Книга: Mastering VMware® Infrastructure3

VMware VirtualCenter

VMware VirtualCenter

Stop for a moment and think about your current Windows network. Does it include Active Directory? There is a good chance it does. Now imagine your Windows network without Active Directory, without the ease of a centralized management database, without the single sign-on capabilities, and without the simplicity of groups. That is what managing ESX Server computers would be like without using VMware VirtualCenter 2.0. Now calm yourself down, take a deep breath, and know that VirtualCenter, like Active Directory, is meant to provide a centralized management utility for all ESX Server hosts and their respective virtual machines. VirtualCenter is a Windows-based, database-driven application that allows IT administrators to deploy, manage, monitor, automate, and secure a virtual infrastructure in an almost effortless fashion. The back-end database (SQL or Oracle) used by VirtualCenter stores all the data about the hosts and virtual machines. In addition to its configuration and management capabilities, VirtualCenter provides the tools for the more advanced features of VMware VMotion, VMware DRS, and VMware HA. Figure 1.3 details the VirtualCenter features provided for the ESX Server hosts it manages.

In Chapter 5, you'll learn the details of the VirtualCenter implementation, configuration, and management, as well as look at ways to ensure its availability.

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