Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Confi guring the vCenter Server Backend Database Server
As noted previously, vCenter Server stores the majority of its information in a backend database,
usually using a separate database server. It's important to realize that the backend database is
a key component to this infrastructure. The backend database server should be designed and
deployed accordingly. Without the backend database, you will i nd yourself rebuilding an entire
infrastructure.
vCenter Server Business Continuity
Losing the server that runs vCenter Server might result in a small period of downtime; however,
losing the backend database to vCenter Server could result in days of downtime and extended
periods of rebuilding.
On the backend database server, vCenter Server require specii c permissions on their data-
bases. After the database is created and coni gured appropriately, connecting vCenter Server to
it requires that an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) data source name (DSN) be created on
the vCenter Server system. The ODBC DSN should be created under the context of a database
user who has full rights and permissions to the database that has been created specii cally for
storing vCenter Server data.
In the following sections, we'll take a closer look at working with the two possible database
servers used in conjunction with vCenter Server: Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server.
Working with Oracle Databases
Perhaps because Microsoft SQL Server was designed as a Windows-based application, like
vCenter Server, working with Oracle as the backend database server involves a bit more effort
than using Microsoft SQL Server.
To use Oracle 10 g or 11 g , you need to install Oracle and create a database for vCenter Server
to use. Although it is supported to run Oracle on the same computer as vCenter Server, it is
not a coni guration we recommend. Still, in the event that you have valid business reasons for
doing so, we'll walk you through the steps for coni guring Oracle to support vCenter Server
both locally (on the same computer as vCenter Server) and remotely (on a different computer
than vCenter Server). If you are deploying the vCenter Server virtual appliance, then only the
remote Oracle coni guration applies. Both of these sets of instructions assume that you have
already created the database you are going to use.
Special Patches Needed for Oracle g Release
For Oracle 10 g Release 2, you must apply patch 10.2.0.4 to both the client and the Oracle database
server in order to support vCenter Server.
 
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