Host Scalability

Module 11

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You Are Here

Course Introduction Access and Authentication Control

Software-Defined Data Center Resource Management and Monitoring

Creating Virtual Machines

High Availability and Fault Tolerance
VMware vCenter Server
Host Scalability
Configuring and Managing Virtual Networks
Patch Management
Configuring and Managing Virtual Storage
Installing VMware vSphere Components
Virtual Machine Management

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-2

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Importance

As you scale your VMware vSphere environment, you must be

aware of the vSphere features and functions that will help you
manage the hosts in your environment.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-3

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Learner Objectives

By the end of this module, you should be able to meet the following
objectives:
Describe the functions of a VMware vSphere Distributed Resource
Scheduler (DRS) cluster
Explain the benefits of Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC)
Create a DRS cluster
View information about a DRS cluster
Remove a host from a DRS cluster

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-4

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DRS Cluster Prerequisites

DRS works best if the virtual machines meet VMware vSphere

vMotion migration requirements.
To use DRS for load balancing, the hosts in the cluster must be part
of a vMotion migration network.
If not, DRS can still make initial placement recommendations.
To use shared storage, configure all hosts in the cluster.
Volumes must be accessible by all hosts.
Volumes must be large enough to store all virtual disks for your virtual
machine.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-5

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DRS Cluster Settings: Automation Level

Configure Automation Level for initial

placement of virtual machines and
dynamic balancing while virtual
machines are running.

Migration Threshold guides

selection of virtual machines for
migration.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-6

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Other Cluster Settings: EVC for DRS

EVC is a cluster
feature that prevents
vSphere vMotion
migrations from failing
because of
incompatible CPUs.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-7

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CPU Baselines for an EVC Cluster

EVC works at the cluster level, using CPU baselines to configure all
processors included in the cluster enabled for EVC.

A baseline is a set of
CPU features supported
by every host in the
cluster.
CPU baseline feature set

CPUID CPUID CPUID CPUID

X X X K
cluster enabled for EVC

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-8

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EVC Cluster Requirements

All hosts in the cluster must meet the following requirements:

Use CPUs from a single vendor (either Intel or AMD)
Use Intel CPUs with Core 2 micro architecture and newer
Use AMD first-generation Opteron CPUs and newer
Be enabled for hardware virtualization (AMD-V or Intel VT)
Be enabled for execution-disable technology (AMD No eXecute (NX) or
Intel eXecute Disable (XD))
Be configured for vSphere vMotion migration
Applications in virtual machines must be CPUID compatible.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-9

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Other Cluster Settings: Swap File Location for DRS

Store the virtual machines swap file with the virtual machine or in a
specified datastore.

VMware recommends
that you store the swap file
in the same directory as
the virtual machine.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-10

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DRS Cluster Settings: DRS Rules for Virtual Machine Affinity

DRS affinity rules

specify that
either selected virtual
machines be placed on
the same host (affinity)
or on different hosts
(anti-affinity). Options:
Keep Virtual
Machines
Affinity rules: Together
Use for multivirtual machine systems where performance Separate
benefits virtual machines communicating heavily with each Virtual
other. Machines
Anti-affinity rules: Virtual
Machines to
Use for multivirtual machine systems that load balance or
Hosts
require high availability.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-11

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DRS Cluster Settings: DRS Groups

About a DRS group:

A group of virtual machines
A group of hosts
A virtual machine can
belong to multiple virtual
machine DRS groups.
A host can belong to
multiple host DRS groups. DRS groups are used in
defining Virtual
Machines to Hosts
affinity rules.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-12

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DRS Cluster Settings: Virtual Machines to Hosts Affinity Rules

A Virtual Machines-to-Hosts
affinity rule:
Specifies an affinity
relationship between a
virtual machine DRS group
and a host DRS group
Is either a required rule or a
preferential rule

Other options:
Must run on hosts in group,
Must Not run on hosts in group,
Should Not run on hosts in
group

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-13

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Virtual Machines to Hosts Affinity Rule: Preferential

A preferential rule is softly enforced and can be violated if necessary.

Group A Group B

Example:
Separate
virtual
machines
on different

X X blade
systems.

Blade Chassis A Blade Chassis B

DRS cluster

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-14

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Virtual Machines to Hosts Affinity Rule: Required

A required rule is strictly enforced and can never be violated.

Group A

Example:
Enforce
host-based
ISV licensing.

X X
ISV-Licensed

DRS cluster

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-15

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DRS Cluster Settings: Automation at the Virtual Machine Level

(Optional) Set automation level per virtual machine.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-16

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Adding a Host to a Cluster

When adding a host or moving a host into a DRS cluster, you can
keep the resource pool hierarchy of the existing host.
If DRS is not enabled, host resources pools are lost.
For example, add sc-quail04 to Lab Cluster.

When adding
the host,
choose to
create a
resource
pool for this
hosts virtual
machines
and resource
pools.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-17

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Viewing DRS Cluster Information

The cluster Summary tab also provides

information specific to DRS.
The vSphere DRS link under the Monitor
tab displays CPU and memory
utilization per host.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-18

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Viewing DRS Recommendations

Refresh recommendations.

Edit cluster properties.

Apply a subset of Apply all

recommendations. recommendations.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-19

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Monitoring Cluster Status

View the inventory hierarchy for the cluster state.

View the clusters Tasks and Events tabs for more information.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-20

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Maintenance Mode and Standby Mode

To service a host in a cluster (for example, to install more memory) or

remove a host from a cluster, you must place the host in
maintenance mode.
Virtual machines on the host should be migrated to another host or shut
down.
You cannot power on virtual machines or migrate virtual machines to a
host entering maintenance mode.
While in maintenance mode, the host does not allow you to deploy or
power on a virtual machine.
When a host is placed in standby mode, it is powered off.
This mode is used by VMware vSphere Distributed Power
Management to optimize power usage.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-21

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Removing a Host from the DRS Cluster

Before removing a host from a

DRS cluster, consider the
following issues:
The resource pool hierarchy
remains with the cluster.
Because a host must be in
maintenance mode, all virtual
machines running on that
host are powered off.
The resources available for
the cluster decrease.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-22

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Improving Virtual Machine Performance

Some methods
for improving
virtual machine Fine
performance Use network
traffic shaping.

Modify the virtual

machines CPU and memory
reservations.
Modify the resource pools CPU and
memory limits and reservations.
Use NIC teaming.
Broad
Use storage multipathing.

Use a DRS cluster.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-23

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Using vSphere HA and DRS Together

Reasons why VMware vSphere High Availability might not be able

to fail over virtual machines:
vSphere HA admission control is disabled
Required Virtual Machines-to-Hosts affinity rule prevents vSphere HA
from failing over.
Sufficient aggregated resources exist, but they are fragmented across
hosts.
In such cases, vSphere HA uses DRS to try to adjust the cluster by
migrating virtual machines to defragment the resources.

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-24

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Lab 24: VMware vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler

Implement a DRS cluster

1. Create a Load Imbalance
2. Create a DRS Cluster
3. Verify Proper DRS Cluster Functionality
4. Create, Test, and Disable a VM-VM Affinity Rule
5. Create, Test, and Disable an Anti-Affinity Rule
6. Create, Test, and Disable a Virtual Machines to Hosts Affinity Rule

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-25

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Review of Learner Objectives

You should be able to meet the following objectives:

Describe the functions of a DRS cluster
Explain the benefits of EVC
Create a DRS cluster
View information about a DRS cluster
Remove a host from a DRS cluster

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-26

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Key Points

DRS clusters provide automated resource management for multiple

ESXi hosts.
Questions?

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage 11-27

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