6.6

vCenter Server Heartbeat Communications
The VMware Channel is a crucial component of vCenter Server Heartbeat and can be configured in a number
of ways.
vCenter Server Heartbeat supports use of either multiple NICs or a single NIC. Both the Primary and Secondary
must have the same number of NICs. The Public IP address provides client access and the Management IP
address provides administrative access, while the VMware Channel provides for data transfer and control.
Multi-NIC Configuration
When installed using multiple NICs, a second pair of NICs can be configured for the VMware Channel to provide
a degree of redundancy. To provide added resilience, the communications for the second channel should be
completely independent from the first channel.They should not share any switches, routers, or the same WAN
connection.
Configuring vCenter Server Heartbeat using multiple NICs (1 for the Public and Management IP and 1 for the
VMware Channel IP) prevents a single point of failure in the system. Additionally, it allows vCenter Server
Heartbeat to monitor availability of the nodes independently via the Public network and the VMware Channel
network.
Figure 1- 4. Multi-NIC Configuration
Single NIC Configuration
When installing using a single NIC, the Public IP, the Management IP, and the VMware Channel IP addresses
are all configured on the same NIC.
Configuring vCenter Server Heartbeat with a single NIC on each node creates a network environment with a
single point of failure where a malfunction of the NIC on either node can cause protection failure.
12 VMware, Inc.
vCenter Server Heartbeat Administrator's Guide