Merge pull request #222164 from johnmarco/jm-vmware-faq

New VMware FAQ for Arc

Author: denrea

articles/azure-arc/servers/index.yml

@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ landingContent:
             url: overview.md
           - text: Azure Connected Machine agent overview
             url: agent-overview.md
+          - text: VMware FAQ
+            url: vmware-faq.md
+
       - linkListType: architecture
         links:
           - text: Manage configurations for hybrid servers 

articles/azure-arc/servers/prerequisites.md

@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ Azure Arc-enabled servers support the installation of the Connected Machine agen
 
 Azure Arc-enabled servers do not support installing the agent on virtual machines running in Azure, or on virtual machines running on Azure Stack Hub or Azure Stack Edge, as they are already modeled as Azure VMs and able to be managed directly in Azure.
 
+> [!NOTE]
+> For additional information on using Arc-enabled servers in VMware environments, see the [VMware FAQ](vmware-faq.md).
+
 ## Supported operating systems
 
 The following versions of the Windows and Linux operating system are officially supported for the Azure Connected Machine agent. Only x86-64 (64-bit) architectures are supported. x86 (32-bit) and ARM-based architectures, including x86-64 emulation on arm64, are not supported operating environments.

articles/azure-arc/servers/toc.yml

@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
   items:
   - name: About Azure Arc-enabled servers
     href: overview.md
+  - name: VMware FAQ
+    href: vmware-faq.md
   - name: What's new with Connected Machine agent?
     href: agent-release-notes.md
   - name: Archive for Connected Machine agent release notes

articles/azure-arc/servers/vmware-faq.md

@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+---
+title: Azure Arc-enabled servers VMware Frequently Asked Questions
+description: Learn how to use Azure Arc-enabled servers on virtual machines running in VMware environments.
+ms.date: 12/21/2022
+ms.topic: faq
+---
+
+# Azure Arc-enabled servers VMware Frequently Asked Questions
+
+This article addresses frequently asked questions about Arc-enabled servers on virtual machines running in VMware environments.
+
+## What is Azure Arc?
+
+Azure Arc is the overarching brand for a suite of Azure hybrid products that extend specific Azure public cloud services and/or management capabilities beyond Azure to on-premises environments and 3rd-party clouds. Azure Arc-enabled server, for example, allows you to use the same Azure management tools you would with a VM running in Azure with a VM running on-premises in a VMware cluster.
+
+## What's the difference between Arc-enabled server and Arc-enabled\<hypervisor\>?
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> Arc-enabled\<hypervisor\> refers to Arc-enabled VMare environments such as Arc-enabled VMware vSphere. **Arc-enabled VMware vSphere is currently in Public Preview**.
+
+The easiest way to think of this is as follows:
+
+- Arc-enabled server is responsible for the guest operating system and knows nothing of the virtualization platform that it’s running on. Since Arc-enabled server also supports bare-metal machines, there may, in fact, not even be a host hypervisor. 
+
+- Arc-enabled VMware vSphere is a superset of Arc-enabled server that extends management capabilities beyond the guest operating system to the VM itself. This provides lifecycle management such as VM start, stop, resize, create, and delete. These lifecycle management capabilities are exposed in the Azure portal and look and feel just like a regular Azure VM. See [What is Azure Arc-enabled VMware vSphere](/azure/azure-arc/vmware-vsphere/overview.md) to learn more.  
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> Arc-enabled VMware vSphere also provides guest operating system management—in fact, it uses the same components as Arc-enabled server. However, during Public Preview, not all Azure services supported by Arc-enabled server are available for Arc-enabled VMware vSphere—currently Azure Monitor, Update Management and Microsoft Defender for Cloud are not supported. Arc-enabled VMware vSphere is not supported by Azure VMware Solution (AVS). 
+> 
+
+## Can I use Azure Arc-enabled server on VMs running in VMware environments?
+
+Yes. Azure Arc-enabled server works with VMs running on VMware vSphere as well as Azure VMware Solution (AVS) and supports the full breadth of guest management capabilities across security, monitoring, and governance.  
+
+## Which operating systems does Azure Arc work with?
+
+Arc-enabled server and/or Arc-enabled \<hypervisor\> works with all supported versions of Windows Server and major distributions of Linux.
+
+<!--To address this question properly, we need to specify which Arc service the question applies to. Let’s assume the question applies to Arc-enabled server and/or Arc-enabled \<hypervisor\>: it works with all supported versions of Windows Server and major distributions of Linux. -->
+
+## Should I use Arc-enabled server, Arc-enabled\<hypervisor\>, and can I use both?
+
+While Arc-enabled server and Arc-enabled VMware vSphere can be used in conjunction with one another, please note that this will produce dual representations of the same underlying Virtual Machine. This scenario may produce potentially duplicate guest management and is not advisable.
+