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VMware vSphere Design Essentials
VMware vSphere Design Essentials

VMware vSphere Design Essentials: Unleash the performance, availability, and workload efficiency of your virtual data center using this fast-paced guide

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VMware vSphere Design Essentials

Chapter 2. Designing VMware ESXi Host, Cluster, and vCenter

The core elements that are responsible for the success of virtualizing our datacenter start with accurate design of ESXi and vCenter. VMware ESXi is a host OS, installed on bare metal, which is a driving factor for virtual datacenters and the cloud. VMware's ESXi hypervisors have changed a lot over the years, and the foundation of the enterprise contribution has undergone a structured transition phase.

There are a plenty of implementation options for ESXi deployment that tell us about product growth and maturity. We'll compare the choices, looking at the returns from each implementation to decide which one will be more suitable for different environments. An enterprise can now rollout ESXi in a straightforward manner and manage it constantly with policy management. In this chapter, we'll discuss the essential configurations that are required in VMware vSphere design and how to effectively design the management...

Design essentials for ESXi

VMware ESXi is the primary component in the VMware integrated environment. ESXi (short for Elasticity Sky X), which was formerly known as ESX and GSX, is a world-class, Type 1 hypervisor developed by VMware for implementing virtual datacenters. As a Type 1 hypervisor, ESXi is not an application—it is an OS that integrates vital OS components such as a kernel.

ESXi 5.5.0 Update 2 is the latest version and has updated drivers. It is available for public download and the following table shows the release history:

Date of Release

Name of the Release

Version

Build

December 2, 2014

ESXi550-201412001

ESXi 5.5 Express Patch 5

2302651

October 15, 2014

ESXi550-201410001

ESXi 5.5 Patch 3

2143827

September 9, 2014

VMware ESXi 5.5 Update 2

ESXi 5.5 Update 2

2068190

July 1, 2014

ESXi550-201407001

ESXi 5.5 Patch 2

1892794

June 10, 2014

ESXi550-201406001

ESXi 5.5 Express Patch 4

1881737

April 19, 2014

ESXi550-201404020

ESXi 5.5 Express Patch 3...

Designing ESXi

The VMware ESXi design comprises the fundamental OS and processes that run on top of ESXi, and it is called VMkernel. VMkernel runs all processes on ESXi, including ESXi agents, management software, as well as virtual machines. ESXi gains control over hardware devices on the physical servers and manages resources for the virtual machines. The main processes that route on top of the ESXi VMkernel are as follows:

  • Direct Console User Interface (DCUI)
  • Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM)
  • Several agents used to enable high-level VMware infrastructure management from remote applications
  • Common Information Model (CIM)
    Designing ESXi

VMkernel is a POSIX-like OS developed by VMware and provides functionalities similar to other OS', such as control, process creation, process threads, signals, and filesystems. ESXi is designed precisely to support multiple VMs and provide core functionalities such as resource scheduling, I/O stacks, device drivers, and so on.

VMware ESXi was restructured to permit VMware...

Design configurations for ESXi

In this section, you will see the key configurations that are required while designing VMware ESXi. All of the VMware ESXi hosts should be identical in terms of hardware specifications and should be built and configured reliably, to diminish the amount of operational effort involved with patch management, and to provide a building block solution. The following table illustrates the maximum configuration required while designing ESXi on your infrastructure:

Item

Designed to support

Max supported

Host CPU maximums

Logical CPUs per ESXi host

320

NUMA Nodes per ESXi host

16

Virtual machine maximums

Virtual machines per ESXi host

512

Virtual CPUs per ESXi host

4096

Virtual CPUs per core

321

Fault Tolerance maximums

Virtual disks per ESXi host

16

Virtual CPUs per VM

1

RAM per FT VM

64 GB

Virtual machines per ESXi host

4

Memory

RAM per ESXi host

4 TB

Number of swap files per VM

1

Virtual Disks

Virtual Disks per ESXi host

2048

ISCSI...

