VMware vCenter Infrastructure Navigator is an application awareness plug-in to vCenter Server, and provides continuous dependency mapping of applications. Infrastructure Navigator offers application context to the virtual infrastructure administrators to monitor and manage the virtual infrastructure inventory objects and actions. Administrators can use Infrastructure Navigator to understand the impact of change on the virtual environment in their application infrastructure. Infrastructure Navigator helps virtual infrastructure administrators perform the following tasks: Make accurate first-level triage to help either eliminate the problem or associate the problem with the virtual infrastructure when business service users report problems. Assess change impact. Manage and communicate virtual infrastructure issues for critical applications. Understand the application and business impact of changes to the virtual infrastructure on applications.

1. vCenter Infrastructure Navigator
vCenter Operations Management Suite
April 2012
© 2012 VMware Inc. All rights reserved

2. Application Issues in Virtualized & Cloud Infrastructure
 When VM environments get large and
complex, “VM by VM” management is not
feasible
 Managing with the business service /
application view is critical
 Manual & static methods of application APP
tracking will not scale in large dynamic
virtual & cloud environments APP
 Automated application mapping is needed to APP
be effective & efficient
APP
2

3. Application and Infrastructure Dependency Mapping
Overview
 Automated Discovery and
Visualize application dependencies Visualization of Application and
and DR-protection status Infrastructure Dependencies
 Pre-built knowledge base for easy
and accurate labeling of
application names and version
numbers
 Integrated with Site Recovery Mgr
for more complete DR protection
Automated discovery of application Benefits
services, relationships and
infrastructure dependencies  Application-aware operations
management ensures proactive
delivery of service levels
3

4. Easy & Automated Application Mapping
 Automatically map application
services and inter-dependencies
 Application services on VMs, hosts,
clusters, datastores, vNetwork, etc
 Inter-dependencies between VMs
 Search and visualization of apps, app
services within VC for daily operations
 Seamlessly integrated into vCenter
 Complements vCenter Operations
 Dependency maps, tabular
presentations with overlays: SRM,
vApp, etc
 Value in triage, backup & recovery,
HA planning, change impact, vApp
definition
4

5. vCenter Infrastructure Navigator Capabilities
Speedy and accurate discovery and dependency
mapping of application services across virtual
infrastructure & adjoining physical servers one hop
away
Automated
discovery and
dependency
mapping
Rapid updates that keep mapping
information up-to-date
5

6. vCenter Infrastructure Navigator Capabilities
Out of the Box Knowledge Base Identifies Application
Workloads
Application
Discovery Custom Applications identified and user
defined
6

7. vCenter Infrastructure Navigator Capabilities
Out of the Box Knowledge Base Identifies Application
Workloads
Seamlessly present dependency Maps,
summaries in vCenter UI
Integrates
Application
dependencies Search / Filter VMs based on
in day to day application components
operational
interface
Overlay relevant VC solution info
(SRM, Datastore, Host, vApp ) for
making decisions
7

8. App services related to VMs, Hosts /Clusters, Datastore, vNetwork, etc
Application Services info added
as port-let to VC interface
8

9. Complete dependency views of related application components
Map and Tabular
views
Visualize App dependencies
With VC related information (SRM, vApp, etc)
9

10. Expand Dependencies for Thorough Analysis
Expand outgoing
Dependencies from vApp
Selected VM
Expand incoming
Dependencies to vApp
10

11. Expand Dependencies “One Hop” from Virtual Center
External “Physical”
Server
11

12. Define Custom Apps or Undefined Services
Unknown Service
Defined Service
12

13. Set accurate priorities & dependencies for start up sequence
Automated mapping of application services to underlying VMs enables setting up
judicious configuration of priorities and dependencies for correct start up sequence
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5
App Server
1 Desktop
Apache
Apache
Master Database
Database
Database Desktop
Apache
App Server Desktop
2
Desktop
Exchange Mail Sync
13

14. Enable Business Continuity and full DR recovery
 Create SRM protection groups
& recovery plans with accurate
app visibility
 Build HA clusters, set affinity
Are all dependencies factored in /anti-affinity rules with
creating an App protection group ? workload dependency maps
across VI hosts and clusters
Is the App service / VM part of a
protection group, & recovery plan ?
14
1

15. Define vApps based on all current application dependencies
Validate which VMs / app components belong to  Provide the complete
which vApps through updated overlays Application context as basis
for defining vApps
• Factor all dependencies across all
tiers including centralized services
(AD/LDAP, DNS )
• View dependency drifts to keep
Visualize all components and vApp membership up to date
dependencies of an App
 Visualize vApp membership of
App components to avoid
missing dependencies
vApp
Web APP DB
OS OS OS
15

16. Navigator – Value Proposition Summary
vCenter Operations Site Recovery Manager HA / DRS vApps
Create & update
Common language and Use app context to
protection groups/plans
context with App owners build HA clusters,
based on app visibility Provide the
for problem resolution affinity rules &
Planning: Use the app placement constraints Application
App context needed for dependency context
context to protect the
triage, change impact, Know what app
right VMs, know external as basis for creating
proactive resource components/VMs of a
dependencies. and defining vApps
planning specific app are more
Change: Look for important to prioritize
Triage for actual &
changes in app topology
potential issues for Identify Apps (with
that require
applications and services versions) and ensure
removing/adding VMs to
all components of app
Proactive planning to protection plans.
reside on same
avoid VM starvation as
Test: Use up-to-date app clusters to set up HA
cause of application
dependency info when
issues Set DRS rules to keep
running DR tests &
certain app
Manage application / remediating plans
components of app
change impact of
Visualize protection together or apart on
planned and unplanned
readiness with different hosts
VI changes
application / VM overlays
16

17. vCenter Operations Management Suite Packaging
Automated Operations Management
Small and Mid-size Enterprise
Standard Advanced Enterprise Enterprise
Edition Edition Edition Plus Edition
vCenter Operations Manager 1
vCenter Configuration Manager 2
vCenter Infrastructure Navigator
vCenter Chargeback Manager
Extensible to Adapters for 3rd
3rd party party tools
data sources. included.
1… Performance only Detailed feature comparison:
2… Change Mgmt for vSphere hosts http://www.vmware.com/go/vcops
17