSphere continues to provide the core virtualisation layer underneath VCF.
It allows physical server resources to be divided among multiple virtual machines and centrally managed through VMware infrastructure.
VCF 9.1 adds several improvements at this layer.
One notable feature is faster vCenter patching. Broadcom’s new quick-patch mechanism can update specific changed components rather than replacing every package during each maintenance operation.
Broadcom says this can reduce vCenter downtime to under one minute in supported scenarios and, for some patches, eliminate service downtime altogether.
That matters in large environments where infrastructure maintenance can affect hundreds or thousands of workloads.
It does not remove the need for change management, testing and backup procedures, but it can reduce the disruption associated with applying urgent security fixes.
NVMe memory tiering targets memory-heavy workloads
VCF 9.1 expands VMware’s NVMe memory-tiering capabilities.
The technology allows a system to keep frequently accessed memory pages in DRAM while moving colder pages onto suitably fast NVMe storage.
This can increase the effective memory available to workloads without requiring an equivalent increase in physical DRAM.
Broadcom particularly targets this capability at memory-intensive environments such as databases and AI workloads. It claims enhanced memory tiering can contribute to substantially higher consolidation ratios and lower infrastructure costs.
Those savings are Broadcom estimates rather than independent TechnologyBlog.co.za benchmark results.
Actual benefits will depend on server architecture, storage performance, application behaviour and workload memory patterns.
NVMe should also not simply be treated as a replacement for DRAM. The platform uses tiering to manage different classes of memory according to workload demand.
vSAN provides software-defined storage
VMware vSAN pools local storage from supported servers and presents that capacity as shared software-defined storage.
This allows organisations to build hyperconverged infrastructure without necessarily relying on a separate traditional storage array for every workload.
VCF 9.1 improves vSAN compression and storage efficiency, with Broadcom highlighting extended deduplication and compression for data-intensive environments.
As with memory tiering, claimed savings depend heavily on the data being stored.
Highly compressible or duplicated datasets can produce very different results from encrypted, already compressed or unique data.
Storage planning therefore still requires realistic workload analysis instead of assuming the maximum vendor-quoted reduction will apply.
NSX creates the software-defined network
VMware NSX provides networking and network-security functions within VCF.
VCF 9.0 introduced a simplified Virtual Private Cloud model, while VCF 9.1 expands connectivity, physical-network interoperability and diagnostic capabilities.
Newer networking capabilities include deeper EVPN-VXLAN interoperability with physical network fabrics, improved connectivity options and expanded analytics and troubleshooting.
The purpose is to allow teams to provision networks and related services through software rather than waiting for every change to be implemented manually on physical network equipment.
This can be particularly useful in large private clouds where application teams frequently need isolated environments.
Physical networking remains essential. VCF does not remove the requirement for correctly designed switches, routing, redundancy and data-centre connectivity underneath the software-defined layer.
VCF 9.1 treats Kubernetes as part of the platform
Modern enterprise infrastructure increasingly needs to support both virtual machines and containers.
VMware Cloud Foundation addresses this through vSphere Kubernetes Service, or VKS.
This allows organisations to provision and manage Kubernetes clusters while using the same underlying VCF infrastructure that supports virtual machines.
The approach is useful for organisations that cannot simply move all older applications into containers but still need a platform for modern cloud-native software.
Broadcom says VCF 9.1 improves Kubernetes lifecycle operations and cluster upgrade performance while integrating Kubernetes more deeply with networking, security and GPU infrastructure.
Virtual machines and Kubernetes therefore do not have to operate as completely separate infrastructure islands.
VCF Automation provides self-service infrastructure
VCF Automation is designed to provide cloud-style self-service and application provisioning.
Instead of an administrator manually creating every VM, network and related resource, organisations can publish governed infrastructure and application services through catalogues and automated workflows.
VCF 9.1 expands this concept with application stacks that can be managed as units.
An application stack can include several related components and define actions such as power sequencing, snapshots and lifecycle operations.
Broadcom has also integrated Canonical content libraries into VCF Automation.
Administrators can synchronise supported Ubuntu LTS images directly into their VCF environment rather than manually locating and importing every operating-system image.
This is particularly relevant to development teams that regularly create Linux-based application environments.
VCF 9.1 is increasingly API-first
A major direction in VCF 9.1 is programmability.
Broadcom describes the release as an API-first private-cloud platform with a more unified infrastructure-consumption interface. Automation tools increasingly operate against common API contracts rather than forcing administrators to integrate several unrelated systems.
That matters for DevOps and infrastructure-as-code workflows.
Organisations can automate repetitive infrastructure operations rather than relying exclusively on administrators clicking through management interfaces.
