Post on 22-Feb-2016
description
VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat – Overview
Why is VMware vCenter Availability Important?What Needs to be Protected?Protecting vCenter Server with vCenter Server Heartbeat
Agenda
Virtual Datacenter Operating System
vCenter
Infrastructure Management
Provisioning Configuration Capacity Operations Performance Availability
SLA Driven Management Model
Availability Security Performance
99.99% High .2 Milli-seconds
Self Service Management
Self Service Portal
Service Catalog
Billing/Chargeback
What is VMware vCenter Server?
vCenter Server: A Key Infrastructure Component
A universal hub for virtualization management
How Do You Use vCenter Server?
Monitor cluster, host and VM performanceManage VM and host provisioningPatch and update hosts and VMsConfigure and operate VMotion, DRS and HAProvision and manage a VDI environmentManage disaster recover plans
Impact of vCenter Server Downtime
Component Impact Experienced
Virtual Machines Management requires direct connections to host; can’t provision new VMs from templates
ESX Servers Management requires direct connections to host
Performance & Monitoring Statistics
Historical records will have gaps during outages, still available via ESX Servers
VMotion / Storage VMotion Unavailable
VMware DRS Unavailable
vCenter Plug - Ins Unavailable
VMware HA HA failover works, admission control unavailable
VMware VDI Cannot provision new desktop instances
Why is VMware vCenter Availability Important?What Needs to be Protected?Protecting vCenter Server with vCenter Server Heartbeat
Agenda
Determining a Strategy
Define the Scope of Protection DesiredWhich is most important?
Local high availability for hardware/network failures? Protecting application integrity and uptime against all types of threats?Remote disaster recovery for large scale, site-wide outages?
What is the recovery time objective?Need to base this on what functionality is unavailable during vCenter Server outage
How Do You Protect vCenter Server Today?
• No protection• Keep a backup copy archived• Cold standby• Clustering• VMware HA
Protecting vCenter Server
vCenter Server
Database Server
VI Services
VI Inventory
Database Server
Standard DR Solution
StandbyvCenter Server
Primary
Replication ofstate files
What is required to restore vCenter functionality?
vCenter Server is an almost stateless applicationData stored in the vCenter database is the most critical resourceFollowing data is necessary to restore the vCenter functionality
(with intact database)vCenter server IP AddressDNS name for ODBC connectionLicense files for the License Manager ServerSecurity CertificatesvCenter Configuration filevCenter Plug-in dataCustomized data from upgrade directory (if applicable)
Cold Standby Recovery Procedure: Simple, Slow
Able to assignprimary’s IP to
standby?
Maintain separateup to date copy oflocal configuration
files
Install freshvCenterinstance
Installconfig files; connect tostandby DB
Disaster!
ESX Server hostsreconnect
automatically
Run script to reconnectall ESX Server hostsDone
yes
no
Warm Standby Recovery Procedure: Complex, Faster
Able to assignprimary’s IP to
standby?
Keep localconfiguration files
synchronized between
primary and standby
Disaster!
ESX Server hostsreconnect
automatically
Run script to reconnectall ESX Server hostsDone
yes
no
Faster end-to-end recovery (RTO)
Also allows for scripting and automationReplication of configuration files through host-based replication or backup tools
Why is VMware vCenter Availability Important?What Needs to be Protected?Protecting vCenter Server with vCenter Server Heartbeat
Agenda
Solutions for Protecting vCenter Server
vCenter downtime greatly impacts productivity of VI AdministratorsHowever, several options can be used to mitigate the potential for vCenter Server downtimeThe solution of choice will depend on level of protection desired and recovery point objectives.
