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Vsphere Essentials? vmotion/storage
Hey there
I have a very small Vsphere Essentials environment with local storage, I would LOVE it if a SAN was in their budget, but it is not. Due to a project for Bus Cont and yet needing more resources adding a second host with local storage will be required. I have more experience with larger environments with SANS.
Question I - if I add a second host, what are my options and what licensing would I need, to be able to do vmotion/storage vmotion - with two hosts each of which only has local storage (VMFS parts). So if I were to lose or have to rebuilt a host or even using HA for that matter.
I can always bring things up on the other host.
Question II
For Bus Continuity was planning on using Veeam to replicate local servers/handful of virtual desktops to cloud provider using Veeam to an ESX host that will reside at the hosting company yet be a member of the local Vsphere environment. So the main local host will just replicate delta diffs say 4x per hour possibly. If there is a catastrophic failure - users will SSL VPN, and have all server resources available, and the ability to RDP in to a virtual desktop at the hosting co to manipulate files on the replicated servers. (Thoughts/ideas)?
LICOMPGUY (Running 5.1/5.5 Essentials but can upgrade)..
Thanks!
I have a very small Vsphere Essentials environment with local storage, I would LOVE it if a SAN was in their budget, but it is not. Due to a project for Bus Cont and yet needing more resources adding a second host with local storage will be required. I have more experience with larger environments with SANS.
Question I - if I add a second host, what are my options and what licensing would I need, to be able to do vmotion/storage vmotion - with two hosts each of which only has local storage (VMFS parts). So if I were to lose or have to rebuilt a host or even using HA for that matter.
I can always bring things up on the other host.
Question II
For Bus Continuity was planning on using Veeam to replicate local servers/handful of virtual desktops to cloud provider using Veeam to an ESX host that will reside at the hosting company yet be a member of the local Vsphere environment. So the main local host will just replicate delta diffs say 4x per hour possibly. If there is a catastrophic failure - users will SSL VPN, and have all server resources available, and the ability to RDP in to a virtual desktop at the hosting co to manipulate files on the replicated servers. (Thoughts/ideas)?
LICOMPGUY (Running 5.1/5.5 Essentials but can upgrade)..
Thanks!
VMwareVirtualizationStorageVeeamAcronis
Last Comment
Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)
ASKER
Thanks for the reply. What about cold migration from local storage on one host to another?
I thought there was an upgrade path - if not can purchase a different license, but just trying to find out what my options are with getting guests off one one host (local datastore) to another.
Any experience with any lowcost, reliable, shared storage options? I dont think they want to open their wallets for a second host nevermind a SAN.
What if I just use Veeam to replicate the delta diff to the other host (depends on whether I need to buy it for two hosts. or Acronis for VMware 9?
Probably use a Ciscso SSL VPN Client to establish the P2P from home to hosted VMs then RDP. Not liking that?
Thanks!!
Stuart
I thought there was an upgrade path - if not can purchase a different license, but just trying to find out what my options are with getting guests off one one host (local datastore) to another.
Any experience with any lowcost, reliable, shared storage options? I dont think they want to open their wallets for a second host nevermind a SAN.
What if I just use Veeam to replicate the delta diff to the other host (depends on whether I need to buy it for two hosts. or Acronis for VMware 9?
Probably use a Ciscso SSL VPN Client to establish the P2P from home to hosted VMs then RDP. Not liking that?
Thanks!!
Stuart
What about cold migration from local storage on one host to another?
Yes, that will work, when the VM is OFF.
There is no upgrade path, from Essentials or Essentials Plus, you would have to check with your VMware Account Manager. Essentials are start business editions.
You can purchase any license you like, providing you may the money.
Any experience with any lowcost, reliable, shared storage options? I dont think they want to open their wallets for a second host nevermind a SAN.
Yes, many - what budget do you have ?
Veeam Backup and replication can replicate between hosts without share storage.
Probably use a Ciscso SSL VPN Client to establish the P2P from home to hosted VMs then RDP. Not liking that?- fine if you have the bandwidth.
What about "Share nothing vMotion or the Virtual Storage Appliance which takes three host local storage and presents it as block storage...
ASKER
Not familiar with Share nothing Vmotion - as for VSA - can look into it, I think it is quite costly though.
Have you any experience with either?
Thanks!
Have you any experience with either?
Thanks!
Share nothing Vmotion - It's part of VMware vSphere.
I would recommend vSAN over VSA!
I would recommend vSAN over VSA!
Do they not have vCenter?? If not and they want to use VSA they need to get vCenter
ASKER
vsphere comes with vcenter sure.
