Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Using SQL Server Express Edition
SQL Server 2008 Express Edition is the minimum database available as a backend to the Windows
Server-based version of vCenter Server.
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Express Edition has physical limitations that include the following:
One CPU maximum
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1 GB maximum of addressable RAM
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4 GB database maximum
Large virtual enterprises will quickly outgrow these SQL Server 2008 Express Edition limitations.
h erefore, you might assume that any virtual infrastructures using SQL Server 2008 Express
Edition are smaller deployments with little projections, if any, for growth. VMware suggests using
SQL Server 2008 Express Edition only for deployments with 5 or fewer hosts and 50 or fewer VMs.
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Because the separate database server is independently installed and managed, some addi-
tional coni guration is required. Later in this chapter, the section “Installing vCenter Server”
provides detailed information about working with separate database servers and the specii c
coni guration that is required for each.
So, how does an organization go about choosing which separate database server to use? The
process of selection typically rel ects what an organization already uses or is licensed to use.
Organizations with Oracle may decide to continue to use Oracle for vCenter Server; organiza-
tions that are predominantly based on Microsoft SQL Server will likely choose to use SQL
Server to support vCenter Server. The choice of which version of vCenter Server—Windows
Server-based or virtual appliance—will also affect this decision because the supported data-
bases are different for each version. You should choose the database engine with which you
are most familiar and that will support both the current and projected size of the virtual
infrastructure.
With regard to the hardware requirements for the database server, the underlying database
server will largely determine those requirements. VMware provides some general guidelines
around Microsoft SQL Server in the white paper “VirtualCenter Database Performance for
Microsoft SQL Server 2005,” available on VMware's website at
Although written with VirtualCenter 2.5 in mind, this information applies to newer versions of
vCenter Server as well. In a typical coni guration with standard logging levels, an SQL Server
instance with two CPU cores and 4 GB of RAM allocated to the database application should sup-
port all but the very largest or most demanding environments.
If you plan to run the database server and vCenter Server components on the same hardware,
you should adjust the hardware requirements accordingly.