VMware Solutions Third-Party SolutionsVMware HAVMware vCenter Server Heartbeat
BackupClusteringHost Replication
vCenter Server
vCenter Server
vCenter Server
Active Passive
vCenter Heartbeat
vCenter Server
vCenter Server
vCenter Server
Replicated licenses & roles
ESXi ESX ESX ESXi ESXi ESXi ESX
vCenter Server
vCenter Server
vCenter Server
Protecting vCenter Server Against Downtime Threats
VMware HA
Linked Mode provides visibility across multiple vCenter Servers (coming in
2009)
VMware HA protects a virtualized vCenter Server against hardware
and OS downtime
Heartbeat provides broad failover protection for vCenter Server against all types of planned or
unplanned downtime
Introducing VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat
Extends availability for the vCenter Server platformAdd-on to vCenter Server protects critical components of the infrastructureDeep awareness of all vCenter Server componentsSimple configuration and deploymentReplicates all data and transactions to a standby serverFailover of the application and database over the LAN or WAN
Introducing VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat
Best-of breed-technologyVMware has selected Neverfail to provide the underlying technologyProven technology supports SQL, Exchange, Blackberry availabilityvCenter Server Heartbeat is a VMware product and fully supported by VMware
vCenter Server Heartbeat
Hardware Failures
NetworkFailures
OSFailures
ApplicationFailures
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
vCenter Server
vCenter Server Heartbeat
vCenter Server Heartbeat Architecture
• Software Based Solution Providing:• Paired Servers with Shared Nothing Architecture• Active/Passive clone• Hardware Agnostic• Physical & Virtual Support
• Application Awareness (AMF)
• Hardware and Software Redundancy
• Automated Failover
• Planned Maintenance
• Network Monitoring
• Low Bandwidth Module
Comparing vCenter Server Heartbeat
Host Replication
Heartbeat
WAN failover Partial YesHardware & OS failures Yes YesProtects vCenter Server components
No Yes
Network failures No YesConfiguration Agnostic Yes YesComplexity Medium-High Low
Deeper more granular protection than other solutions
vCenter Server Heartbeat: Defense in Depth
Breadth of workloads supported
Depth of HA protection
Specific All
Hardware/OS
Complete
VMware HA
vCenter Heartbeat
Replication
Clustering
Summary: Why vCenter Server Heartbeat?
High availability for VC is growing in importance for customers running VMware in production
Underlying infrastructure needs to be fully protectedHA provides robust general-purpose protection of virtualized workloadsNeed to protect against configuration errors, network failures, OS failures, database failures with WAN failover supportMany customers run vCenter Server on a physical serverOther solutions are expensive, complex and lack app awareness, support for database, WAN failoverCustomers have been asking for a VMware solution that provides more granular availability for vCenter Server
Introducing VMware vCenter Server HeartbeatExtends availability for the vCenter Server platform
Announce at VMworld Europe, GA in mid-MarchAdd-on to vCenter Server protects critical components of the infrastructureDeep awareness of the vCenter Server componentsFailover of the application and database over the LAN or WAN
Best-of breed-technologyVMware has signed an agreement to license the technology for Heartbeat and sell it as a VMware productProven technology supports SQL, Exchange, Blackberry availabilityVMware will provide training and support as with any other VMware productNeverfail provides underlying technology and updates, as well as support for field, channel and GSS enablement
Questions?
Backup Slides
VMware HA for vCenter Server Availability
This section discusses how HA can be used for vCenter Server availability
Solutions for Protecting vCenter
vCenter downtime greatly impacts productivity of VI AdministratorsHowever, several options can be used to mitigate the potential for vCenter downtimeThe solution of choice will depend on level of protection desired and recovery point objectives.
VMware Solutions Third-Party SolutionsVMware HAVMware vCenter Server Heartbeat
BackupClusteringHost Replication
vCenter with VMware HA: Out-of-Band
Two approachesTwo vCenter instances manage each other (pictured)
Both run in HA clusterEach manages the other’s HA cluster
Separate vCenter instance is used to manage 2-node HA cluster (not pictured)
vpxd
vpxd
vCenter with VMware HA: In-Band
vCenter Server manages the VMware HA cluster providing its protection
When the ESX hosts with vCenter VM fails, VM is restarted automatically by HAFailover functionality provided by HA is independent from vCenter (post-configuration)
vpxd
Comparing Solutions: VMware HA and Clustering
VMware HA
Clustering
WAN failover No NoHardware & OS failures Yes YesProtects vCenter Server components
Database Database via clustering
Network failures No YesConfiguration Agnostic Yes NoComplexity Low High