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Alp1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

VM memory limits within Resource Pools

I apologize if this has been asked, but I'm trying to help a customer out with a VI that he has inherited. Using Capacity Analyzer he has found that resource pools were set, and configured to agreeable settings. However, the individual VMs within are also set with Memory Limits prohibiting them from making best use of the memory that should be at their disposal within the RP's own limits.

My assumption was that the previous VI Admin was using templates where they unknowingly had limits set.

Can anybody define circumstance where you WOULD want this type of a setup, and not just let the VMs be limited to their owning RP? The only one I can come up with is a legacy app with a known memory leak that nobody can do anything about...

Thanks all,

-Carlo

http://www.vkernel.com

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runclear
Expert
Expert

That or... If you have a very small setup and say you have Production VM's mixed with Staging, Development VM's..... This would ensure that the production VM's are not affected by your NON-Production VM's..

my 2cents Smiley Happy

-------------------- What the f* is the cloud?!
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RobMokkink
Expert
Expert

We don't set limits on the vm level, this is an administrative nightmare. We have a automatic resourcepool script that does all that we need.

See the following document:

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-9610

Alp1
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

That's valid. But where Resource Pools are being used, wouldn't we just group them in different RPs named (by example) Production, Staging, Dev? I like your thinking, but can you think of anything within the Prod only, or Staging only, or Dev only Resource Pools, wherein you would need to set limits on the VMs themself?

I would think that if an ESX host were weak enough to warrant a single RP wherein all three environment type machines are retained that you wouldn't bother with the RP to begin with. Hmmm...

Thanks,

-Carlo

http://www.vkernel.com

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RobMokkink
Expert
Expert

You can use shares to give the production resource pools a higher priority.

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RParker
Immortal
Immortal

You can use shares to give the production resource pools a higher priority.

That ONLY Applies when the HOST is near it's limit for memory, then and ONLY then do shares become active. Until then making 1 machine 2000 shares and another 2 million shares, makes ZERO difference, it only applies when the host has to start make decisions based upon. When the host has ample Memory CPU to give to ALL the machines, they priorities are not affected.

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RobMokkink
Expert
Expert

RParker, i know.

But when resources are low, because maybe a couple of esx servers are down etc. Your production systems have the highest priority.

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