Key design considerations for ESXi

In this section, the following are the most important considerations for your VMware ESXi design:

  • Consider using VMware Capacity Planner to investigate the performance and usage of prevailing servers; this will help you to identity the requirements for planning.
  • Consider eliminating inconsistency and achieving a controllable and manageable infrastructure by homogenizing the physical alignment of the ESXi hosts.
  • Never design ESXi without a remote management console such as DRAC and ILO.
  • Ensure that syslog is properly set up for your virtual infrastructure and log files are offloaded to non-virtual infrastructures.
  • Consult your server vendor on proper memory DIMM size, placement, and type to get optimal performance. While other configurations may work, they can greatly impact memory performance.
  • Ensure you choose the right hardware for the ESXi host, while aligning the functional requirements with a workload that has a baseline and performance that has a benchmark...

Designing an ESXi scenario

Let's apply what we have learnt so far in designing ESXi 5.5 in the following scenario. Let's start with hardware merchant for our design is Dell. In this scenario, the Dell PowerEdge R715 server has been chosen as the hardware for designing and implementing VMware ESXi 5.5. The configuration and assembly process for each system should be homogeneous, with all components installed identically for all VMware ESXi 5.5 hosts. Homogenize not only the model but also the physical configuration of the VMware ESXi 5.5 hosts, to provide a simple and supportable infrastructure by eliminating unevenness. The specifications and configuration for this hardware platform are detailed in the following table:

Attributes

Modules

Vendor

Dell

Model

PowerEdge R715

Number of CPU sockets

4

Number of CPU cores

16

Processor speed

2.3 GHz

Number of network adaptor ports

8

Network adaptor vendor(s)

Broadcom/Intel

Network adaptor model(s)

2x Broadcom 5709C dual...

Design essentials for ESXi


VMware ESXi is the primary component in the VMware integrated environment. ESXi (short for Elasticity Sky X), which was formerly known as ESX and GSX, is a world-class, Type 1 hypervisor developed by VMware for implementing virtual datacenters. As a Type 1 hypervisor, ESXi is not an application—it is an OS that integrates vital OS components such as a kernel.

ESXi 5.5.0 Update 2 is the latest version and has updated drivers. It is available for public download and the following table shows the release history:

Date of Release

Name of the Release

Version

Build

December 2, 2014

ESXi550-201412001

ESXi 5.5 Express Patch 5

2302651

October 15, 2014

ESXi550-201410001

ESXi 5.5 Patch 3

2143827

September 9, 2014

VMware ESXi 5.5 Update 2

ESXi 5.5 Update 2

2068190

July 1, 2014

ESXi550-201407001

ESXi 5.5 Patch 2

1892794

June 10, 2014

ESXi550-201406001

ESXi 5.5 Express Patch 4

1881737

April 19, 2014

ESXi550-201404020

ESXi 5.5 Express Patch 3

1746974...

Designing ESXi


The VMware ESXi design comprises the fundamental OS and processes that run on top of ESXi, and it is called VMkernel. VMkernel runs all processes on ESXi, including ESXi agents, management software, as well as virtual machines. ESXi gains control over hardware devices on the physical servers and manages resources for the virtual machines. The main processes that route on top of the ESXi VMkernel are as follows:

  • Direct Console User Interface (DCUI)

  • Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM)

  • Several agents used to enable high-level VMware infrastructure management from remote applications

  • Common Information Model (CIM)

VMkernel is a POSIX-like OS developed by VMware and provides functionalities similar to other OS', such as control, process creation, process threads, signals, and filesystems. ESXi is designed precisely to support multiple VMs and provide core functionalities such as resource scheduling, I/O stacks, device drivers, and so on.

VMware ESXi was restructured to permit VMware consumers...

