HP VMware ESXi 4.0 and Updates Getting Started Guide

Understanding the VMware infrastructure
VMware vSphere includes the following components:
• Virtual machine—A virtual machine is a software-based computer capable of
running an operating system such as Microsoft® Windows® or GNU/Linux as if
the operating system is installed on a physical machine.
• Host—A host is a physical machine running platform virtualization software such as
ESXi. Hosts provide processor, memory, storage, and network resources for one or
more virtual machines.
• vCenter Server—vCenter Server continuously monitors your virtual infrastructure,
automates system administration tasks, and centralizes remote management
sessions. It coordinates the resources and activities of individual hosts to efficiently
distribute virtual machines and tolerate hardware downtime across a data center.
• vSphere Client—vSphere Client is the primary interface for interacting with hosts
and virtual machines. vSphere Client can manage a standalone host by connecting
directly to the host, or manage multiple hosts by connecting to a vCenter Server
machine.