VMware vCenter Server provides a scalable and extensible platform that forms the foundation for virtualization management. VMware vCenter Server, formerly VMware VirtualCenter, centrally manages VMware vSphere environments allowing IT administrators improved control over the virtual environment compared to other management platforms.
Many key vSphere features, including VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS), vSphere High Availability (HA), vSphere Fault Tolerance (FT) and VMware vMotion, require vCenter Server to function.
VMware vCenter Server architecture
The vCenter Server architecture consists of three main components:
o vSphere Web Client
o vCenter Server Database
o vCenter Single Sign-On.
The vSphere Web Client is a web application that acts as the vCenter Server user interface. It enables the administrator to manage installation and handle inventory objects in a vSphere deployment and provides console access to VMs. VMware introduced a new HTML5-based vSphere Client in vSphere 6.5; the company said it would retire the Flash-based web client in the next numbered version of vSphere.
The vCenter Server Database stores and manages server data, from inventory items to resource pools. Every instance of vCenter Server requires its own unique database.
Introduced in vSphere 5.1, vCenter Single Sign-On (SSO) is an authentication broker and security token that enables the user to use one login to access the entire vSphere infrastructure without further authentication.
Key features
Important vCenter Server features include the following:
o Multi-hypervisor management. VMware vCenter Server offers integrated
management for VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V hosts.
o VMware Host Profiles. This tool automates ESX and ESXi host configuration. A
vSphere administrator can use Host Profiles to create a standard configuration,
which serves as a sort of blueprint for all other hosts and automate compliance
to this configuration across all hosts or clusters.
o Automatic VM restart. VMware vCenter Server uses vSphere HA to pool VMs and
their hosts into a cluster. In the event of a server failure, vSphere HA will
automatically restart these VMs on other hosts within the cluster.
o Patch management. The vSphere Update Manager (VUM) automatically scans
and patches ESXi hosts and certain Microsoft and Linux VMs.
o vRealize Orchestrator (vRO). This vCenter Server plug-in, which integrates with
vRealize Suite and vCloud Suite, automates tasks using workflows.
o vRealize Log Insight for vCenter Server. This log management software has
customizable dashboards that enable an administrator to analyze system log
data, identify and troubleshoot issues, and check for system compliance.
o vCenter Server Linked Mode. This feature provides an administrator with a single
view of their vSphere deployment. An administrator can also use Linked Mode to
connect multiple vCenter Server systems and grant them permission to share
information. Linked Mode automatically replicates all new resources created by
the administrator, including roles, policies and permissions, across the linked
vCenter Server systems.
o Application programming interfaces (APIs). VMware vCenter Server uses APIs to
communicate and integrate with third-party software.
vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA)
vCenter Server Appliance 5.5 is reducing the dependency of Windows operating system for vCenter server Install. With VCSA 5.5 on Embedded database can manage 100 hosts and 3000 Virtual Machines. vCSA reduces lot of administrative efforts by reducing efforts needed for windows patching, software update and management of Guest OS on windows operating system. It is necessary to understand the difference between the vCenter Server Appliance 5.5 and vCenter server 5.5 installed on windows Server.
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