APIs also make it easier to integrate private-cloud provisioning into development pipelines, internal portals and orchestration systems.
The benefit depends on organisational maturity. An API-driven platform does not automatically create good automation; teams still need sensible infrastructure standards, access controls, testing and version management.
Private AI Services target enterprise AI workloads
Artificial intelligence has become an increasingly important part of Broadcom’s VCF positioning.
VCF Private AI Services allows organisations to deploy AI infrastructure within their private-cloud environment.
VCF 9.1 expands hardware and software support for these workloads, including newer NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs such as the HGX B200 and RTX PRO Blackwell hardware. Broadcom also supports NVIDIA ConnectX-7 networking and BlueField-3 hardware for high-bandwidth AI infrastructure.
DirectPath support can provide a VM with exclusive access to an NVIDIA GPU where required.
VCF also exposes GPU telemetry such as utilisation, temperature, power use and memory information, although Broadcom notes that some AI metrics dashboards require Grafana.
Not every AI workload requires a GPU.
VCF 9.1 also adds CPU-based inference through Llama.cpp for smaller models, testing environments and workloads where deploying dedicated accelerators would be unnecessary.
Model Context Protocol support expands private AI integration
VCF Private AI Services also supports the Model Context Protocol, or MCP.
MCP provides a standardised way for AI assistants and agents to interact with external data and tools.
Broadcom says its implementation can connect AI systems with platforms including Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, ServiceNow, GitHub, Slack and PostgreSQL while applying governance controls.
Google Workspace document support has also been expanded so supported private-AI workflows can use Docs, Sheets and Slides without requiring every document to be exported to PDF first.
This is significant for enterprise AI because many useful systems need access to organisational data rather than only a standalone language model.
It also increases the importance of identity, permissions and data governance. Connecting an AI agent to internal systems can create substantially greater security consequences than using an isolated chatbot.
VCF 9.1 strengthens security and identity controls
Broadcom has placed considerable emphasis on infrastructure security in VCF 9.1.
The platform combines security capabilities across vSphere, NSX, vSAN, Kubernetes, operations and automation.
Broadcom groups its current platform-security work into threat detection and prevention, workload resilience, encryption, auditing and monitoring, and identity and access controls.
VCF also supports fleet-level single sign-on and centralised identity management.
The platform does not become secure merely because those controls exist.
Broadcom’s own August 2026 security guidance tells customers to continue hardening VCF deployments, restrict administrative access, maintain patching and review configuration after installation.
That is an important distinction for businesses evaluating private cloud partly for security reasons.
Owning the infrastructure also means accepting responsibility for operating it securely.
Faster security patching addresses infrastructure risk
VCF 9.1 introduces a more layered patching system designed to reduce the time between receiving and deploying security fixes.
Broadcom says patches can be applied across different parts of the VCF stack while reducing disruption to workloads.
This can be valuable for organisations that traditionally postpone infrastructure patches until large maintenance windows.
However, enterprises should still maintain tested backup, rollback and change-control procedures.
A faster patching mechanism reduces operational friction; it does not remove the risks associated with changing critical infrastructure.
VCF can span existing environments
VMware Cloud Foundation is not limited to completely new data centres.
Broadcom provides upgrade and migration paths for organisations operating existing vSphere deployments, VCF Operations, vSAN, NSX and older Cloud Foundation environments.
The VCF 9.1 upgrade-planning tooling accounts for different installed components and can help administrators determine the required upgrade sequence and resource requirements.
HCX provides additional workload-mobility capabilities.
These options can make VCF relevant to organisations with long-established VMware environments, although a migration can still become a substantial infrastructure project.
Legacy hardware compatibility, firmware, network design, storage architecture, backup products and third-party integrations all need verification before an upgrade.
VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 overview
| Item | VMware Cloud Foundation 9.1 |
| Product type | Integrated private-cloud platform |
| Current major release | VCF 9.1 |
| General availability | May 2026 |
| Compute | VMware vSphere |
| Storage | VMware vSAN |
| Networking | VMware NSX |
| Kubernetes | vSphere Kubernetes Service |
| Operations | VCF Operations |
| Automation | VCF Automation |
| Migration | VMware HCX |
| AI | VCF Private AI Services |
| Deployment focus | Private cloud and enterprise infrastructure |
| Workloads | VMs, containers, databases, enterprise applications and AI |
| Automation | API-first infrastructure and self-service provisioning |
| Licence model | Subscription, licensed per physical core |
| Minimum licence requirement | 16 cores per processor |
| Advanced services | Available separately depending on requirement |
Broadcom’s June 2026 Specific Program Documentation confirms that VCF remains subscription software licensed per physical core, with a minimum licensing requirement of 16 cores for each processor. Each physical core on a server running the software must be licensed, including cores disabled in the BIOS.