Running 5.1 Essentials
Trying to determine which is the lowest cost ver of VMware that includes share nothing vmotion, sounds like that may be a good alternative for smaller firms such as this!.
Isnt VSA VERY expensive?
Running 5.1 Essentials
Trying to determine which is the lowest cost ver of VMware that includes share nothing vmotion, sounds like that may be a good alternative for smaller firms such as this!.
Isnt VSA VERY expensive?
Enhanced vMotion (Shared Nothing vMotion) as it's been nicknamed, is available in any version that has vMotion.
So VMware vSphere Essentials Plus could be the cheapest option!
So VMware vSphere Essentials Plus could be the cheapest option!
ASKER
VMWare sales said there is an upgrade path between Essential and Essentials Plus - but they haven't been able to answer if it includes share nothing vmotion! Any one know the answer to this?
Thanks!!!
Thanks!!!
It's included in Essentials Plus.
If you scroll down to the bottom of the page in the following link, it will list was features are included in Essentials Plus..
http://www.vmware.com/products/vsphere/compare
http://www.vmware.com/products/vsphere/compare
ASKER
It doesnt specifically state it- unless I am missing it. - Andrew - are you sure?
Thanks guys!!
Thanks guys!!
Yes, vMotion is included and with ESXi 5.1 and greater vMotion supported share nothing migrations.
ASKER
BUT is share nothing vmotion included in Essentials PLUS for small environments?
Shared Nothing vMotion, which is a nick name which has been give to it, is what is called Enhanced vMotion.
This is a feature of vMotion, which was one of the newer features added in 5.1 and later. vMotion is uncluded with Essentials Plus.
see here
Hold on, you are mentioning Storage vMotion, but I have Essential Plus license, do I need to upgrade to Standard?
To be honest I try to keep away from the licensing debate as far as I can, but this seems to be the most popular question. If you have an Essential Plus license you can leverage all these enhancements of vMotion in vSphere 5.1. You are not required to use a standard license if you are going to migrate to a shared storage destination datastore. For any other licensing question or remark, please contact your local VMware SE / account manager.
Source
http://frankdenneman.nl/2012/09/07/vsphere-5-1-vmotion-deepdive/
also here
http://www.vladan.fr/vmware-enhanced-vmotion/
This is a feature of vMotion, which was one of the newer features added in 5.1 and later. vMotion is uncluded with Essentials Plus.
see here
Hold on, you are mentioning Storage vMotion, but I have Essential Plus license, do I need to upgrade to Standard?
To be honest I try to keep away from the licensing debate as far as I can, but this seems to be the most popular question. If you have an Essential Plus license you can leverage all these enhancements of vMotion in vSphere 5.1. You are not required to use a standard license if you are going to migrate to a shared storage destination datastore. For any other licensing question or remark, please contact your local VMware SE / account manager.
Source
http://frankdenneman.nl/2012/09/07/vsphere-5-1-vmotion-deepdive/
also here
http://www.vladan.fr/vmware-enhanced-vmotion/
Sorry have a bad habit of calling it Share Nothing Migration still..... ;-)
ASKER
Hey there
I think it is me actually and not you.
They have Essentials - I would MOVE them to Essentials plus if it can do this - so the answer in Essentials Plus is........
I think it is me actually and not you.
They have Essentials - I would MOVE them to Essentials plus if it can do this - so the answer in Essentials Plus is........
Yes Essentials Plus will do vMotion with and without shared storage..
http://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/09/vmotion-without-shared-storage-requirement-does-it-have-a-name.html
vMotion without the shared storage requirement is available in all kits and edition that have vMotion included. This means, if you are using vMotion today, the moment you upgrade to vSphere 5.1, you can migrate virtual machines between hosts without the need of shared storage and without any downtime.
http://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/09/vmotion-without-shared-storage-requirement-does-it-have-a-name.html
vMotion without the shared storage requirement is available in all kits and edition that have vMotion included. This means, if you are using vMotion today, the moment you upgrade to vSphere 5.1, you can migrate virtual machines between hosts without the need of shared storage and without any downtime.
ASKER
Cool - thank you!!!!
Essentials however will not - correct?
Thanks again - have a great day!
Essentials however will not - correct?
Thanks again - have a great day!
Yes correct.
You need Essentials Plus
You need Essentials Plus
ASKER
Thanks so much for your time with this - super helpful info!!
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VMware vSphere essentials has no upgrade path, the last time we looked, and therefore you would need to purchase vCenter Server Standard, vSphere Standard
Q1. vCenter Server Standard & vSphere Standard
http://www.vmware.com/uk/products/vsphere/compare
Q2. Yes, this is possible. Depends on the applications, and bandwidth, as RDP is not the best connection protocol.