VMware Cloud Community
tgrayatshi
Contributor
Contributor

Separate vCenter Servers for Management and Compute clusters

I'm working to adapt a VMware architecture for a customer.   With the release of vCenter 6.7, I believe we can use combined VCSA/PSC VMs now instead of having external shared PSCs.   I'm trying to find the guidance that says we should have a separate vCenter for each of these clusters.   I know Enhanced Linked Mode will make the administration seamless when, but I don't completely understand the reasoning behind this.   These clusters are in the same data center, in racks next to each other.

0 Kudos
3 Replies
RickVerstegen
Expert
Expert

VMware vCenter Server Appliance (vCSA) 6.7 supports embedded deployment where vCenter Server and Platform Service Controller (PSC)are on the same node. So you can join another node with the VCSA with embedded PSC. This architecture is called enhanced linked mode.

Advantages?

Roles, Global Permissions, Licenses, Certificates, vSphere Tags and VM Storage Policies are automatically replicated across all vCenter Servers.

You can manage all vCenters which are linked within the same SSO Domain.

Users can login to ANY vCenter Server for single-pane of glass management.

More info:

vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode for a vCenter Server Appliance with Embedded Platform Services Controll...

Was I helpful? Give a kudo for appreciation!
Blog: https://rickverstegen84.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/verstegenrick
0 Kudos
KocPawel
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

One embedded vCenter supports up to 2000 ESXi hosts.

https://configmax.vmware.com/guest?vmwareproduct=vSphere&release=vSphere%206.7&categories=3-0

There is no need to create separate vCenters for clusters. Remember that every vCenter need own license. It costs.

You can read and analize VMware Validated Design 5.1.1. There are informations how to create environment, what architecture you should choose etc.

VMware Validated Design 5.1.1 Release Notes

VMware Validated Design Documentation

0 Kudos
NathanosBlightc
Commander
Commander

These clusters are in the same data center, in racks next to each other.

So why you need to separate the vCenter of each rack, while they are in the same datacenter?

I belive the virtual datacenter is a some kind of a mapping it to the physical datacenter, then it's better to keep them similar. and for each rack if it's necessary, separate the cluster object

Please mark my comment as the Correct Answer if this solution resolved your problem
0 Kudos