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Configuring a Host
Configuring a Host
From the Configuration tab, you can view and modify the configuration options of an ESX
Server host’s hardware and software.
The following topics describe how to configure specific hardware and software options:
• Configuring Storage Options
• Using the Datastore Browser
• Viewing Networks
• Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups
• Configuring Processors
• Configuring Memory
• Storage Adapters
• Network Adapters
• Time Configuration
• Configuring Licensed Features
• Configuring DNS and Routing
• Configuring Options for Virtual Machines Associated with the Host
• Security Profile
• Editing System Resource Allocation
• Modifying Advanced Settings for VMkernel Configuration Parameters
• Monitoring Host Health Status
• Connecting or Disconnecting a Host
• Removing Hosts
• Configuring VMotion Technology on an ESX Server 2.x Host
6. Click Next.
7. Review the options you entered.
Make any changes to the appropriate page.
8. Click Finish.
3. Click Storage.
4. In the Storage list, right-click a datastore and choose Properties.
5. Click Add Extent.
6. On the Extent Device page, select the disk to add as the new extent and click Next.
7. Review the current layout of the disk you are using for the extent to make sure the disk
doesn’t contain important information.
If a disk or partition you add was formatted previously, it will be reformatted and lose
the file systems and any data it contained.
8. Click Next.
9. On the Extent Size page, set the capacity for the extent.
By default, the entire free space available on the storage device is offered to you.
10. Click Next.
11. Review the proposed extent layout and the new configuration of your datastore and click
Finish.
Upgrading Datastores
ESX Server 3 includes VMFS version 3 (VMFS-3). If your datastore was formatted with VMFS-
2, you can only read files stored on VMFS-2, but you cannot use them. To use the files,
upgrade VMFS-2 to VMFS-3.
When you upgrade VMFS-2 to VMFS-3, the ESX Server file-locking mechanism ensures that
no remote ESX Server or local process is accessing the VMFS volume being converted. ESX
Server preserves all files on the datastore.
As a precaution, before you usethe upgrade option, consider the following items:
• Back up the VMFS-2 volume to upgrade.
• Be sure no powered-on virtual machines are using this VMFS-2 volume.
• Be sure no other ESX Server host is accessing this VMFS-2 volume.
• Be sure this VMFS-2 volume is not mounted on any other ESX Server host.
Caution: The VMFS-2 to VMFS-3 conversion is a one-way process. After converting the
VMFS-based datastore to VMFS-3, you cannot revert it back to VMFS-2.
To upgrade the VMFS-2 to VMFS-3
1. Select a server from the inventory panel.
2. Click the Configuration tab and click Storage.
3. Click the datastore that uses the VMFS-2 format.
4. Click Upgrade to VMFS-3.
Use the Datastore Browser to manage the contents of datastores in the VI Client inventory.
You can use the Datastore Browser to do the following:
• View or search the contents of a datastore.
• Add to the VI Client inventory a virtual machine or template stored on a datastore.
• Copy or move files from one location to another, including to another datastore.
• Upload a file from the client computer to a datastore.
• Download a file from a datastore to the client computer.
• Delete or rename files on a datastore.
The Datastore Browser operates in a manner similar to file system applications like Windows
Explorer. It supports many common file system operations, including copying, cutting, and
pasting files.
Conditions
Searching a Datastore
You can use the Datastore Browser to search a datastore.
To search a datastore
1. Right-click the datastore you want to search and choose Browse Datastore.
The panel on the right side of the dialog box displays the file system on the datastore.
2. Click the Search tab.
3. In the Search for files of type drop-down list, select the type of files to search for.
If you search for Files and Folders, ISO images and disk files appear as the type File. If
you search specifically for ISO Images or disk files, they appear as the appropriate type.
4. In the File or folder name text box, enter all or part of the filename to search for.
5. Click Search Now.
The search results appear in the right pane of the Datastore Browser.
Configuring a Host : Using the Datastore Browser : Adding a Virtual Machine or Template to Inventory
Moving Files
You can use the Datastore Browser to move files to a new location, either on the same
datastore or on a different datastore.
Note: Virtual disk files are moved or copied as-is, without format conversion. If you move a
virtual disk to a datastore on a different type of host from the source host, you might need to
convert the virtual disks before you can use them.
To move a file
1. Right-click the source datastore and choose Browse Datastore.
2. Browse to and select the file to move.
3. Click the Move To button on the Datastore Browser toolbar.
4. Browse to and select the destination location and click Move.
Copying Files
You can use the Datastore Browser to copy files to a new location, either on the same
datastore or on a different datastore.
