What VVF 9.0 includes, what only VCF 9.0 adds, and where the two share a code base.
From Ultra Transcenders 2V0-16.25 by Tony Rough (coming October 2026)
VVF and VCF share the same 9.0 code base, installer and licensing model, but they include different sets of components. The dividing line is that VVF stops at compute, storage, Kubernetes and operations, while VCF adds software-defined networking, cloud automation and centralised fleet lifecycle.
VMware vSphere Foundation is described by the documentation as the core foundation for VCF; it lacks the cloud management and built-in automation that VCF adds. VMware Cloud Foundation is a full-stack private cloud platform delivering software-defined compute, storage, networking, security and management, with integrated self-service automation; its listed components are vSphere, vSAN, NSX, VCF Operations and VCF Automation.
| Area | vSphere Foundation 9.0 | VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Hypervisor and management | ESX and vCenter | ESX and vCenter |
| Storage | vSAN, with 0.25 TiB of capacity per licensed core | vSAN, with 1 TiB of capacity per licensed core |
| Software-defined networking | Not included (vSphere Distributed Switch networking only) | NSX Manager and NSX Edge |
| Kubernetes and VM Service | vSphere Supervisor; Local Consumption Interface for self-service | vSphere Supervisor; VCF Automation for self-service |
| Operations | VCF Operations, collector, VCF Operations for logs | Same, plus VCF Operations for networks and VCF Operations HCX |
| Lifecycle of management components | Performed on the individual management components | VCF Operations fleet management and SDDC Manager |
| Identity | vCenter Single Sign-On (identity broker functionality embedded in vCenter) | Optional three-node VCF Identity Broker as well |
| Automation | VCF Operations orchestrator (deployed manually) | VCF Automation, which includes an embedded orchestrator |
| Logical constructs | Management vCenter that runs the component nodes | VCF fleet, VCF Instances, management and workload domains |
| Primary licence | vSphere Foundation, per core | VMware Cloud Foundation, per core |
The licensing model itself is the same for both: licences are assigned only to vCenter instances, and the components connected to a licensed vCenter are licensed automatically (Chapter 8, Identity, RBAC, licensing and certificates, covers the detail). Virtual infrastructure licensed for vSphere Foundation can also be added to a VCF fleet and managed by that fleet’s VCF Operations instance.
Common trap: Assuming VVF includes NSX because both products share the VCF Installer - the installer’s deployment scope for vSphere Foundation includes vCenter and a VCF Operations primary node only; NSX, SDDC Manager, fleet management and VCF Automation are deployed for VCF, not for VVF.
Common trap: Expecting the same vSAN entitlement as VCF - a VCF licence brings 1 TiB of vSAN capacity per core, whereas a vSphere Foundation licence brings 0.25 TiB per vSAN host physical core; extra capacity is bought as a vSAN add-on, which pools with the included capacity.
This note is one section of Ultra Transcenders 2V0-16.25: VMware vSphere Foundation 9.0 Administrator, an independent study guide that explains every topic the exam covers by technology, with comparison tables, diagrams and the common traps, plus a glossary linked to Broadcom TechDocs.
Due on Amazon in October 2026, in Kindle and paperback editions.
About the book · 2V0-16.25 terms in the glossary · All 2V0-16.25 study notes
Storage pools or disk groups: the hardware, memory and network each vSAN architecture needs, and how failures differ.
The rules in a vSAN storage policy, their defaults, and how mirroring compares with erasure coding.
Per-host or vCenter-managed networking, and the features only a distributed switch brings.
Cluster resource percentage, slot policy and dedicated failover hosts compared, with what each reserves.
How each library type gets and shares its content, and when subscribers download items.
The two vSAN encryption services, the threat each addresses and which one needs a key provider.
Node layouts, failure protection and latency limits for each VCF Operations cluster model, and how a VVF platform reaches them.