VMware vCenter Appliance pro and cons

1. VCSA PRO AND CONS
Andrew Mauro – VCDX & vExpert
http://vinfrastructure.it/en/
14/10/2014
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vCSA pro and cons

2. VIRTUAL APPLIANCE
Angels or daemons?
http://vinfrastructure.it/2012/06/virtual- appliance-angels-o-demons/
VA are bricks but also are (or must be considered) black-boxes
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3. CHOOSING THE VCENTER
There are the same features?
What about next version?
There are the same limits?
Hosts per vCenter: 1.000
Powered on VMs: 10.000
Registered VMs: 15.000
http://vinfrastructure.it/en/2014/01/vmware-vcenter- server-installable-vs-appliance/
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4. VCENTER SERVER APPLIANCE
Pro
It’s a VA with all-in-one (included the Web Client)
Simple and smaller (OVA is smaller than ISO)
Faster to deploy (or re-deploy)
Does not require a Windows license
Cons
Not the same features
Not compatible with other components (ie: VUM)
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5. DATABASE EMBEDDED OR NOT?
Actually there are some limits using the embedded (v)Postgres
In 5.5:
Max 100 hosts or
Max 3000 VMs
What about next version?
External DBMS?
Only Oracle
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6. LINKED MODE
Windows only (ADAM/AD-LDAP) based
Max 10 vCenters
Max 3.000 hosts
Max 30.000 powered on VMs
Max 50.000 registered VMs
No way with vCSA
What about next version?
Do you really need Linked Mode?
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vCSA pro and cons
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7. SCALABILITY CONSIDERATION?
Actually vCSA is a monolithic VM
optional can have an external DBMS
SSO and other platform services are not sharable
Can be used a Windows Server with vCenter components
What about next version?
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8. VA DEPLOYMENT
Faster than the Windows version
Could be faster?
Could be easiest?
Guided or scripted installation?
What about next version?
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9. VA PATCHING
The vCSA upgrade process is quite easy
Single point, single updade/upgrade
But could be better?
What about security patches at the OS level?
Multiple repositories or patch levels?
What about next version?
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10. VM SIZING
KB 2005086 for version 5.5
Very small inventory
10 or fewer hosts, 100 or fewer virtual machines
at least 8 GB
Small inventory
10-50 hosts or 100-1500 virtual machines
at least 16 GB
Medium inventory
the maximum inventory supported with the embedded database; 50-100 hosts or 1500-3000 virtual machines
at least 24 GB
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11. MORE INFORMATION
This slide
http://vinfrastructure.it/en/
vCSA Next
Stay tuned
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12. THANK YOU
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Andrew Mauro – VCDX & vExpert
http://vinfrastructure.it/en/
vCSA pro and cons