Why is VMware vCenter Availability Important What Needs to be Protected Protecting vCenter Server with vCenter Server Heartbeat Agenda Virtual Datacenter Operating System vCenter Infrastructure Management ID: 688306
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Slide1
VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat – OverviewSlide2
Why is VMware vCenter Availability Important?
What Needs to be Protected?
Protecting vCenter Server with vCenter Server Heartbeat
AgendaSlide3
Virtual Datacenter Operating System
vCenter
Infrastructure Management
Provisioning
Configuration
Capacity
Operations
Performance
Availability
SLA Driven Management Model
Availability
Security
Performance
99.99%
High
.2
Milli
-seconds
Self Service Management
Self Service Portal
Service
Catalog
Billing
/
ChargebackSlide4
What is VMware vCenter Server?Slide5
vCenter Server: A Key Infrastructure Component
A universal hub for virtualization managementSlide6
How Do You Use vCenter Server?
Monitor cluster, host and VM performance
Manage VM and host provisioningPatch and update hosts and VMsConfigure and operate VMotion, DRS and HAProvision and manage a VDI environment
Manage disaster recover plansSlide7
Impact of vCenter Server Downtime
Component
Impact Experienced
Virtual Machines
Management requires direct connections to host; can’t provision new VMs from templates
ESX Servers
Management requires direct connections to host
Performance & Monitoring Statistics
Historical records will have gaps during outages, still available via ESX Servers
VMotion / Storage VMotion
Unavailable
VMware DRS
Unavailable
vCenter Plug - Ins
Unavailable
VMware HA
HA failover works, admission control unavailable
VMware VDI
Cannot provision new desktop instancesSlide8
Why is VMware vCenter Availability Important?
What Needs to be Protected?
Protecting vCenter Server with vCenter Server Heartbeat
AgendaSlide9
Determining a Strategy
Define the Scope of Protection Desired
Which is most important? Local high availability for hardware/network failures? Protecting application integrity and uptime against all types of threats?Remote disaster recovery for large scale, site-wide outages?
What is the recovery time objective?
Need to base this on what functionality is unavailable during vCenter Server outageSlide10
How Do You Protect vCenter Server Today?
No protection
Keep a backup copy archivedCold standbyClustering
VMware HASlide11
Protecting vCenter Server
vCenter Server
Database Server
VI Services
VI Inventory
Database Server
Standard DR Solution
Standby
vCenter Server
Primary
Replication of
state filesSlide12
What is required to restore vCenter functionality?
vCenter Server is an almost stateless application
Data stored in the vCenter database is the most critical resourceFollowing data is necessary to restore the vCenter functionality (with intact database)vCenter server IP Address
DNS name for ODBC connection
License files for the License Manager Server
Security Certificates
vCenter Configuration file
vCenter Plug-in data
Customized data from upgrade directory (if applicable)Slide13
Cold Standby Recovery Procedure: Simple, Slow
Able to assign
primary’s IP tostandby?
Maintain separate
up to date copy of
local configuration
files
Install fresh
vCenter
instance
Install
config files;
connect to
standby DB
Disaster!
ESX Server hostsreconnect
automatically
Run script to reconnectall ESX Server hosts
Done
yes
noSlide14
Warm Standby Recovery Procedure: Complex, Faster
Able to assign
primary’s IP tostandby?
Keep local
configuration files
synchronized between
primary and standby
Disaster!
ESX Server hosts
reconnect
automatically
Run script to reconnect
all ESX Server hosts
Done
yes
no
Faster end-to-end recovery (RTO)
Also allows for scripting and automation
Replication of configuration files through host-based replication or backup toolsSlide15
Why is VMware vCenter Availability Important?
What Needs to be Protected?
Protecting vCenter Server with vCenter Server Heartbeat
AgendaSlide16
Solutions for Protecting vCenter Server
vCenter downtime greatly impacts productivity of VI Administrators
However, several options can be used to mitigate the potential for vCenter Server downtimeThe solution of choice will depend on level of protection desired and recovery point objectives.
