Enterprise infrastructure automation is entering a new phase. With VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.1 now available, organizations that have invested in VMware Aria Automation can move beyond traditional infrastructure provisioning toward a more unified, API-driven, policy-controlled private cloud.
VCF 9.1 is an API-first private cloud platform with a more consistent interface for programmable infrastructure. The release builds on VCF 9.0 capabilities such as self-service infrastructure, reusable blueprints, and policy-as-code, while extending automation further across virtual machines, containers, and modern application environments.
The evolution from Aria Automation to VCF Automation
Many enterprises have already built significant automation around VMware Aria Automation (formerly vRealize Automation), including workflows, blueprints, service catalogs, integrations, and custom scripts. Those investments don’t disappear in the transition; they play an important role in it.
Organizations upgrading existing Aria Automation environments to VCF Automation 9.1 should treat complex Aria Automation upgrades as a separate workstream, as significant integrations or custom code must be validated and remediated first.
That’s precisely why an assessment of the existing automation environment must come before the upgrade plan, not after.
ClearBridge’s VMware VCF & Aria Automation Review is built to do exactly that. The engagement assesses existing VCF or VVF infrastructure, identifies where organizations are underutilizing VCF Automation, and delivers a recommended path forward aligned with VMware best practices, accounting for the regulatory, security, and audit requirements that shape what “best practice” actually means for a given environment.
What’s driving the next generation of VCF Automation
The most significant shift in this release is the move toward genuinely programmable infrastructure. VCF 9.1’s API-first model gives developers and infrastructure teams a more consistent way to consume and automate private cloud resources, and that consistency opens up several concrete opportunities:
Self-service with governance built in. Instead of routing every infrastructure request through a manual ticket, organizations can offer standardized services while retaining control over how resources get provisioned. Reusable blueprints and infrastructure policies enforce organizational requirements consistently across environments, rather than depending on whoever happens to be handling the request that day.
Infrastructure as Code at enterprise scale. Terraform, Git, APIs, Python, PowerShell, and similar tools increasingly become native parts of the VCF operating model rather than bolt-ons. That lets infrastructure teams translate architectural standards into repeatable automation, rather than rebuilding environments by hand every time.
Automation beyond Day 1. The opportunity no longer stops at provisioning a VM. Enterprises can now automate lifecycle management, resource provisioning, and Day 2 operational tasks, producing infrastructure that stays consistent from initial deployment through ongoing operations, not just at the moment it’s stood up.
Automation for VMs and containers alike. VCF Automation is increasingly built around modern workloads rather than just traditional virtual infrastructure. VCF 9.0 introduced self-service for resources, including VMs and VKS clusters; VCF 9.1 continues to extend that automation to containers and application infrastructure.
The operational payoff is measurable. In a March 2026 customer survey, Broadcom found that organizations using VCF Automation cut the time from request to a ready-to-use application environment by 49%, and reduced manual effort across the application lifecycle, provisioning, updates, patches, and configuration changes by another 49%.
Preparing for VCF 9.1 starts with understanding where you are today
VCF 9.1 creates real new possibilities but layering more automation onto an environment without first understanding existing workflows, integrations, governance requirements, and technical debt tends to create more complexity, not less.
The better starting point is an honest inventory: what’s still manual, what’s already automated, which Aria workflows and integrations remain business-critical, where custom code is doing the heavy lifting, and which processes are the strongest candidates for standardization. That inventory becomes the foundation for deciding where VCF Automation, APIs, Infrastructure as Code, and self-service capabilities will actually deliver value rather than just add another layer to maintain.
ClearBridge’s VMware VCF & Aria Automation Review provides that focused starting point. A ClearBridge architect reviews the customer’s existing VCF or VVF environment, evaluates automation requirements, develops recommendations for better utilizing VCF Automation in line with VMware best practices, and presents a concrete path forward for implementation.
From automation tools to an automation strategy
The latest evolution of VMware Cloud Foundation is making infrastructure genuinely programmable. For organizations already running Aria Automation or considering a move to VCF 9.x, the opportunity is to turn years of accumulated VMware operational expertise into standardized, repeatable, and governed private cloud services.
Technology is only part of that transformation. Organizations also need the architecture, workflows, integrations, Infrastructure as Code practices, and specialized expertise to turn those capabilities into an operating model that actually works at enterprise scale.
Contact ClearBridge to assess your organization’s current VCF and Aria Automation environments, identify opportunities for improvement, and staff experienced VMware VCF and automation consultants to design and implement the path forward.
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