New with vSphere5 is an all new SUSE Linux-based (SLES11) virtual appliance to optionally run vCenter. The Windows-based counterpart is still available, of course. DB2 provides the embedded backend of the vCenter vApp with remote data support provided for the Oracle DBMS only, no SQL server (yet).  Despite the list of limits with this version (outlined below), the vCenter vApp is a very compelling option that introduces great simplicity and cost savings to your overall vSphere solution. The SUSE and DB2 licenses come free of charge but you will still need a vCenter license so you can save on the Windows Server and potentially SQL Server licenses. The embedded DB2 database can support up to 400 hosts or 4000 VMs provided you give the vApp enough RAM. There are currently a few important limitations of the vApp, as identified by Duncan Epping of VMware, that could make it a deal breaker for you:

• No Update Manager
• No Linked-Mode
• No support for the VSA (vSphere Storage Appliance)
• Only support for Oracle as the external database
• No support for vCenter Heartbeat

To get started you will need 3 files: the system VMDK, the data VMDK, and the OVF file. These can be downloaded from VMware under the vSphere5 components for vCenter.

Connect to an ESXi host directly via the vSphere Client and deploy the OVF template.

Review the details of the vApp then define the name and location.

Next select the disk format. You will notice that vSphere 5 has some new provisioning options here for thick disks: Lazy and Eager zeroed. Lazy zeroed has all space allocated at the time of creation, but each block is zeroed only on the first write. This reduces creation time but also reduces performance of blocks only the first time they are written to. Eager zeroed has all space allocated and zeroed at the time of creation. This increases disk creation time but also increases performance of all block writes. The eager method is more of a “true” thick provisioning in the classic sense while lazy is more of a hybrid of thick and thin.

Once all selections are made, you are off to the races. Deployment can take several minutes to complete.

By default the vCenter vApp is configured with 8GB vRAM and 2 single core vCPUs, the configuration of which is another new feature in vSphere5.

Once the VM is powered on you will come to the following console screen that details how to connect. Initial vCenter configuration is done via web browser on port 5480.

Once connected via web browser, the initial login is root\vmware.

Before you get started, accept the EULA and check for any updates to the appliance via the update tab.

There are a few additional configuration items to address before vCenter will be usable. The first of which is defining the database settings. You can choose to use the embedded DB2 database or specify an external Oracle server. Make your selection and save the settings.

Next, select the inventory size you intend to work with. As you can see in the following screenshot, a setting of “large” equates to 400 hosts or 4000 VMs and will require a minimum of 17GB of vRAM for vCenter.

With those items checked, you should now be able to start the vCenter service.

Before you leave the web configurator, it might be prudent to set a static IP and configure Active Directory integration as well. Now you should be able to connect to vCenter via the vSphere client. vCenter itself is still the familiar interface that you would expect. Functionally, besides the few missing items, there is no difference between this Linux-based vApp and its Windows counterpart. 3rd-party plugin/ addon support may vary in the vApp model.

The vApp performance overall is quite good and there is no issue moving it between hosts in its cluster. Assuming feature integration continues and the gap between this appliance and the Windows solution is narrowed, it makes sense that the vApp may one day be the only offering for vCenter. There are quite a few other things that must happen first, however, namely the View component integration requirements. There is still an awful lot in VMware’s overall product offering that relies on Windows and that OS’ integrated technologies. I definitely recommend that you give the vCenter vApp a spin and see if it is a good fit for your organization.

As we all know, vSphere5 is here and many of us are already running it in production and in our labs. I’m sure VMware wrestled with the idea of half-stepping this to rev 4.5 but ultimately decided that there was enough different it deserved a major release. Feature-wise there are only a few net new options and only at the Enterprise Plus level, but the maximum capabilities of the hypervisor have grown significantly in most key areas. ESX and its beloved console is gone now, of course, leaving ESXi as the only option. vCenter 5 is available as a Linux-based virtual appliance which many have been waiting for. The biggest change to vSphere is the licensing model which, if you follow VMware’s logic, does make some sense. So while vSphere5 does now include a vRAM entitlement, it no longer has physical host CPU or RAM limits which were imposed in previous versions. That said, I do prefer a model that leverages tiered upgrades based on feature sets, not how much of your host you intend to use. As a result, many customers may be pushed into buying Enterprise or Enterprise Plus just so they can use the RAM they have installed!

Based on the new model, vRAM entitlements are per physical CPU which equals 1 license. Standard edition will net you 32GB per physical CPU, so 64GB total in your average dual CPU server. Any more than that and you’ll be looking at a higher license tier. The interesting aspect of the new vRAM entitlements is that they pool across ESXi servers managed by the same vCenter server (or linked mode). You still need a license per physical CPU no matter what, but you might just end up with an entitlement reserve that can, in part, be used toward future servers with denser DIMMs.

In the following example I have 3 dual CPU ESXi hosts, 2 with 96GB RAM, 1 with 192GB RAM. The minimum license level I can buy (if I want to use all my RAM) is Enterprise at 2 licenses per host. This gives me a 64GB per CPU entitlement or 128GB total per host. Because my first 2 hosts only have 96GB, this leaves a spare 32GB per server. Just enough to entitle server #3 with 192GB.

Another point of interest is that there is a maximum penalty of 96GB that counts against a vRAM entitlement. So VMs configured with more than 96GB vRAM would only deplete the entitlement by the maximum amount: 96GB. If you’re planning to run vSphere for the purposes of VDI then there is a special Desktop Edition that changes the rules completely. No vRAM entitlements, Enterprise Plus feature set, and you can run all VDI related infrastructure under the same license model (SQL, XenDesktop components, View components, etc). Below is a breakdown of the different editions.

vSphere Standard, Enterprise, Enterprise Plus

• Each CPU license comes with a vRAM entitlement. These entitlements are pooled across all vSphere servers managed by vCenter (single or linked mode).
• vRAM entitlements are pooled by vSphere edition. Mixed editions in same vCenter will create multiple pools.
• No physical CPU core or RAM limits (Vi4 was limited to 12 cores max)
• Limits are honor-system based, not software limited (based on 12-month rolling average of the daily high watermark).
• Only 96GB per VM vRAM counts against entitlement. VMs configured with a max of 1TB vRAM, for example, would only reduce pool by 96GB.
• vCenter5 contains license monitoring/ alerting tools and will warn when pool is approaching or exceeding limits.
• List $5600/ 2 x CPU host
                

vSphere Desktop Edition

• New edition for VDI exclusive use.
• Unlimited vRAM entitlements.
• Enterprise Plus feature set.
• Licensed based on total number of powered on VMs which can be purchased with View bundle or in packs of 100.
• Current vSphere 4 licenses with SnS can upgrade to VS5 DE and get unlimited vRAM but VDI hosts cannot be managed by same vCenter hosting non-VDI related VMs.
• VDI management and monitoring tools are allowed in this license model (VCS, PVS, SQL, etc).
• Separate vCenter license still required.
• List $65/VM
  

References:

vSphere 5 licensing

vSphere 5 Upgrade Center