Design configurations for ESXi


In this section, you will see the key configurations that are required while designing VMware ESXi. All of the VMware ESXi hosts should be identical in terms of hardware specifications and should be built and configured reliably, to diminish the amount of operational effort involved with patch management, and to provide a building block solution. The following table illustrates the maximum configuration required while designing ESXi on your infrastructure:

Item

Designed to support

Max supported

Host CPU maximums

Logical CPUs per ESXi host

320

NUMA Nodes per ESXi host

16

Virtual machine maximums

Virtual machines per ESXi host

512

Virtual CPUs per ESXi host

4096

Virtual CPUs per core

321

Fault Tolerance maximums

Virtual disks per ESXi host

16

Virtual CPUs per VM

1

RAM per FT VM

64 GB

Virtual machines per ESXi host

4

Memory

RAM per ESXi host

4 TB

Number of swap files per VM

1

Virtual Disks

Virtual Disks per ESXi host

2048

ISCSI...

Key design considerations for ESXi


In this section, the following are the most important considerations for your VMware ESXi design:

  • Consider using VMware Capacity Planner to investigate the performance and usage of prevailing servers; this will help you to identity the requirements for planning.

  • Consider eliminating inconsistency and achieving a controllable and manageable infrastructure by homogenizing the physical alignment of the ESXi hosts.

  • Never design ESXi without a remote management console such as DRAC and ILO.

  • Ensure that syslog is properly set up for your virtual infrastructure and log files are offloaded to non-virtual infrastructures.

  • Consult your server vendor on proper memory DIMM size, placement, and type to get optimal performance. While other configurations may work, they can greatly impact memory performance.

  • Ensure you choose the right hardware for the ESXi host, while aligning the functional requirements with a workload that has a baseline and performance that has a benchmark...

Designing an ESXi scenario


Let's apply what we have learnt so far in designing ESXi 5.5 in the following scenario. Let's start with hardware merchant for our design is Dell. In this scenario, the Dell PowerEdge R715 server has been chosen as the hardware for designing and implementing VMware ESXi 5.5. The configuration and assembly process for each system should be homogeneous, with all components installed identically for all VMware ESXi 5.5 hosts. Homogenize not only the model but also the physical configuration of the VMware ESXi 5.5 hosts, to provide a simple and supportable infrastructure by eliminating unevenness. The specifications and configuration for this hardware platform are detailed in the following table:

Attributes

Modules

Vendor

Dell

Model

PowerEdge R715

Number of CPU sockets

4

Number of CPU cores

16

Processor speed

2.3 GHz

Number of network adaptor ports

8

Network adaptor vendor(s)

Broadcom/Intel

Network adaptor model(s)

2x Broadcom 5709C dual-port onboard...

Design essentials for upgrading ESXi


ESXi hosts can be upgraded from previous version or from ESXi 4.x in several ways. ESXi Installable 4.x hosts can be upgraded in one of three ways:

  • An interactive upgrade via an ESXi Installable image

  • A scripted upgrade, or using VUM. ESXi 5.0 hosts can be upgraded to 5.1

  • The esxcli command-line tool

Note

If we have implemented Auto Deploy, we can directly apply a new image and reboot.

While upgrading VMware ESXi hosts from a previous version of ESXi 4.x to the latest version of 5.x using any of the three supported approaches, 50 MB must be accessible on the local VMFS volume. This space is required to store the ESXi server's configuration data in temp mode.

The following table illustrates approaches for upgrading ESXi to the latest version:

Upgrade approaches

From ESX/ESXi 4.x to ESXi 5.5

From ESXi 5.0 to ESXi 5.5

From ESXi 5.1 to ESXi 5.5

Using vSphere Update Manager

Possible

Possible

Possible

Using interactive upgrade from devices such as CD DVD or...

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Description

If you are a VMware beginner, VMware engineer, VMware SME, or VMware architect, then this is the book for you. A basic understanding of virtualization is a prerequisite.

