VMware Stage Manager FAQs

VMware Stage Manager is optimized for use by IT service and business application delivery teams that are responsible for service transition activities—that is, taking software-based IT services through required stages of preparation and ultimately delivering them into production.

Yes. VMware VirtualCenter is the primary interface for managing VMware Infrastructure 3 hosts. Using VMware VirtualCenter, you can set up clusters, create resource pools and manage the virtual infrastructure. VMware Stage Manager is a higher-level management and automation solution, designed to optimize the delivery of IT services and business applications. It visualizes the lifecycle and lets you transition services and applications through the stage of the release process and into production. VMware Stage Manager inherits resource pools created in VMware VirtualCenter and deploys services to those pools as they move through the service transition process. VMware Stage Manager also interoperates with key capabilities of VMware VirtualCenter, including VMware VMotion, VMware HA and VMware DRS.

The two products are complementary addressing different needs in the datacenter: While VMware Stage Manager optimizes IT service and business application delivery, VMware Lifecycle Manager provides a request-and-approval system to tracks the creation, deployment and decommissioning of individual virtual machines across the entire virtual infrastructure.

VMware Lab Manager provides self-service provisioning and image library management capabilities for users of development and test labs. VMware Stage Manager automates change, configuration and release processes of IT services and business applications running in production. Both systems can be used independent of one another, or in conjunction to take full advantage of VMware Infrastructure to optimize application development and service delivery throughout the organization.

To ensure that you realize the full benefits of the Stage Manager product, a minimum of one year of Gold (12x5) Support and Subscription is required.  You may also choose to upgrade to Platinum (24x7) Support and Subscription.  Along with access to the world’s largest virtualization support organization with the most experience supporting critical applications in a virtual infrastructure, both support offerings also include access to periodic fixes and enhancements to our products during the life of your support contract.   These programs are offered on an annual or multi-year subscription basis. 

Depending on the criticality of your systems being managed by Stage Manager, you may want to consider purchasing Business Critical Support.  VMware’s Business Critical Support is a supplemental service to Platinum which  provides your centralized data center team with personalized technical support delivered by a designated team of experts familiar with your system configuration, past support experience and specific business needs.