Chapter 4. vSphere Management Design

In this chapter, we will cover the following recipes:

• Identifying vCenter components and dependencies

• Selecting a vCenter deployment option

• Determining vCenter resource requirements

• Selecting a database for the vCenter deployment

• Determining database interoperability

• Choosing a vCenter deployment topology

• Designing for management availability

• Designing a separate management cluster

• Configuring vCenter Mail, SNMP, and Alarms

• Using Enhanced Linked Mode

• Using the VMware Product Interoperability Matrix

• Backing up vCenter Server components

• Upgrading vCenter Server

• Designing a vSphere Update Manager Deployment

Introduction

This chapter discusses the design considerations that should be taken into account when designing the management layer of the virtual infrastructure. We will look at the different components that make up vCenter. You will learn how to size them correctly and how to ensure compatibility between VMware products deployed in the environment. This chapter also covers the different deployment options for vCenter and its components as well as the importance of the availability, recoverability, and security of these components.

The following diagram displays how management design is integrated into the design process:

Questions that the architect should ask and answer during the management design process are as follows:

• What components are necessary to manage the virtual environment?

• How will management components be deployed?

• What resources are required to support the management components?

• What impact will the loss of a management component have on the environment?

• How to recover from the...

Identifying vCenter components and dependencies

The vCenter Server provides the central configuration and management of the ESXi servers and the services provided by the virtual infrastructure. vCenter 6.x is composed of several components and services such as the Platform Services Controller (PSC), the vCenter Server Database, and the vCenter Server.

How to do it…

1. Identify the following core components and services of vCenter 6.x:

   • The VMware PSC was introduced in 6.x. The PSC handles security functions in the vSphere infrastructure. The PSC provides the vCenter Single Sign-On (SSO) service, licensing management, registration services, and the VMware Certificate Authority (VMCA). The PSC can be deployed as a standalone server or be embedded on the same server with other required vCenter components.

   • The vCenter SSO is deployed as part of the PSC in vSphere 6.x. SSO provides identity management for administrators, users, and applications that interact with the VMware vSphere environment. Active...

Selecting a vCenter deployment option

There are a number of deployment options available to deploy vCenter. The vCenter Server can be deployed on a dedicated physical server running a 64-bit Windows server operating system, on a virtual machine running a 64-bit Windows server guest operating system, or as a Linux-based virtual appliance. vCenter components can be installed on a single server, or the components can be installed on separate virtual or physical machines.

How to do it…

Regardless of the deployment option selected, the vCenter Server components must be installed and configured in a specific order so that the service dependencies are met.

The order of installation of the vCenter Server components is as follows:

1. Deploy VMware Platform Services Controller.

2. Deploy vCenter Server.

3. Other supporting components – VMware Update Manager, VMware Syslog Service, ESXi Dump Collector, and so on.

How it works…

Deploying the vCenter Server components on a virtual machine is a practice recommended by...

Determining vCenter resource requirements

The minimum system requirements for the vCenter Server are dependent on the size of the environment managed by the vCenter Server. Sizing vCenter Server correctly will ensure proper operation. The size of the vCenter inventory, the number of hosts, and the number of virtual machines all have an impact on the amount of resources required. Running multiple vCenter Server components, an embedded PSC, for example, also determines the amount of resources that will need to be allocated to the vCenter Server.

How to do it…

The following steps will help you determine the vCenter system requirements:

1. Estimate the number of host and virtual machines that will be managed by the vCenter Server.

2. Determine whether all the vCenter Server components will be installed on a single server or on separate servers.

3. Size the vCenter Server to support the managed inventory.

How it works…

The vCenter Server 6.x system requirements based on inventory size are given in the following...

Selecting a database for the vCenter deployment

The vCenter Server requires a supported database to be deployed to store virtual infrastructure configuration information, logging, and performance statistics. The vCenter Server Appliance and the vCenter Server on Windows both support an embedded or external database.