Note: Virtual disk files are moved or copied as-is, without format conversion. If you move a
virtual disk to a datastore on a different type of host from the source host, you might need to
Uploading Files
You can use the Datastore Browser to upload a file from the VI Client machine to a datastore
in the VI Client inventory.
Note: If you upload a disk file, VirtualCenter does not recognize it as a disk.
To upload a file
1. Right-click the destination datastore and choose Browse Datastore.
2. Browse to the location to upload the file to.
3. Click the Upload icon in the Datastore Browser toolbar.
4. Navigate to and select the item to upload.
5. Click Upload.
A progress indicator displays the progress of the upload tasks.
Downloading Files
You can use the Datastore Browser to download files from a datastore to the VI Client
machine.
If you download a disk file, the VI Client downloads all the files associated with that disk,
such as additional extents.
To download a file
1. Right-click the source datastore and choose Browse Datastore.
2. Browse to and select the file to download.
3. Click the Download icon in the Datastore Browser toolbar.
4. Navigate to and select the location to download the file to.
5. Click Download.
A progress indicator displays the progress of the download task.
Renaming Files
You can use the Datastore Browser to rename a file.
To rename a file
1. Double-click the file in the Datastore Browser.
The filename is highlighted and becomes editable.
2. Type the new filename and press Enter.
Deleting Files
You can use the Datastore Browser to delete files.
Caution: VMware recommends that you do not delete virtual machine files with the Delete
from Disk command, because it can break the virtual machine configuration. Use the Virtual
Machine Properties editor (right-click the virtual machine in the inventory panel and choose
Edit Settings) to make configuration changes.
To delete a file
1. In the Datastore Browser window, select the file to delete.
2. Click the Delete icon in the Datastore Browser toolbar.
Viewing Networks
The Network option in the Inventory navigation button menu displays the list of available
networks.
Conditions
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Using the Add Network Wizard
For more information about how to add a virtual switch or port group, see one of the
following:
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Using the vSwitch Properties Dialog Box -
Ports Tab
For more information about the task you want to perform, see one of the following:
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Using the Network Adapters Tab of the
vSwitch Properties Dialog Box
For more information about the task you want to perform, see one of the following:
• Adding a Network Adapter
• Removing a Network Adapter
• Editing the Network Adapter Speed
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Using the vSwitch/Port Group Properties
Dialog Box
For more information about the task you want to perform, see one of the following:
• Editing the Number of Ports for a Virtual Switch
• Editing Security Policy for a Virtual Switch
• Editing the Traffic Shaping Policy for a Virtual Switch
• Editing Failover and Load Balancing Policy for a Virtual Switch
• Editing Service Console Properties
• Editing the Nework Label and VLAN ID for a Port Group
• Overriding Policies for a Port Group
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Adding a Virtual Switch
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Removing a Virtual Switch
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Editing the Number of Ports for a Virtual
Switch
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Editing Security Policy for a Virtual Switch
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Editing the Traffic Shaping Policy for a
Virtual Switch
If the queue is full, the packets are dropped. When you specify values for these two
characteristics, you indicate what you expect the vSwitch to handle during normal
operation.
• Peak Bandwidth is the maximum bandwidth the vSwitch can absorb without dropping
packets. If traffic exceeds the peak bandwidth that you establish, excess packets are
queued for later transmission after traffic on the connection returns to the average and
there is enough capacity to handle the queued packets. If the queue is full, the packets
are dropped. Even if you have spare bandwidth because the connection was idle, the
peak bandwidth parameter limits transmission to no more than peak until traffic returns
to the allowed average load.
To edit the Traffic Shaping policy
1. Log in to the VI Client and select the server from the inventory panel.
2. Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.
3. Select a vSwitch and click Properties.
4. Click the Ports tab.
5. Select the vSwitch and click Edit.
6. Click the Traffic Shaping tab.
When traffic shaping is disabled, the tunable features are dimmed. You can selectively
override all traffic-shaping features at the port group level if traffic shaping is enabled.
The Status policy here is applied to each virtual adapter attached to the port group, not to
the vSwitch as a whole.
• Status – If you enable the policy exception in the Status field, you set limits on the
amount of networking bandwidth allocation for each virtual adapter associated with this
particular port group. If you disable the policy, services have a clear connection to the
physical network by default.
The following fields define network traffic parameters:
• Average Bandwidth – A value measured over a particular period of time.
