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romi
Contributor
Contributor

very small question

This is regarding vmware H.A . Just wanted to know whether vmware H.A provides H.A to entire VMguest or an application running inside the vmguest.

suppose i have created cluster of 2 vmguests residing on different hosts. so vmware H.A will monitor the vmguest or application running inside the vmguest. if it monitors the application in the vmguest then what happens does vmware H.A restarts the application on another vmguest or does it start the entire vmguest (which has application failure) on another host?

please reply soon,

thanks in advance.

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peetz
Leadership
Leadership

No, currently VMware HA only monitors hosts failures and restarts VMs that have been stopped because of a host failure.

However, I heard rumors that there will be enhancements in VI 3.1, in a way that VMware HA will also monitor OS failures in single VMs.

\- Andreas

Twitter: @VFrontDe, @ESXiPatches | https://esxi-patches.v-front.de | https://vibsdepot.v-front.de
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MR-T
Immortal
Immortal

To do what you want, you should look at Symantec's VCS.

http://www.symantec.com/en/ca/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20061107_01

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romi
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for reply Andreas ,

please see this link http://www.vmware.com/pdf/ha_datasheet.pdf

it is saying

How Is VMware HA Used in the Enterprise?

VMware HA allows companies to provide high availability to any

application running in a virtual machine. With VMware HA IT organizations

can:

• Protect applications with no other failover option. Provide

cost-effective high availability for any application running in a

virtual machine. High availability solutions are often relatively

complex and expensive, and typically reserved for mission critical

applications. VMware HA provides a cost-effective high availability

solution that makes high availability possible for software applications

that were formerly left unprotected.

it seems vmware H.A also provide H.A to application running in a virtual machine.wht do u think abt it..

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peetz
Leadership
Leadership

Yes, the data sheet is somehow correct:

1. You have an application running in a VM that runs on a ESX host.

2. If the ESX host crashes the VM also crashes and the application becomes unavailable.

3. Now, if VMware HA restarts the VM on another host, this will also make the application available again, of course (assumed that the application was not affected by the VM crash and comes up cleanly).

Voila: VMware HA provides some sort of high availability for applications, without the need for a Windows cluster or any other application specific failover mechanism.

However, currently it protects from hardware failures only. It will not monitor the guest OS or even applications running inside the guest OS.

This is also what the data sheet tells you if you read it completely and carefully.

\- Andreas

Twitter: @VFrontDe, @ESXiPatches | https://esxi-patches.v-front.de | https://vibsdepot.v-front.de
romi
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks Andreas ,

Can u send me reference of some vmware docs which says clearly that vmware h.a does not do application monitoring. if you can do this it will be great.

i have two questions now.

First question

1) You have an application running in a VM that runs on a ESX host.

2) some how application got crashed . please note only application got crashed.

2) ESX host and VM is doing fine.

now tell me what will happen , how vwmare H.A will provide HA to the application. as vmware H.A is only monitoring host failure so it wont do any thing for the application right?

Second question

1) You have an application running in a VM that runs on a ESX host.

2) some how VM got crashed . please note only VM got crashed.

2) ESX host is working fine.

now what will be the result , as vmware H.A is only monitoring host failure so it wont do failover VM right?

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VirtualNoitall
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Hello,

HA simply monitors for host failures and then restarts those guest virtual machines running on the failed host onto another ESX host.

now tell me what will happen , how vwmare H.A will provide HA to the application. as vmware H.A is only monitoring host failure so it wont do any thing for the application right?

-Correct. It only helps out the app availability in that is starts up the virtual machines on other hosts in the event of a host failure.

now what will be the result , as vmware H.A is only monitoring host failure so it wont do failover VM right?

-Nothing will happen as there was no host failure. You will need to be monitoring the virtual machine/application like you would in the physical world.

Hope that helps.

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peetz
Leadership
Leadership

You are right with both questions.

Another reference is the Automating High Availability (HA) Services with VMware HA[/url] white paper.

\- Andreas

Twitter: @VFrontDe, @ESXiPatches | https://esxi-patches.v-front.de | https://vibsdepot.v-front.de
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