VMware vCenter is a software for managing servers created using VMware.
The utility works with a large number of hypervisors, unlike vSphere, which supports working with only one.
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The principle of operation
The software consists of several elements used for the management and administration of infrastructure within the company. The interaction between management servers and hosts is provided by the vCenter agent.
You can connect to vCenter through the vSphere application installed on your computer or through the vCenter Web Access portal using a browser.
The software monitors virtual hosts online and the physical hardware on which the VMs are deployed, as well as notifies administrators in case of problems or errors.
The utility is supplied only under a paid license. In the first case, you need to purchase vSphere Essentials, which includes this software. The license is suitable for a small virtual infrastructure with no more than 60 VMs.
The second option for purchasing software is to purchase a Standalone vCenter Server license. It is designed for larger organizations: 25,000 virtual machines and 2,000 hosts.
Features
vCenter has the following features:
- A simplified virtual machine initialization system allows you to deploy a virtual infrastructure within a company in a minimum time.
- The allocation of computing resources and disk space is dynamic. The VMware DRS element migrates VMs between infrastructure nodes without affecting server load and without downtime.
- vCenter Orchestrator automates tasks using ready-made templates.
- The vCenter Update Manager component is responsible for software updates and patches.
- A single management window displays the status of each VMware component, which allows administrators to monitor the situation online and promptly eliminate failures or errors.
The purchase of a paid Server Heartbeat license provides administrators with detailed information about each element of VMware and switching between management servers in case of an accident or shutdown of the main server.
vCenter software is a single window for the administration of a company’s virtual infrastructure. Flexibility in settings, ease of use, working in the background without loading on the power of computing resources are the main principles of the application.