Businesses should examine the current Broadcom programme documentation rather than relying on older VMware licensing assumptions.
VCF 9.1 changes licence administration
VCF 9.1 also changes how licences are managed operationally.
Connected deployments can automatically send usage information to Broadcom and download updated licence files every 24 hours. Broadcom also continues to support a disconnected mode for organisations that do not want the management environment making that regular external connection.
A local licence server is installed with VCF Operations and provides centralised licence management.
VCF 9.1 additionally allows multiple primary licence types and Site IDs to operate through a single vCenter in supported scenarios. This can help enterprises running different VCF deployments across central data centres, subsidiaries or remote locations.
Licensing APIs are also available to enterprise customers.
Organisations evaluating VCF should include these operational and contractual requirements in their planning rather than looking only at technical features.
Who is VMware Cloud Foundation for?
VCF primarily targets organisations with significant virtualised or private-cloud infrastructure.
Large enterprises can use it to consolidate virtual machines, Kubernetes and infrastructure management onto a common platform.
Financial institutions and other regulated organisations may value the ability to maintain greater control over infrastructure location, network architecture and data processing.
Software-development teams can use VCF Automation and Kubernetes to obtain self-service environments without giving up central governance.
AI teams can deploy GPU infrastructure and private AI services alongside existing enterprise workloads.
Cloud and managed-service providers can use VCF’s multi-tenant and automation capabilities to build private-cloud services for customers, subject to Broadcom’s applicable licensing and programme terms.
Smaller organisations without substantial VMware expertise or data-centre infrastructure may find a full VCF deployment unnecessarily complex.
VCF is not the same as simply installing ESXi
VMware has been associated with server virtualisation for decades, so it can be tempting to treat Cloud Foundation as another name for vSphere.
The products are related but not equivalent.
vSphere handles the core virtualisation layer. VCF adds an integrated architecture around it covering storage, networking, Kubernetes, automation, operations, lifecycle management and other services.
An organisation that only needs to run a small number of virtual machines does not necessarily need the full VCF stack.
VCF makes more sense when the organisation wants a broader private-cloud operating model.
Private cloud does not eliminate public cloud
Deploying VMware Cloud Foundation does not necessarily require an organisation to abandon public-cloud services.
Many businesses use private cloud for selected workloads while continuing to consume SaaS and hyperscale infrastructure where those services make sense.
Private infrastructure can be attractive where data location, application latency, existing hardware investments, predictable workloads or specialised infrastructure matter.
Public cloud can remain useful for rapid global deployment, temporary capacity and services that would be difficult to reproduce internally.
The relevant decision is therefore often about workload placement rather than choosing one model for every application.
What VCF 9.1 means for South African organisations
VMware Cloud Foundation is particularly relevant to South African enterprises already running substantial VMware environments or private data centres.
Its private-cloud model allows an organisation to operate infrastructure under its own governance rather than automatically moving workloads and data into a public-cloud environment.
That can support data-residency and sovereignty strategies, but it does not automatically make an organisation compliant with POPIA.
The organisation remains responsible for how personal information is collected, processed, protected, retained and accessed. Infrastructure controls are only one part of that wider compliance responsibility.
Power resilience also remains a practical infrastructure consideration.
A VCF environment may provide sophisticated workload resilience and high availability, but servers, storage, network switches, firewalls and cooling systems still depend on properly designed power infrastructure. Businesses operating critical private-cloud systems should therefore treat UPS capacity, generators or other backup-power systems as part of the overall architecture.
South African organisations should also confirm local skills, hardware support, Broadcom support arrangements and partner capabilities before planning a major migration.
What organisations should check before moving to VCF 9.1
VCF 9.1 offers a broad infrastructure stack, but moving to it should begin with requirements rather than features.
Organisations should verify existing server compatibility, storage requirements, physical network architecture and firmware support.
They should also inventory applications and determine which workloads need VMs, Kubernetes, GPU acceleration or specialised networking.
Licensing requires particular attention because current VCF subscriptions use physical-core metrics rather than many of the older VMware licensing models administrators may remember.
Security teams should evaluate identity, segmentation, backup, ransomware recovery, audit logging and patching.
AI deployments introduce another layer of planning around GPU availability, model governance and access to organisational data.
Finally, businesses should determine whether they actually need the entire Cloud Foundation platform. An organisation mainly interested in straightforward server virtualisation may have different requirements from one trying to build a self-service private cloud for thousands of workloads.
VCF 9.1 is strongest when those integrated capabilities are genuinely needed.
