vApp and Multiple Hosts

[ellisdp]

We are just experimenting with creating vApps, and this is looking a useful feature.

One thing I am not clear about ... the documentation states that:

The vApp metadata resides in the vCenter Server's database, so a vApp can be distributed across mult...

Does this mean that VMs running on multiple hosts can be included in the vApp? From trying out this feature, it appears not. We have multiple blade server hosts running within vCenter. If I drag a VM from "another" host into my vApp on "this" host, it appears that the VM is then running within this host. It looks like a vApp can only contain VMs running on one host. In fact, there might be anomalies if a vApp was split across multiple hosts, since one host might be running while another was shutdown, and the vApp would then not be able to start successfully.

Have I understood this correctly? Does the above statement perhaps refer to clusters?

Thanks

David

[Shakaal]

Hi David,

You can add VM's running on multiple host to a vAPP,  it has nothing to do with a Host shutting down which has a VM from vAPP running on it, if a host goes down VMware HA will take care of it.

You can try migrating the VM's from the vAPP to different host.

Regards

[Shakaal]

would also request you to check following steps while adding VM's to the vAPP

Add an Object to a vApp

You can add an object, such as a virtual machine or another vApp, to an existing vApp.

An existing virtual machine or another vApp that is not already contained inside the vApp can be moved into

the currently selected vApp.

Procedure

1 Display the object in the inventory.

2 Click and drag the object to the target object.

n

If the move is permitted, a box appears around the target-object, indicating it is selected.

n

If move is not permitted, a naught sign (zero with a slash) appears, and the object is not moved.

3 Release the mouse button.

Either the object moves to the new location or an error message indicates what needs to be done to permit

the move.

Regards

[ellisdp]

Hi Shakaal,

Thanks for the quick reply.

Yes, I have been able to migrate a VM into the vApp using the steps you referred to.

However, if the VM was originally on "host 2", and I drag it into a vApp on "host 1", viewing the CPU and memory usage through vCenter appears to show that the VM is now running on "host 1".

[Shakaal]

Ok,

do one thing select the VM, on the rt hand side select "task&events" tab on this tab click on "events" try to find out "migration event" once you find the event look for column "Initiated By" see what is mentioned there, if it says "System" then the VM was moved by DRS if it gives someone else name then that person/admin moved it.

Regards

[ellisdp]

Well, it shows that it was moved by me, as part of migration into the vApp.

[Shakaal]

Hi,

I just replicated the issue in my prod environment, the VM stayed on the host on which it was running.

Regards

[ellisdp]

A colleague has suggested this may be because we are using vSphere Standard, and the ability to distribute vApps across multiple hosts may require the Enterprise edition? This could be the explanation?

vApps are not mentioned on the VMware "Compare Editions" page:

http://www.vmware.com/products/datacenter-virtualization/vsphere/mid-size-and-enterprise-business/co...

however this does say that the Distributed Resources Scheduler (DRS) is only included in Enterprise edition upwards, and maybe DRS is required for distribution of vApps.