vCenter Heartbeat 6.6 & vCenter Single Sign-On 5.5

[041363]

Hello,

Knowledge Base 2058239 indicates the following as it relates to SSO & vCenter Heartbeat, "vCenter Server Heartbeat 6.6 is only supported in environments with a single vCenter Single Sign-On 5.5 node. Configuring multiple SSO 5.5 nodes with vCenter Server Heartbeat 6.6 is not supported." Can anyone provide some clarification about this? We have 2 sites, 1 VMware Authentication Domain ( or Active Directory domain), 1 flat network. 1 site will be primary. 1 site will be DR. 2 vCenters, 1 at each site. vCenter Heartbeat will protect vCenter at the primary site. Installing the 2nd vCenter server at the DR site, for Single Sign-On deployment mode I want to choose, "vCenter Single Sign-On for an additional vCenter with a new site" as the deployment mode, and partner this SSO instance with the SSO instance at the primary site. This seems like the logical thing to do. However, it sounds as though vCenter Heartbeat will then not be supported. Is this accurate? Does anyone know? I find it hard to understand how this configuration would effect vCenter Heartbeat at the primary site and why it wouldn't be supported.

Thanks in advance.

[dmihaescu]

If you have two sites, one primary and one DR, deploy SSO+vCenter in the active site and then use vCSHB to protect them. You do not need to install a second SSO+vCenter at the DR site as this will be handeled by vCSHB.

[041363]

Thank you for the reply. I think maybe I wasn't quite clear. The 2nd vCenter that I reference is not a vCenter clone being protected by Heartbeat. It is a separate, and active vCenter being used for SRM.

Thank you

Sent from my iPhone

[rcporto]

In your scenario I believe you deployed the SSO in Multisite Mode to support vCenter Linked Mode and SRM, right ? Then, do you have two SSO (one SSO node on each site), and the KB says that vCenter Heartbeat doesn't support multiple SSO nodes.

[041363]

That is correct. What I am not clear on is how SSO in multisite mode with one node in each site would effect vCenter Heartbeat protecting 1 vCenter. But according to VMware Heartbeat 6.6 is not supported with Single Sign-On 5.5 with multiple nodes, whether they are same site or multisite. So the only option is to install SSO for the 2nd vCenter as though it was the first Single Sign-On node, even though their authentication domain is the same, and the 2 SSO nodes will have no knowledge of each other and will function separately. This results in not being able to configure Linked Mode for the 2 vCenter servers. Linked Mode requires the 2 vCenters to have a matching SSO ID.

[SystemsGuyMI]

Hello All,

I am the Architect that’s been creating the design referenced by the above Systems Engineer.  I've worked with Consultants and our inside VMware Account Engineer.  The definitive answer back from the Heartbeat Team is that this is a supported solution and that KB 2058239 will be updated to remove: "vCenter Server Heartbeat 6.6 is only supported in environments with a single vCenter Single Sign-On 5.5 node. Configuring multiple SSO 5.5 nodes with vCenter Server Heartbeat 6.6 is not supported."

[JEHolo3]

KB-2058239 still contains the statement :

• vCenter Server Heartbeat 6.6 is only supported in environments with a single vCenter Single Sign-On 5.5 node. Configuring multiple SSO 5.5 nodes with vCenter Server Heartbeat 6.6 is not supported.

[rh5592]

The KB has been updated. The statement has been removed.