How to do it…

Perform the following steps to select a database for the vCenter deployment:

1. Estimate the number of host and virtual machines that will be managed by the vCenter Server.

2. Choose a supported database platform that is suitable to support the vCenter inventory.

How it works…

The database stores configuration and performance information. The three database deployment options are as follows:

• Use the embedded vPostgreSQL database on the VCSA or the bundled vPostgreSQL database, if installing the vCenter Server on Windows

• Install a full database server locally on the same server as the vCenter Server components

• Connect to a database hosted on a remote server

The embedded database...

Determining database interoperability

VMware provides an online interoperability matrix in order to make it easy to determine which database versions are compatible and supported with which versions of VMware products.

How to do it…

In order to determine database interoperability with VMware products, perform the following steps:

1. Visit https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/sim/interop_matrix.php.

2. Select the Solution/Database Interoperability tab.

3. In the Select a Solution option, select VMware vCenter Server and Version from the respective drop-down boxes.

4. Add database versions using the database drop-down box. You can add multiple database versions.

5. The database compatibility with the selected product will be displayed in the table, as shown in the following screenshot:

   

How it works...

Verifying database product interoperability ensures the supportability of the database and the version that has been selected for use with a specific VMware product. The VMware Product Interoperability Matrixes...

Choosing a vCenter deployment topology

The deployment topology for a vCenter 6.x deployment is dependent on the size of the environment, the number of vCenters that will be deployed, the number of sites, and the availability required.

How to do it…

To determine the vCenter deployment topology for a vCenter 6.x deployment, follow these steps:

1. Identify the use cases for each vCenter deployment topology. Factors to consider include the following:

   • Size of environment

   • Number of vCenter Servers

   • Number of sites

2. Select the vCenter deployment topology based on the environment requirements.

How it works…

vSphere 6 supports up to 10 vCenter Servers linked together in Enhanced Linked Mode and up to 8 PSCs to support the environment. vCenters and PSCs can be deployed on the same site or across multiple sites. In a small environment, with a single vCenter Server, the PSC and the vCenter Server can be combined onto a single appliance.

The embedded deployment is the topology with the least complexity. The embedded...

Designing for management availability

The availability of the management functions of an environment becomes more critical, as with virtual desktop environments and other self-service provisioning environments. In these environments, if the vCenter Server is unavailable, so is the ability to provide the provisioning of services.

If the environment does not provide these types of services, the ability to manage the environment, especially during a failure or disaster, is also critical. How can you troubleshoot an issue with a virtual machine or a group of virtual machines if the primary tool that is used to manage the environment is unavailable?

How to do it…

To properly design for management availability, follow these steps:

1. Identify management environment dependencies:

   • Infrastructure dependencies, including storage, networking, and host hardware

   • Service dependencies, including DNS, DHCP, and Active Directory

   • VMware product dependencies, including the PSC, the vCenter Server, and other supporting...

Designing a separate management cluster

The management components of a virtual environment can be resource intensive. If you are running vCenter and its dependencies as virtual machines in the same cluster as the cluster managed by the vCenter server, the resources required by the management infrastructure must be factored into the capacity calculations of the logical design. Creating a separate management cluster separates the resources required by the vCenter and other management components from the resources required by the applications hosted in the virtual infrastructure.

How to do it…

Management cluster best practices are as follows:

• CPU and memory resources to support management applications

• Multiple network interfaces and multiple physical network switches to minimize the single points of failure in the management network

• Multiple paths to the storage in order to minimize the single points of failure in the storage network

• Storage designed to support both the capacity and the performance...

Configuring vCenter Mail, SNMP, and Alarms

Alarms can be used to notify an administrator of issues, or potential issues, in a vSphere environment. This notification allows an administrator to take corrective actions. Alarms can be configured to send e-mail notifications and/or SMNP traps when conditions are triggered. Alarm definitions contain a trigger and an action. Triggers include issues such as hardware failures or states such as increased CPU or memory utilization.

Properly designing alarm notifications can ensure successful ongoing operations in a vSphere environment.

How to do it…

The following steps will configure the Mail and SNMP settings for a vCenter Server and to configure a defined alarm to send an e-mail or SNMP notification:

1. Using the vSphere Web Client, go to Manage | Settings | General, as shown in the following screenshot:

   

2. Select Edit and Mail. Provide the Mail server option with an FQDN or an IP address and the Mail sender with an address. The vCenter Mail configuration is...

