VMware VCENTER SERVER 4.0 - GETTING STARTED UPDATE 1 Specifications download pdf (Page 12)

Reference Guide

12 VMware, Inc.

The vCenter Server Heartbeat software is symmetrical in almost all respects, and either the Primary Server or

the Secondary server can take the active role and provide the protected application to the user.

Server Protection

vCenter Server Heartbeat maintains availability through operating system and hardware failure events. Two

instances of vCenter Server Heartbeat monitor each other by sending “I’m alive” messages and reciprocating

with acknowledgments over a network connection termed the VMware Channel. If the passive server detects

that this process or heartbeat has failed, a failover is initiated as illustrated in Figure 1-1.

Figure 1-1. Failover

A failover is similar to a switchover but is used in more drastic situations. A failover happens when the passive

server detects that the active server is no longer responding. This can occur when the active server hardware

crashes or loses its network connections. Rather than the active server gracefully closing, the passive server

determines that the active server has failed and requires no further operations. During failover, the passive

server immediately takes on the active server role. The mechanics of failovers are discussed later in this guide.

Network Protection

vCenter Server Heartbeat proactively monitors the capability of the active server to communicate with the rest

of the network by polling defined nodes around the network, including by default the default gateway, the

primary DNS server, and the Global Catalog server at regular intervals. If all three nodes fail to respond, for

example, due to a network card failure or a local switch failure, vCenter Server Heartbeat can initiate a

switchover, allowing the Secondary server to assume an identical network identity as the Primary server.

Application Protection

vCenter Server Heartbeat running locally on the active server monitors the protected applications and services

through the use of plug-ins. vCenter Server Heartbeat protects the following components:

 VirtualCenter Server Versions 2.5

 VMware VirtualCenter Server

 VMware Capacity Planner

 VMware Converter Enterprise

 VMware Update Manager

 VMware License Server

 vCenter Server Version 4.0

 VMware vCenter Server

 VMware Guided Consolidation Service

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VMware VCENTER SERVER 4.0 - GETTING STARTED UPDATE 1 Specifications Page 12