Datasheet

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EXPLORING VMWARE VSPHERE 5
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VSPHERE UPDATE MANAGER
vSphere Update Manager is a plug-in for vCenter Server that helps users keep their ESXi hosts
and select VMs patched with the latest updates. vSphere Update Manager provides the follow-
ing functionality:
u Scans to identify systems that are not compliant with the latest updates
u User-defi ned rules for identifying out-of-date systems
u Automated installation of patches for ESXi hosts
u Full integration with other vSphere features like Distributed Resource Scheduler
vSphere Update Manager works with both the Windows-based installation of vCenter Server
as well as the prepackaged vCenter Server virtual appliance. Refer to Table 1.1 for more informa-
tion on where vSphere Update Manager is described in this book.
VMWARE VSPHERE CLIENT AND VSPHERE WEB CLIENT
vCenter Server provides a centralized management framework for VMware ESXi hosts, but it’s
the vSphere Client where vSphere administrators will spend most of their time.
The vSphere Client is a Windows-based application that allows you to manage ESXi hosts,
either directly or through an instance of vCenter Server. You can install the vSphere Client by
browsing to the URL of an ESXi host or vCenter Server and selecting the appropriate installation
link (although keep in mind that Internet access might be required in order to download the
client in some instances). The vSphere Client provides a rich graphical user interface (GUI) for
all day-to-day management tasks and for the advanced confi guration of a virtual infrastructure.
While you can connect the vSphere Client either directly to an ESXi host or to an instance of
vCenter Server, the full set of management capabilities are only available when connecting the
vSphere Client to vCenter Server.
With the release of vSphere 5, VMware also adds a robust new vSphere Web Client as
well. The vSphere Web Client provides a dynamic, web-based user interface for managing
a virtual infrastructure, and enables vSphere administrators to manage their infrastructure
without fi rst needing to install the full vSphere Client on a system. However, the vSphere
Web Client in its current form only provides a subset of the functionality available to the
“full” vSphere Client.
Because the vSphere Web Client currently only provides a subset of the functionality, I focus
primarily on how to use the vSphere Client throughout this book. Tasks in the vSphere Web
Client should be similar.
VMWARE VSHIELD ZONES
VMware vSphere offers some compelling virtual networking functionality, and vShield Zones
builds on vSphere’s virtual networking functionality to add virtual fi rewall functionality.
vShield Zones allows vSphere administrators to see and manage the network traffi c fl ows
occurring on the virtual network switches. You can apply network security policies across entire
groups of machines, ensuring that these policies are maintained properly even though VMs
may move from host to host using vSphere vMotion and vSphere DRS.
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