Questions about Heartbeat

[SamiEMC]

Hello

I have some questions about Heartbeat

Do we need a License for Heartbeat ? do we need licenses for other VCENTERs ?

Can I add heartbeat to all ESXi servers ?

Please Advise

[PramodKhalate]

Yes, you will need to purchase a seperate license for the vCenter Heartbeat.

for each version of vCenter server being protected with heartbeat you will need:

1x vCenter license

1x vCenter Heartbeat license

This is documented in the "How To Buy"  section of VMware Heartbeat -

http://www.vmware.com/products/vcenter-server-heartbeat/buy.html

[SamiEMC]

Ok , so , what is the best way to protect the VCENTER ?

should i keep it on ESXi as a VM or not ?

I have only 1 Vmware License

So what is the best way to protect VCENTER if VM or Physical host ?

Please Advise

[PramodKhalate]

If you have only one vCenter license then you should keep your vCenter Server in VM.

You can back up vCenter using your backup software. This has two  advantages: as well protecting your database files from corruption, it  will keep the transaction logs maintained by the database nice and slim.  Although the database files that make up vCenter are relatively small  (their actual size depends on the number of ESX hosts and virtual  machines).

If you keep your vCenter running on a virtual machine, you can protect it along with your other virtual machines, using VMware HA or FT

If you have 2 vCenter license & 2 Heartbeat license then you should keep your vCenter server in Physical or VM.

Thanks

Pramod

[SamiEMC]

ok so , isnt the Vcenter managing the Ha and FT ?

So if the ESXi has the Vcenter VM , how will it move if thAt ESXi is

powered down ?

How all other VMs will also move ?

--

[PramodKhalate]

OK,

vCenter is managing HA & FT...

You may have to make HA & DRS Cluster on your ESXi servers, minimum 2 or more ESXi required for HA & DRS Cluster.

if your ESXi goes down, VMs will be restarted to another ESXi host.

[SamiEMC]

Ok So VMs including VCENTER will be turned off for a while , then moved and power on on other ESXis , is that Corect ?

Any other way to keep them on if ESXi is turned off ?

and if VCENTER is on Physical , will it be better in that case for the other VMs on the Powered off ESXi ?

wont some host have some issues powering off and on ?

please advise