vs5icm_m12_scalability

7/27/2019 VS5ICM_M12_Scalability

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Scalability

Module 12

2011 VMware Inc. All rights reserved


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You Are Here

Course Introduction

Introduction to Virtualization

Virtual Machines

Data Protection

Access & Authentication Control

Resource Management and Monitoring

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Configure and Manage Virtual Networks

Configure and Manage Virtual Storage

Managing Virtual Machines

Scalability

Patch Management

Installing vSphere Components

VMware vSphere: Install, Configure, Manage Revision A


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Importance

As you scale your VMware vSphere environment, you need to beaware of the vSphere features and functions that will help youmanage your growing environment.

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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.

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What Is a Cluster?

A cluster is a collection ofVMware ESXi hosts andassociated virtual machines

with vSphere High Availabilityand vSphere DistributedResource Scheduler (DRS)enabled.

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A DRS cluster is managed byVMware vCenter Server andhas these resourcemanagement capabilities:

Initial placement

Load balancing

Power management


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What is Storage DRS?

Storage DRS is used to automatically load balance across multipledatastores.

Datastores are grouped.

Performs automatic placement of virtual machines upon creation.

Storage DRS runs infrequently and does analysis to determine longterm load balancing.

-

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balancing.

I/O load history is checked once every 8 hours.

Storage DRS requires that Storage I/O Control be enabled on all thedatastores.


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DRS Cluster Prerequisites

DRS works best if the virtual machines meet VMware vSpherevMotion migration requirements.

To use DRS for load balancing, the hosts in the cluster must be partof 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.

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Volumes must be large enough to store all virtual disks for your virtualmachine.


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DRS Cluster Settings: Automation Level

Automationlevel

Initial VMplacement

Dynamicbalancing

Configure automation levelfor initial placement of virtualmachines and dynamicbalancing while virtualmachines are running.

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Manual Manual Manual

Partiallyautomated

Automatic Manual

Fullyautomated

Automatic Automatic

Migration threshold determineshow quickly virtual machines

are migrated.


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DRS Cluster Settings: EVC

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EVC is a clusterfeature that preventsvMotion migrations

from failing because of

incompatible CPUs.


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CPU Baselines for an EVC Cluster

EVC works at the cluster level, using CPU baselines to configure allprocessors included in the cluster enabled for EVC.

A baseline is a set ofCPU features supported

by every host in thecluster.

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cluster enabled for EVC

CPU baseline feature set

CPUIDCPUIDCPUID CPUID

X X X K


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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

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e ena e or ar ware v r ua za on - or n e

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.


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DRS Cluster Settings: Swap File Location

Store the virtual machines swap file with the virtual machine or in aspecified datastore.

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VMware recommends that

you store the swap file inthe same directory as thevirtual machine.


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DRS Cluster Settings: Affinity Rules for Virtual Machines

Affinity rules for virtualmachines specify thateither selected virtualmachines be placed onthe same host (affinity)or on different hosts(anti-affinity).

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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 virtualmachinestogether

Separate virtualmachines


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DRS Cluster Settings: DRS Groups

A DRS group is: A group of

virtualmachines

A group ofhosts

A virtualmachine can

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belong tomultiple virtualmachine DRSgroups.

A host canbelong tomultiple hostDRS groups.

groups are use n

defining VirtualMachines to Hosts

affinity rules.


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DRS Cluster Settings: Virtual Machines to Hosts Affinity Rules

A Virtual Machinesto Hosts affinity rule:

Specifies anaffinity relationshipbetween a virtualmachine DRSgroup and a hostDRS group

Other options:Must run on hosts in group,

Must Not run on hosts in rou

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Is either a requiredrule or apreferential rule

Should Not run on hosts in group


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Virtual Machines to Hosts Affinity Rule: Preferential

A preferential rule is softly enforced and can be violated ifnecessary.

Example:

Group A

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machineson different bladesystems.

Blade Chassis A Blade Chassis B

DRS cluster


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Virtual Machines to Hosts Affinity Rule: Required

A required rule is strictly enforced and can never be violated.

Example:

Group A

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n orce

host-basedISV licensing.

ISV-licensed

DRS cluster


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DRS Cluster Settings: Automation at the Virtual Machine Level

Optionally, set automation level per virtual machine.

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Adding a Host to a Cluster

When adding a new host or moving a host into the cluster, you cankeep the resource pool hierarchy of the existing host.

For example, add sc-quail04 to Lab Cluster.

When addingthe host

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choose tocreate aresource

pool for thishosts virtual

machinesand resource

pools.


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Viewing DRS Cluster Information

The cluster Summary tab alsoprovides information specific toDRS.

The View Resource DistributionChart link displays CPU andmemory utilization per host.

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Viewing DRS Recommendations

Edit cluster properties.

Refresh recommendations.

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Apply a subset of

recommendations.

Apply all

recommendations.


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Monitoring Cluster Status

View the inventory hierarchy for the cluster state.

View the clusters Tasks & Events tab for more information.

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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 inmaintenance mode.

Virtual machines on the host should be migrated to another host orshut down.

You cannot power on virtual machines or migrate virtual machines toa host entering maintenance mode.

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While in maintenance mode, the host does not allow you to deploy orpower 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.


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Removing a Host from the DRS Cluster

Before removing a host froma DRS cluster, consider thefollowing issues:

The resource pool hierarchy

remains with the cluster. Because a host must be in

maintenance mode, allvirtual machines running on

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.

The resources available forthe cluster decrease.


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Improving Virtual Machine Performance

Methods forimproving virtualmachineperformance Fine Use network

traffic shaping.

Modify the virtualmachines CPU and memory

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Broad

Use a DRS cluster.

Use storage multipathing.

Use NIC teaming.

Modify the resource pools CPU andmemory limits and reservations.

reservations.


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Using vSphere High Availability and DRS Together

Reasons why vSphere HA might not be able to fail over virtualmachines:

vSphere HA admission control is disabled

Required Virtual Machines to Hosts affinity rule prevents vSphere HAfrom failing over.

Sufficient aggregated resources exist, but they are fragmented acrosshosts.

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In such cases, vSphere HA uses DRS to try to adjust the cluster bymigrating virtual machines to defragment the resources


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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.

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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.

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Key Points

DRS clusters provide automated resource management for multipleESXi hosts.

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