Specifications

VMware, Inc. 11
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This chapter includes the following topics:
 “vCenter Server Heartbeat Concepts” on page 11
 “Switchover Process” on page 15
 “Failover Process” on page 17
vCenter Server Heartbeat Concepts
vCenter Server Heartbeat is a Windows based service specifically designed to provide high availability
protection for vCenter Server configurations without requiring any specialized hardware.
vCenter Server Heartbeat provides the following protection levels:
 Server Protection – vCenter Server Heartbeat provides continuous availability to end users through a
hardware failure scenario or operating system crash. Additionally, vCenter Server Heartbeat protects the
network identity of the production server, ensuring users are provided with a replica server including
server name and IP address shares on the failure of the production server.
 Network Protection – vCenter Server Heartbeat proactively monitors the network by polling up to three
nodes to ensure that the active server is visible on the network.
 Application Protection – vCenter Server Heartbeat maintains the application environment ensuring that
applications and services stay alive on the network.
 Performance Protection – vCenter Server Heartbeat proactively monitors system performance attributes
to ensure that the system administrator is notified of problems and can take pre-emptive action to prevent
an outage.
 Data Protection – vCenter Server Heartbeat intercepts all data written by users and applications, and
maintains a copy of this data on the passive server that can be used in the event of a failure.
vCenter Server Heartbeat provides all five protection levels continuously, ensuring all facets of the user
environment are maintained at all times, and that the network (Principal (Public) network) continues to
operate through as many failure scenarios as possible.
vCenter Server Heartbeat software is installed on a Primary server and a Secondary server. These names refer
to the physical hardware (identity) of the servers.
The Secondary server has the same domain name, same file and data structure, same network address, and
can run all the same applications and services as the Primary server.
vCenter Server Heartbeat uses two servers with identical names and IP addresses. One is an active server that
is visible on the Principal (Public) network and the other is a passive server that is hidden from the network
but remains as a ready standby server. Only one server name and IP address can be visible on the Principal
(Public) network at any given time.
Introduction
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