Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Protecting the vCenter Database
For high availability of the database server supporting vCenter Server, you can coni gure the
backend database on a cluster. Figure 3.5 illustrates using an SQL Server cluster for the backend
database. This i gure also shows a standby vCenter Server system. Methods used to provide
high availability for the database server are in addition to whatever steps you might take to pro-
tect vCenter Server itself. Other options might include using SQL log shipping to create a data-
base replica on a separate system. If using clustering or log shipping/database replication is not
available or is not within i scal reach, you should strengthen your database backup strategy to
support easy recovery in the event of data loss or corruption. Using the native SQL Server tools,
you can create a backup strategy that combines full, differential, and transaction log backups.
This strategy allows you to restore data up to the minute when the loss or corruption occurred.
Figure 3.5
A good disaster
recovery plan for
vCenter Server
should include a
quick means of
regaining the user
interface as well as
ensuring that the
data is highly avail-
able and protected
against damage.
Standby
vCenter Server
vCenter Server
Database node
Database node
Database cluster
The suggestion of using a VM as a standby system for a physical computer running vCenter
Server naturally brings us to the last topic: Should you run vCenter Server in a VM? That's quite
a question, and it's one that we'll answer next.
Running vCenter Server and Its Components as VMs
You certainly have the option of skipping a physical server entirely and running vCenter Server
and its components as a VM or even multiple VMs. This gives you several advantages, including
snapshots, clones, vMotion, vSphere HA, and vSphere DRS.
Snapshots are a feature we'll discuss in detail in Chapter 9. At a high level, snapshot func-
tionality lets you return to a specii c point in time for your VM, in this case, your vCenter Server
VM. vMotion gives you the portability to move the server from host to host without experienc-
ing server downtime. But what happens when a snapshot is corrupted or the VM is damaged to
the point it will not run? With vCenter Server as your VM, you can make regular copies of the
virtual disk i le and keep a “clone” of the server ready to go in the event of server failure. The
clone will have the same system coni guration used the last time the virtual disks were copied.
Given that the bulk of the data processing by vCenter Server ends up in a backend database