Using Enhanced Linked Mode

Enhanced Linked Mode allows multiple vCenter Servers to be connected together to provide a single point of management. Enhanced Linked Mode enables the ability to view, search, and manage multiple vCenter Servers and provides replication of roles, permissions, licenses, and policies between vCenter Servers. This simplifies management of large environments with multiple vCenter Servers deployed in the same site or across multiple sites. vCenter 6.x supports linking vCenter Servers deployed as VCSA and as Windows Servers.

How to do it…

To enable Enhanced Linked Mode, follow these steps:

1. Ensure that Enhanced Linked Mode requirements are met:

   • All PSCs are in the same vSphere SSO domain.

2. Deploy PSC and vCenter Servers in a supported deployment topology.

How it works…

Enhanced Linked Mode enables a single point of management across all vCenter Servers in the same vSphere SSO domain. This allows an administrator to easily manage the different environments, for example, a virtual...

Using the VMware Product Interoperability Matrix

The VMware Product Interoperability Matrix allows you to ensure compatibility between VMware products. It is important to check for compatibility before deploying or upgrading components of a vSphere environment to ensure support operability between product versions.

How to do it…

Perform the following steps to validate interoperability of VMware products in a vSphere deployment:

1. Visit https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/sim/interop_matrix.php.

2. Select the Interoperability tab button.

3. In the Select a Solution option, select the VMware Product and version from the respective drop-down boxes.

4. Add a platform in the Add Platform/Solution option using the drop-down box. You can add multiple solutions and versions.

5. Interoperability with the selected products and solutions will be displayed in the table, as shown in the following screenshot:

   

How it works...

Verifying product interoperability ensures supportability and interoperability between different...

Backing up the vCenter Server components

vCenter and its components have become a critical piece of the virtual infrastructure. The vCenter Server is no longer just the management interface. Provisioning, protection, and the overall availability of the environment rely on the availability of the vCenter Server.

In order to recover the vCenter Server components in the event of an outage that results in data loss or data corruption, it is necessary to perform backups of the databases and the vCenter Server configurations. The PSC and vCenter Server each have specific configuration information that should be backed up.

The frequency of backups depends on the Recovery Point Objective (RPO) requirement that has been defined for the management environment. The time to recover the vCenter Server or the Recovery Time Objective (RTO) requirement is also a critical piece of designing a vCenter backup strategy. The RPO defines the maximum period of data loss that can be tolerated as a result of an outage...

Upgrading vCenter Server

Most environments today will already contain at least some virtualization. A vSphere design will likely include upgrading an existing environment in order to enable new features to meet new requirements for availability, security, performance, and manageability.

The management environment for vSphere has become more complex. The vCenter Server and its components have become a critical part of the environment. In the virtualized datacenter, the vCenter Server is no longer just a management interface; it also provides provision, availability, security, and other services. Other vSphere and third-party components require vCenter Server to operate correctly. Because of this, the upgrading of a vCenter Server must be planned correctly.

How to do it…

Follow this high-level process to upgrade a vCenter Server:

1. Identify products and services that depend on the vCenter Server and those that the vCenter Server depends on.

2. Verify product interoperability for all components and the...

Designing a vSphere Update Manager Deployment

VMware regularly releases patches and updates to provide bug fixes, to address security vulnerabilities, or to add new features. Regularly patching an environment is important to the security and stability of the environment.

VMware vSphere Update Manager (VUM) is an optional vCenter component that provides patching and upgrading of ESXi hosts, VMware tools, and VMware Guest Hardware. VUM ensures compliance is maintained through patch and upgrade baselines. VUM also allows the remediation of hosts or virtual machines that are not in compliance with configured baselines.

VUM must be deployed on a Windows Server and requires a supported database, either embedded or external. The VUM architecture is shown in the following diagram:

VUM requires a Windows Server, and there is a one-to-one relationship between VUM and vCenter Servers. VUM 6.x is fully integrated into the vSphere Web Client.

How to do it…

To deploy VUM in a vSphere environment, follow these...