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The release time for version 3.9.0 of Terraform VMware Cloud Director Provider is approaching,
and for the first time, we’re releasing a beta, so users can try the new features and give helpful feedback that will improve the final release.

What is a “beta” build?

A beta build is a preliminary release of an intended new versioned software, which contains all (or most) of the scheduled features, but has not been exhaustively tested yet.
This kind of release aims to give users a chance to try new features and give early feedback, making the final release more robust.
Thus, we encourage users to try the beta build and report errors in the code behavior or documentation by opening an issue and indicating that the report is about the beta version.

How to use a beta release

The beta release is available to users in the same place where the regular releases are, so that users can get it by using terraform init, like any regular release. The main difference is that to use a beta release, you need to specify the exact version of the provider, like this one:

terraform { required_providers { vcd = { source = “vmware/vcd” version = “3.9.0-beta.2” } } required_version = “>= 1.3.0” }

Inexact operators like “~>” or “>=” will not match the beta releases.

Main features of this beta build

• External network and Tier 0 (provider) gateway management resource vcd_external_network_v2 allows setting DNS fields dns1, dns2 and dns_suffix for NSX-T backed entities so that it can be inherited by direct Org VDC networks
• NSX-T Load Balancer configuration resource and data source vcd_nsxt_alb_settings now support IPv6 and transparent mode configuration using two new fields is_transparent_mode_enabled and ipv6_service_network_specification
• Introducing support of the Runtime Defined Entity (RDE) framework, that allows customers to extend the existing capabilities of VCD, with the addition of the following resources and data sources:
  • vcd_rde_interface resource to allow users to create and manage RDE Interfaces, which can be used to define RDE Types.
  • vcd_rde_type resource to create and manage RDE Types, which can be used
    to create Runtime Defined Entities.
  • vcd_rde resource to create and manage Runtime Defined Entities, which can be used to extend VCD with new customised features.
  • Data sources to fetch existing RDE Interfaces (vcd_rde_interface), RDE Types (vcd_rde_type) and Runtime Defined Entities (vcd_rde).
• New resource vcd_nsxv_distributed_firewall to set and maintain traffic rules for the access to a NSX-V VDC entities. Ancillary data sources vcd_nsxv_application_finder,
  vcd_nsxv_application, and vcd_nsxv_application_group facilitate access and
  usage to pre-defined applications and application groups used in firewall rules.
• NSX-T Edge Gateway resource vcd_nsxt_edgegateway has two new configuration modes for automatic IP allocation management by using subnet_with_ip_count, subnet_with_total_ip_count and total_allocated_ip_count fields

Main improvements

• vApp network management resources vcd_vapp_network and vcd_vapp_org_network add
  convenience flag reboot_vapp_on_removal. It improves workflows with VCD versions 10.4.1 and above which return an error when removing vApp networks from powered on vApps.
• The error message generated when attempting to authenticate a provider with an invalid password
  has been enhanced to improve accuracy.
• Organization group management resource vcd_org_group adds support for OAUTH identity provider type.
• The vcd_vapp_network resource now includes a prefix_length field, allowing the creation of IPv6 networks.

Source

Originally posted on March 24, 2023 @ 8:05 pm