V-Center , cluster, DRS, HA, vMotion

 VCenter 

vCenter Server is the centralized management utility for VMware, and is used to manage virtual machines, multiple ESXi hosts, and all dependent components from a single centralized location. 

Center Features 

• Multi-hypervisor management. 
• VMware Host Profiles. 
•  Automatic VM restart. 
•  Patch management. 
•  vRealize Orchestrator (vRO). 
•  vCenter Server Linked Mode. 
•  Application programming interfaces (APIs). 

CLUSTER 

Cluster is a group of ESXi hosts. HA and DRS are the features of a cluster.

 Pre requisites for Cluster.

 

• Minimum 3 Hosts recommended 
•  Shared storage “NAS / SAN / VSAN 
•  CPU Compatibility 
•  EVC Enhanced VMotion Compatibility 
•  DRS 
•  HA 
•  VCenter for managing HostsVM kernel port group 
•  Static IPs for all Hosts 

HA or vSphere availability 

•  High availability is the ability of the system to continuous monitoring of ESXi hosts. 
•  If any ESXi Host goes down, HA reboots the VMs of that ESXi Host to another Host 
•  Here reboot time is the down time 
•  When HA is enabled, a single host is automatically elected as the master host through election process, and remaining are slaves 
•  Master is elected which has highest data stores and resources. 

DRS – Dynamic Resource Scheduler

 

•  DRS is a load balancing technique. 
•  DRS ensure performance by balancing virtual machine workloads across hosts a cluster. 
•  In any cluster one ESXi server runs with maximum resources and another ESXi server runs with minimum resources , then DRS moves the VM from one host to other host with the help of vMotion.

DRS Automation Levels

DRS Migration Thresholds (5 level we recommend 3rd level) 

1. DRS will not try to correct host imbalance. 

2. Provides recommendations when workloads are extremely imbalanced. 

3. Provides recommendations when workloads are moderately imbalanced. 

4. Provides recommendations when workloads are fairly imbalanced. 

5. Provides recommendations when workloads are slightly imbalanced.

vMotion 

• It is a live migration technic. 
• VMotion is a VMWare's technology that enables a virtual machine to be moved from one physical host server to another 

Pre requisites for vMotion 

• Shared storage 
• CPU compatibility 
• 150 ms RTT (round trip time) 
• Physical NIC cards 
• VM kernel port group

vCenter Installation process 

Stage-1 Install 

Step 1: Download the vCenter Server ISO from Myvmware.com After downloading, mount it on CD/DVD drive 

Step 2: Open the mounted path and double click the installer.exe and click on install.

Step 3: Click introduction part Next and Accept licence agreement then click nexts.

Step 4: Select deployment type and click next.

Step 5: Enter ESXi host or vcenter name , user name and password and click next.

Step 6: Select datacenter and click next.

Step 7: Select computer resource and click next

Step 8: Specify VM name and set root password

Step 9: Select deployment size and click next.

Step 10: Select data store and enable thin disk mode then next.

 Step 11: Configure network settings then click next.

 Note : While creating the IP address enter the IP in DNS forward lookup zone. 

Step 12: Check and finish.

 

Stage-2 

Step 1: Introduction, Click next and give appliance configuration then Next.

Step 2: Give SSO configuration then click next.

Step 3: Configure CEIP and click next.

Step 4: Check and click finish.

 

Step 5: Launch Vspher client.

CLUSTER CONFIGURATION 

Right click on vcenter and create data center and in the data center create clusters and give configuration.

Enabling HA or vSphere availability 

• HA is enabled in cluster level. 
• Click on cluster and go to configure and edit.

Enabling DRS 

• DRS is enabled in cluster level. 
• Click on cluster and go to configure and edit.