Who is this book for?

If you are a VMware beginner, VMware engineer, VMware SME, or VMware architect, then this is the book for you. A basic understanding of virtualization is a prerequisite.

What you will learn

  • Identify key factors related to vSphere design and apply them to every step of the design process
  • Familiarize yourself with the procedures and practices to be followed while designing VMware vSphere
  • Choose the right storage protocol depending on your infrastructure needs
  • Evaluate and design a multitenant environment to address both private cloud and public cloud business needs
  • Estimate storage to accommodate IOPS, data explosion, disaster recovery, and on demand provisioning
  • Create professional vSphere design documentation to ensure a successful implementation of the vSphere design
  • Map the logical resource design into the physical vSphere design
  • Analyze requirements for a better network design
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Publication date : Jun 30, 2015
Length: 176 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781784390044
Vendor :
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ISBN-13 : 9781784390044
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Table of Contents

7 Chapters
1. Essentials of VMware vSphere Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Designing VMware ESXi Host, Cluster, and vCenter Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Designing VMware vSphere Networking Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Designing VMware vSphere Storage Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Designing VMware vRealize Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
A. About VMware vSphere 6.0 Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon 3.7
(3 Ratings)
5 star 0%
4 star 66.7%
3 star 33.3%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
AmazonVR Nov 13, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
Great read...good starting place for vSphere Design
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Chris Williams Sep 17, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
Given the timing of the release of this book, it's good to state at the beginning of the review that this book is a design guide that works with vSphere 5.5 design scenarios, and not vSphere 6.0.That aside (and based upon the fact that good design is vendor/tech agnostic) this is a good supporting documentation book if you are looking to increase your knowledge of design or are pursuing your VCAP-DCD or VCDX certifications.I stress, this book is supplemental. You will still need to review written design docs, but this book will give you the underpinning rational behind the decisions. Design docs will explain the "what", this book will explain the "why".
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Andrea Aug 12, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 3
Good also for VCAP and VCDX preparationsThis is a short book (only 176 pages), but with a good approach for design an IT environment, particularly a VMware vSphere based.It can be really useful also for VCAP-DCD or VCDX preparations, in order to understand same methods and principles in projects design.The organization is almost simple and linear:• Chapter 1, Essentials of VMware vSphere, gives readers an in-depth knowledge of VMware vSphere products' benefits and architecture, and the appropriate methods, principles, and processes that the reader will apply to design VMware vSphere on infrastructures. This is a must if you have trouble with VCAP-DCD exam, where some concepts are not so easy and natural (unless you have practice with ITIL or similar frameworks).• Chapter 2, Designing VMware ESXi Host, Cluster, and vCenter, covers the methods for designing an ESXi Hypervisor and its inner components. This chapter also covers methods for designing for the upgradation and migration of ESX, clusters and vCenter, and highly elastic infrastructures. This is the most outdated part (still on vSphere 5.x).• Chapter 3, Designing VMware vSphere Networking, covers the the methods for analyzing the given requirements and mapping them to network possibilities. This part provide a simple but good overview also on virtual networking (but does not include any NSX or SDN parts).• Chapter 4, Designing VMware vSphere Storage, covers the methods for analyzing the given requirements and mapping them to storage possibilities, and the designing blueprints for storage infrastructure. Interesting part, but still little outdated, considering that does not cover at all VSAN or hyper-converged solutions.• Chapter 5, Designing VMware vRealize, covers the methods for analyzing the given requirements and mapping them to vCloud as well as forming design blueprints for the vCloud infrastructure. Interesting part, but too short and too generic.• Appendix, About VMware vSphere 6.0, covers the new features introduced into VMware vSphere 6.0. It also covers the enhancements brought into VMware vSphere 6.0. Too short and useless. Was better integrate it in the main structure.In my opinion the 2.0 version could be really great if it will be more focused on the current product version, the recommended practices and the actually proposition and technologies.
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