vCentre Server on a ESX host in HA......

[upg3]

Hi....i'm still biginner on this platfrm...wanted to know whether vCentre Server 4 can be installated virtually on a ESX 4 host or not.....and whether the same ESX Host can be part of HA group.

In that case what if the HOST fails....will the vCentre also move and work normally to different box just like other hosts or we might face problem...??

Thanks in advance for reply....

UPG

[mikeyhoward]

Yes your vCenter server can be a VM on a host within a HA cluster.

the vCenter server will be restarted by HA on an alternative host in the event of a host failure on the host where the VC is currently residing.

Make sure you allocate the appropriate resources to your VC VM - 3GB RAM, 2vCPU.

[dtracey]

hi,

In addition to Mikeys recommendations above - make sure that you configure the VM to start after your AD servers in the event of a HA incident. Remember that if you are using share, to give VC a high priority!

Have a read of http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_vc_in_vm.pdf

and...

http://vmetc.com/2007/12/28/should-virtual-center-run-as-a-virtual-machine/

(relate to version 2.x VC , but the basics are in there).

Dan

[NTurnbull]

Hi, as said, yes you can run your vCenter server as a vm, its on page 89 of the ESX and vCenter Server Install guide. Also for more info on HA and how it work (Look at the slot sizing section) check out the vSphere Availability Guide - vSphere product document page

Thanks,

Neil

[upg3]

Hi Mike n Dan thank you very much for answering.

But tell me one thing vCentre manages HA, incase of failure how the transfer will occure or who will manage it.

Second is there any particular secuence that need to configure for VM's on HA which will restart the AD before VC, bacause on the same Host along with VC other vm's would be DC/DNS, Citrix, AV Server etc.

Waiting for your reply...thanks

[mikeyhoward]

Set the restart priority under the cluster settings, Virtual Machine Settings (under VMware HA) and set the restart priority for the DC to be higher than that of the VC.

HA is from the hosts not the VC, the VC is used only to configure HA meaning that in the event of the virtual VC becoming unavailable, HA still works. You need the checkbox "Enable Host monitoring" to be checked

[dtracey · Accepted solution]

Hi upg3,

In terms of HA - although it is configured via VC - it is actally managed by the hosts themselves (it's re-branded legato aam...), so the hosts themselves can handle the failover - even in the event of a lost VC.

Have a look at your environment at the cluster settings | HA Virtual Machine Restart Priority. You'll have to have a look at your environment and work out which restart order works for you, for example in my environment we also have physical DC and DNS, so it's not as important for them to come up before VC. If you have a VM SQL back-end for VC - this will obviously need to come up before VC itself... AV and Citrix etc - well thats up to you!

While you're looking at HA - have a look at setting VM anti-affinity for your VM DCs and DNS servers if you think it's suitable...

Dan