VMware Solutions
Third-Party Solutions
VMware HA
VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat
Backup
Clustering
Host ReplicationSlide17
vCenter
Server
vCenter
Server
vCenter
Server
Active
Passive
vCenter
Heartbeat
vCenter
Server
vCenter
Server
vCenter
Server
Replicated licenses & roles
ESXi
ESX
ESX
ESXi
ESXi
ESXi
ESX
vCenter
Server
vCenter
Server
vCenter
Server
Protecting vCenter Server Against Downtime Threats
VMware HA
Linked Mode provides visibility across multiple vCenter Servers (coming in 2009)
VMware HA protects a virtualized vCenter Server against hardware and OS downtime
Heartbeat provides broad failover protection for vCenter Server against all types of planned or unplanned downtimeSlide18
Introducing VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat
Extends availability for the vCenter Server platform
Add-on to vCenter Server protects critical components of the infrastructureDeep awareness of all vCenter Server componentsSimple configuration and deployment
Replicates all data and transactions to a standby server
Failover of the application and database over the LAN or WANSlide19
Introducing VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat
Best-of breed-technology
VMware has selected Neverfail to provide the underlying technologyProven technology supports SQL, Exchange, Blackberry availability
vCenter Server Heartbeat is a VMware product and fully supported by VMwareSlide20
vCenter Server Heartbeat
Hardware
Failures
Network
Failures
OS
Failures
Application
Failures
vCenter Server
vCenter Server HeartbeatSlide21
vCenter Server Heartbeat Architecture
Software Based Solution Providing:
Paired Servers with Shared Nothing ArchitectureActive/Passive cloneHardware AgnosticPhysical & Virtual Support
Application Awareness (AMF)
Hardware and Software Redundancy
Automated Failover
Planned Maintenance
Network Monitoring
Low Bandwidth ModuleSlide22
Comparing vCenter Server Heartbeat
Host Replication
Heartbeat
WAN failover
Partial
Yes
Hardware & OS failures
Yes
Yes
Protects vCenter Server components
No
Yes
Network failures
No
Yes
Configuration Agnostic
Yes
Yes
Complexity
Medium-High
Low
Deeper
more granular protection than
other solutionsSlide23
vCenter Server Heartbeat: Defense in Depth
Breadth of workloads supported
Depth of HA protection
Specific
All
Hardware/OS
Complete
VMware HA
vCenter Heartbeat
Replication
ClusteringSlide24
Summary: Why vCenter Server Heartbeat?
High availability for VC is growing in importance for customers running VMware in production
Underlying infrastructure needs to be fully protectedHA provides robust general-purpose protection of virtualized workloads
Need to protect against configuration errors, network failures, OS failures, database failures with WAN failover support
Many customers run vCenter Server on a physical server
Other solutions are expensive, complex and lack app awareness, support for database, WAN failover
Customers have been asking for a VMware solution that provides more granular availability for vCenter ServerSlide25
Introducing VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat
Extends availability for the vCenter Server platform
Announce at VMworld Europe, GA in mid-MarchAdd-on to vCenter Server protects critical components of the infrastructureDeep awareness of the vCenter Server components
Failover of the application and database over the LAN or WAN
Best-of breed-technology
VMware has signed an agreement to license the technology for Heartbeat and sell it as a VMware product
Proven technology supports SQL, Exchange, Blackberry availability
VMware will provide training and support as with any other VMware product
Neverfail provides underlying technology and updates, as well as support for field, channel and GSS enablementSlide26
Questions?Slide27
Backup SlidesSlide28
VMware HA for vCenter Server Availability
This section
discusses how HA can be used for vCenter Server availabilitySlide29
Solutions for Protecting vCenter
vCenter downtime greatly impacts productivity of VI Administrators
However, several options can be used to mitigate the potential for vCenter downtimeThe solution of choice will depend on level of protection desired and recovery point objectives.
VMware Solutions
Third-Party Solutions
VMware HA
VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat
Backup
Clustering
Host ReplicationSlide30
vCenter with VMware HA: Out-of-Band
Two approaches
Two vCenter instances manage each other (pictured)Both run in HA clusterEach manages the other’s HA clusterSeparate vCenter instance is used to manage 2-node HA cluster (not pictured)
vpxd
vpxdSlide31
vCenter with VMware HA: In-Band
vCenter Server manages the VMware HA cluster providing its protection
When the ESX hosts with vCenter VM fails, VM is restarted automatically by HAFailover functionality provided by HA is independent from vCenter (post-configuration)
vpxdSlide32
Comparing Solutions: VMware HA and Clustering
VMware HA
Clustering
WAN failover
No
No
Hardware & OS failures
Yes
Yes
Protects vCenter Server components
Database
Database via clustering
Network failures
No
Yes
Configuration Agnostic
Yes
No
Complexity
Low
High