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 0.9.2 and zpodweb 0.3.0 (2026-10-29) let each component choose where it is deployed and on which network, and bring stock cloud images (Ubuntu, Photon OS, Red Hat CoreOS, Talos) up with their zPod address on first boot. They build on 0.9.0's self-service networks and storage and NFS. See What's new.
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Getting started
Learn the concepts, install the appliance, and set up
zcli. -
User Guide
Create zPods, add components, and manage their networks, storage and DNS, from the Web UI or
zcli. -
Administration
Settings, users and permissions, components, endpoints, profiles and upgrades.
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Extensibility
Config scripts, Terraform and Ansible on top of zPods, and the VCF deployer.
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:
- Simplicity: deploy a nested environment in minutes from a premade or custom profile, without preparing or operating the underlying infrastructure by hand.
- Flexibility: zPodFactory handles the initial deployment only. What you do inside a zPod, and its lifecycle, is up to you.
- Extensibility: everything goes through the zPod API, so new clients and integrations are easy to build.
- Maintainability: day-to-day administration of the factory is kept as simple as possible.
See Concepts & architecture for how it is built.