6.3

Installation Guide
26 VMware, Inc.
 vCenter Converter Enterprise
 SQL Server Versions
 Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SP1-SP3
 Microsoft SQL Server 2008 including SP2
vCenter Server with SQL Server on the Same Host
To ensure adequate performance in 20+ host or 200+ virtual machine environments, VMware recommends
that SQL Server and vCenter Server be installed on separate physical disk drives. VMDKs must be on separate
datastores to avoid potential disk bottlenecks.
vCenter Server with SQL Server on a Separate Host
When installing vCenter Server Heartbeat in an environment where SQL Server is on a separate host from
vCenter Server, repeat the installation process for the Primary and Secondary server specifically for the SQL
Server.
To ensure proper failover, increase the default Heartbeat interval for the vCenter Server from 20 to 30 seconds.
vCenter Server Only
The vCenter Server Only option requires a single iteration of the installation process because the database is
not protected.
Network Options
Networking requirements are contingent upon how vCenter Server Heartbeat is deployed. To deploy as a
High Availability (HA) solution, a LAN configuration is required. To deploy vCenter Server Heartbeat for
Disaster Recovery (DR), a WAN configuration is required. Additionally, the server pair can be deployed with
identical nodes or non-identical nodes. Each network configuration has specific configuration requirements to
ensure proper operation.
LAN
When deployed in a LAN environment, vCenter Server Heartbeat requires that both servers use the same
Principal (Public) IP address. Each server also requires a separate VMware Channel IP address on a separate
dedicated subnet.
Non-Identical Nodes
If configuring for non-identical nodes, vCenter Server Heartbeat supports updatable Microsoft DNS servers
and non-updatable (Locked Down mode) or non-Microsoft DNS servers.
N
OTE Ensure that all VMware components are bound to the Principal (Public) IP address on the Principal
(Public) network adapter and that the Principal (Public) network adapter is listed first in the bind order of the
Network Connections > Advanced > Advanced Settings page.
NOTE If deploying with non-identical nodes, SQL Server must be installed remote to vCenter Server.
NOTE vCenter Server Heartbeat does NOT out-of-the-box support teams of NICs but can be configured to
support teamed NICs with additional configuration steps when installing with teamed NICs present. See
Knowledge Base article 1027288 for more information about teamed NICs.
NOTE Deployment in a LAN environment is the only supported option when configuring for non-identical
nodes.