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zPodFactory

zPodFactory

Build your own nested VMware labs, on demand. zPodFactory deploys complete nested environments (zPods) from reusable profiles, onto the vCenter and NSX you already have, and gives each one its own network, DNS and storage. Use it from the Web UI, from zcli, or through its API.

Latest releases

zpodcore 0.9.0 and zpodweb 0.2.0 (2026-10-26) add self-service networks (VLANs, masquerade, NSX fabric routing) and storage and NFS (disks, storages, folders, exports) to every zPod. See What's new.

  • Getting started


    Learn the concepts, install the appliance, and set up zcli.

    Concepts & architecture

  • User Guide


    Create zPods, add components, and manage their networks, storage and DNS, from the Web UI or zcli.

    User Guide

  • Administration


    Settings, users and permissions, components, endpoints, profiles and upgrades.

    Administration

  • Extensibility


    Config scripts, Terraform and Ansible on top of zPods, and the VCF deployer.

    Extensibility

Why zPodFactory

zPodFactory is a rebuild from scratch of an earlier project that was tied to one environment. It is designed around a few principles:

  1. Simplicity: deploy a nested environment in minutes from a premade or custom profile, without preparing or operating the underlying infrastructure by hand.
  2. Flexibility: zPodFactory handles the initial deployment only. What you do inside a zPod, and its lifecycle, is up to you.
  3. Extensibility: everything goes through the zPod API, so new clients and integrations are easy to build.
  4. Maintainability: day-to-day administration of the factory is kept as simple as possible.

See Concepts & architecture for how it is built.