6.3
Table Of Contents
- Administrator Guide
- Contents
- About This Book
- Getting Started
- Introduction
- Configuring vCenter Server Heartbeat
- Server Configuration Wizard
- Configuring the Machine Identity
- Configuring the Server Role
- Configuring the Client Connection Port
- Configuring Channel Routing
- Configuring the Default Channel Port
- Configuring Low Bandwidth Module
- Configuring Public IP Addressing
- Configuring for Identical Nodes
- Configuring for Non-Identical Nodes
- Managing vCenter Server Heartbeat License Keys
- Configuring Message Queue Logs
- Configuring the Maximum Disk Usage
- System Administration and Management
- Server Protection
- Network Protection
- Application Protection
- Status and Control
- vCenter Server Heartbeat Console
- About vCenter Server Heartbeat Console
- Work with Groups and Pairs
- Add, Edit, Move, and Remove Pairs in VCenter Server Heartbeat Groups
- Review the Status of vCenter Server Heartbeat Groups and Pairs
- Exit vCenter Server Heartbeat Console
- Shut Down Windows Without Stopping vCenter Server Heartbeat
- Performance Protection
- Data Protection
- Data Protection Overview
- Other Administrative Tasks
- Troubleshooting
- Troubleshooting Unexpected Behaviors
- Two Active Servers
- Two Passive Servers
- Synchronization Failures
- Registry Status is Out of Sync
- Channel Drops
- Subnet or Routing Issues
- MaxDiskUsage Errors
- MaxDiskUsage Error Messages
- [L9]Exceeded the Maximum Disk Usage (VCChannelExceededMaxDiskUsageException)
- [L9]Exceeded the Maximum Disk Usage on the ACTIVE Server
- [L9]Exceeded the Maximum Disk Usage on the PASSIVE Server
- [L20]Out of Disk Space (VCChannelOutOfDiskSpaceException)
- Application Slowdown
- Poor Application Performance
- Both Servers Can Accommodate the Initial Load but the Load Has Increased
- One Server Can Provide Adequate Resource Support, but the Other Cannot
- Scheduled Resource Intensive Tasks
- Glossary
VMware, Inc. 13
Chapter 1 Introduction
addressesforthePrimaryandSecondaryserversseparatefromthesharedPublic(Principal)IPaddress.
ClientsconnecttovCenterServerusingauniquevirtualservicenameconfiguredinvCenterServerHeartbeat
thatresolvestothePublic(Principal)IPaddress.Whenstarted,vCenterServerHeartbeatprovidesthepassive
serveritsuniqueManagement
IPaddressandprovidestheactiveserverwiththesharedPrincipal(Public)IP
address.
Whenaswitchoveroccurs,vCenterServerHeartbeatremovesthesharedPrincipal(Public)IPaddressfrom
thecurrentlyactiveserverandreplacesitwithitsuniqueManagementIPaddress.Onthecurrentlypassive
server,vCenterServerHeartbeatremoves
theManagementIPaddressandreplacesitwiththeshared
Principal(Public)IPaddresstherebyallowingtheserverstoswitchroles.
Advantages of Non-Identical Nodes Configuration
Deploymentofnon‐identicalnodesallowsforeasyaccesstothepassive(hidden/readystandby)serveratany
timeregardlessofwhichserverisactiveandservicingclients.Additionally,this
configurationallowsthe
passiveservertobeeasilyaccessedformaintenancepurposes,updatinganti‐virusdefinitionfiles,receiving
operatingsystemhot‐fixes,updatesandpatchesfromthird‐partymanagementsoftware,andallowsuseof
third‐partymonitoringtools.
Protection Levels
vCenterServerHeartbeatprovidesthefollowingprotectionlevels:
ServerProtection–vCenterServerHeartbeatprovidescontinuousavailabilitytoendusersthrougha
hardwarefailurescenariooroperatingsystemcrash.Additionally,vCenterServerHeartbeatprotectsthe
networkidentityoftheproductionserver,ensuringusersareprovidedwithareplicaserveronthefailure
oftheproductionserver.
NetworkProtection–vCenterServerHeartbeatproactivelymonitorsthenetworkbypollinguptothree
nodestoensurethattheactiveserverisvisibleonthenetwork.
ApplicationProtection–vCenterServerHeartbeatmaintainstheapplicationenvironmentensuringthat
applicationsandservicesstayaliveonthenetwork.
PerformanceProtection–vCenterServerHeartbeatproactivelymonitorssystemperformanceattributes
toensurethatthesystemadministratorisnotifiedofproblemsandcantakepre‐emptiveactiontoprevent
anoutage.
DataProtection–vCenterServerHeartbeatinterceptsalldatawrittenbyusersandapplications,and
maintainsacopyofthisdataonthepassiveserverthatcanbeusedintheeventofafailure.
vCenterServerHeartbeatprovidesallfiveprotectionlev elscontinuously,ensuringallfacetsoftheuser
environment
aremaintainedatalltimes,andthatthenetwork(Principal(Public)network)continuesto
operatethroughasmanyfailurescenariosaspossible.
Server Protection
vCenterServerHeartbeatprovidescontinuousavailabilitytoendusersthroughahardwarefailurescenario
oroperatingsystemcrash.Additionally,vCenterServerHeartbeatprotectsthenetworkidentityofthe
productionserver,ensuringusersareprovidedwithareplicaserverincludingservername(singleidentity
only),IPaddressonthefailureofthe
productionserver.
TwoinstancesofvCenterServerHeartbeatregularlysend“I’malive”messagesandmessage
acknowledgmentstooneanotheroveranetworkconnectionreferredtoastheVMwareChanneltodetect
interruptionsinresponsiveness.Ifthepassiveserverdetectsthatthismonitoringprocess(referredtoasthe
heartbeat)hasfailed,it
initiatesafailoverasillustratedinFigure 1‐1.