VS5ICM M12 Scalability

2011 VMware Inc.
All rights reserved

Scalability
Module 12
12-2
2011 VMware Inc. All rights reserved
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Course Introduction
Introduction to Virtualization
Virtual Machines
VMware vCenter Server
Configure and Manage Virtual Networks
Configure and Manage Virtual Storage
Managing Virtual Machines
Data Protection
Access & Authentication Control
Resource Management and Monitoring
High Availability
Scalability
Patch Management
Installing vSphere Components
VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage Revision A
12-3
Importance
As you scale your VMware vSphere environment, you need to be
aware of the vSphere features and functions that will help you
manage your growing environment.
12-4
Learner Objectives
After this lesson, you should be able to do the following:
Describe the functions of a vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler
(DRS) cluster.
Explain the benefits of Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC).
Create a DRS cluster.
View information about a DRS cluster.
Remove a host from a DRS cluster.

12-5
What Is a Cluster?
A cluster is a collection of
VMware ESXi hosts and
associated virtual machines
with vSphere High Availability
and vSphere Distributed
Resource Scheduler (DRS)
enabled.
A DRS cluster is managed by
VMware vCenter Server and
has these resource
management capabilities:
Initial placement
Load balancing
Power management
cluster
12-6
What is Storage DRS?
Storage DRS is used to automatically load balance across multiple
datastores.
Datastores are grouped.
Performs automatic placement of virtual machines upon creation.
Storage DRS runs infrequently and does analysis to determine long
term load balancing.
Storage DRS does not use real-time latency to calculate load
balancing.
I/O load history is checked once every 8 hours.
Storage DRS requires that Storage I/O Control be enabled on all the
datastores.
12-7
DRS Cluster Prerequisites
DRS works best if the virtual machines meet VMware vSphere
vMotion migration requirements.
To use DRS for load balancing, the hosts in the cluster must be part
of a vMotion migration network.
If not, DRS can still make initial placement recommendations.
To use shared storage, configure all hosts in the cluster.
Volumes must be accessible by all hosts.
Volumes must be large enough to store all virtual disks for your virtual
machine.
12-8
DRS Cluster Settings: Automation Level
Automation
level
Initial VM
placement
Dynamic
balancing
Manual Manual Manual
Partially
automated
Automatic Manual
Fully
automated
Automatic Automatic
Configure automation level
for initial placement of virtual
machines and dynamic
balancing while virtual
machines are running.
Migration threshold determines
how quickly virtual machines
are migrated.
12-9
DRS Cluster Settings: EVC
EVC is a cluster
feature that prevents
vMotion migrations
from failing because of
incompatible CPUs.
12-10
CPU Baselines for an EVC Cluster
EVC works at the cluster level, using CPU baselines to configure all
processors included in the cluster enabled for EVC.
cluster enabled for EVC
CPU baseline feature set
A baseline is a set of
CPU features supported
by every host in the
cluster.
CPUID
CPUID CPUID CPUID
X X X
K
12-11
EVC Cluster Requirements
All hosts in the cluster must meet the following requirements:
Use CPUs from a single vendor (either Intel or AMD)
Use Intel CPUs with Core 2 micro architecture and newer
Use AMD first-generation Opteron CPUs and newer
Run ESX 3.5 Update 2 or later
Be connected to vCenter Server
Be enabled for hardware virtualization (AMD-V or Intel VT)
Be enabled for execution-disable technology (AMD No eXecute (NX)
or Intel eXecute Disable (XD))
Be configured for vMotion migration
Applications in virtual machines must be well-behaved.
12-12
DRS Cluster Settings: Swap File Location
Store the virtual machines swap file with the virtual machine or in a
specified datastore.
VMware recommends that
you store the swap file in
the same directory as the
virtual machine.
12-13
DRS Cluster Settings: Affinity Rules for Virtual Machines
Affinity rules for virtual
machines specify that
either selected virtual
machines be placed on
the same host (affinity)
or on different hosts
(anti-affinity).
Affinity rules:
Use for multivirtual machine systems where performance
benefits virtual machines communicating heavily with one
another.
Anti-affinity rules:
Use for multivirtual machine systems that load-balance
or require high availability.
Two rules:
Keep virtual
machines
together
Separate virtual
machines
12-14
DRS Cluster Settings: DRS Groups
A DRS group is:
A group of
virtual
machines
A group of
hosts
A virtual
machine can
belong to
multiple virtual
machine DRS
groups.
A host can
belong to
multiple host
DRS groups.
DRS groups are used in
defining Virtual
Machines to Hosts
affinity rules.
12-15
DRS Cluster Settings: Virtual Machines to Hosts Affinity Rules
A Virtual Machines
to Hosts affinity rule:
Specifies an
affinity relationship
between a virtual
machine DRS
group and a host
DRS group
Is either a required
rule or a
preferential rule
Other options:
Must run on hosts in group,
Must Not run on hosts in group,
Should Not run on hosts in group
12-16
Virtual Machines to Hosts Affinity Rule: Preferential
A preferential rule is softly enforced and can be violated if
necessary.
Example:
Separate virtual
machines
on different blade
systems.
Group A
Blade Chassis A Blade Chassis B
DRS cluster
12-17
Virtual Machines to Hosts Affinity Rule: Required
A required rule is strictly enforced and can never be violated.
Example:
Enforce
host-based
ISV licensing.
Group A
ISV-licensed
DRS cluster
12-18
DRS Cluster Settings: Automation at the Virtual Machine Level
Optionally, set automation level per virtual machine.
12-19
Adding a Host to a Cluster
When adding a new host or moving a host into the cluster, you can
keep the resource pool hierarchy of the existing host.
For example, add sc-quail04 to Lab Cluster.
When adding
the host,
choose to
create a
resource
pool for this
hosts virtual
machines
and resource
pools.
12-20
Viewing DRS Cluster Information
The cluster Summary tab also
provides information specific to
DRS.
The View Resource Distribution
Chart link displays CPU and
memory utilization per host.
12-21
Viewing DRS Recommendations
Apply a subset of
recommendations.
Edit cluster properties.
Refresh recommendations.
Apply all
recommendations.
12-22
Monitoring Cluster Status
View the inventory hierarchy for the cluster state.
View the clusters Tasks & Events tab for more information.
12-23
Maintenance Mode and Standby Mode
To service a host in a cluster (for example, to install more memory)
or remove a host from a cluster, you must place the host in
maintenance mode.
Virtual machines on the host should be migrated to another host or
shut down.
You cannot power on virtual machines or migrate virtual machines to
a host entering maintenance mode.
While in maintenance mode, the host does not allow you to deploy or
power on a virtual machine.
When a host is placed in standby mode, it is powered off.
This mode is used by VMware Distributed Power Management to
optimize power usage.
12-24
Removing a Host from the DRS Cluster
Before removing a host from
a DRS cluster, consider the
following issues:
The resource pool hierarchy
remains with the cluster.
Because a host must be in
maintenance mode, all
virtual machines running on
that host are powered off.
The resources available for
the cluster decrease.
12-25
Improving Virtual Machine Performance
Methods for
improving virtual
machine
performance
Broad
Fine
Use a DRS cluster.
Use storage multipathing.
Use NIC teaming.
Modify the resource pools CPU and
memory limits and reservations.
Use network
traffic shaping.
Modify the virtual
machines CPU and memory
reservations.
12-26
Using vSphere High Availability and DRS Together
Reasons why vSphere HA might not be able to fail over virtual
machines:
vSphere HA admission control is disabled
Required Virtual Machines to Hosts affinity rule prevents vSphere HA
from failing over.
Sufficient aggregated resources exist, but they are fragmented across
hosts.
In such cases, vSphere HA uses DRS to try to adjust the cluster by
migrating virtual machines to defragment the resources

12-27
Lab 19
In this lab, you will implement a DRS cluster.
1. Create a DRS cluster.
2. Verify proper DRS cluster functionality.
3. Create, test, and disable affinity rules.
4. Create, test, and disable anti-affinity rules.
5. Create, test, and disable virtual machine to host affinity rules.
12-28
Review of Learner Objectives
You should be able to do the following:
Describe the functions of a DRS cluster.
Explain the benefits of EVC.
Create a DRS cluster.
View information about a DRS cluster.
Remove a host from a DRS cluster.
12-29
Key Points
DRS clusters provide automated resource management for multiple
ESXi hosts.

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