• Peak Bandwidth – A value that is the maximum bandwidth allowed and that can never
be smaller than average bandwidth. This parameter limits the maximum bandwidth
during a burst.
• Burst Size – A value specifying how large a burst can be in kilobytes (KB). This
parameter controls the amount of data that can be sent in one burst while exceeding the
average rate.
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Editing Failover and Load Balancing
Policy for a Virtual Switch
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Preparing To Modify the Service Console
Connection
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Editing Service Console Properties
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Adding a Port Group
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Removing a Port Group
Name>?”
6. Click Yes.
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Editing the Nework Label and VLAN ID
for a Port Group
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Overriding Policies for a Port Group
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Adding a Network Adapter
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Removing a Network Adapter
Configuring a Host : Configuring Virtual Switches and Port Groups : Editing the Network Adapter Speed
Configuring Processors
The host Processors panel displays information about the processors associated with the
host.
Conditions
Enabling Hyperthreading
Hyperthreading technology allows a single physical processor to behave like two logical
processors in that they can run two independent applications at the same time.
In the Processors Properties dialog box, select the Enabled check box to enable
hyperthreading. Deselect the check box to disable hyperthreading.
For more information on hyperthreading, see the Resource Management Guide.
Conditions
Configuring a Host : Configuring Processors : Configuring the Boot Device on an ESX Server 3i Host
Configuring Memory
The host Memory panel displays the following information about memory on the host.
Conditions
Storage Adapters
Under Storage Adapters, the following information about host storage adapters is available.
To scan the host for storage adapters and VMFS file systems, click Rescan. See Scanning for
Storage Adapters and VMFS File Systems.
Conditions
iSCSI Properties
The information in the following table includes the topics, subtopics, and procedures that
describe how to configure iSCSI properties.
Discovery Methods
iSCSI Security
Dynamic Discovery
CHAP Authentication
CHAP Authentication
Conditions
iSCSI Initiators
To access remote targets, your ESX Server host uses iSCSI initiators. Initiators transport
SCSI requests and responses between the ESX Server system and the target storage device
on the IP network.
ESX Server supports hardware-based and software-based iSCSI initiators:
• A hardware iSCSI initiator lets you use a third-party host bus adapter (HBA) with the
iSCSI over TCP/IP capability. This specialized iSCSI adapter is responsible for all iSCSI
processing and management. The iSCSI adapter exposes itself as a SCSI HBA to the
guest operating system.
• The ESX Server software iSCSI initiator, which is built into VMkernel, allows your ESX
Server system to connect to the iSCSI storage device through the standard network
adapter. The software initiator handles the iSCSI processing while communicating with
the network adapter through the network stack. The software initiator lets you use the
iSCSI technology without having to purchase specialized hardware.
Guest operating systems in virtual machines cannot access iSCSI HBAs directly. Guest
operating systems can access virtual SCSI drives, which ESX Server maps over iSCSI.
This release does not support using both the hardware and software iSCSI initiators on the
same ESX Server system. Use the software initiator only when iSCSI traffic goes over
standard network adapters, not when the specialized iSCSI adapters are used.
Naming Requirements
All iSCSI initiators and targets that use the network have unique and permanent iSCSI names
and are assigned addresses for access. The iSCSI name provides a correct identification of a
particular iSCSI device, an initiator or a target, regardless of its physical location.
Use one of the following name formats for the initiators.
Example: iqn.1998-01.com.mycompany.myserve
Discovery Methods
To determine which storage resource on the network is available for access, the iSCSI
initiators that the ESX Server system supports use these discovery methods.
• Dynamic Discovery – The initiator discovers iSCSI targets by sending a SendTargets
request to a specified target address. You enter the address of the target device so that
the initiator can establish a discovery session with this target. The target device
responds by forwarding a list of additional targets that the initiator is allowed to access.
• Static Discovery – For hardware-initiated storage: After the target device used in the
SendTargets session sends you the list of additional available targets, they appear on the
Static Discovery list. You can manually add any additional targets to this list, or remove
targets you don’t need.
The static discovery method is available only with the hardware-initiated storage.
iSCSI Security
Because iSCSI technology uses the Internet to connect to remote targets, you mustensure
the security of the connection. The IP protocol itself does not protect the data it transports,
and it cannot verify the legitimacy of initiators that access targets on the network. Therefore,
you need to take specific measures to guarantee security across IP networks.
ESX Server supports the Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) that your
iSCSI initiators can use for authentication purposes. After your initiator establishes the initial
connection with the target, CHAP verifies the identity of the initiator and checks a CHAP
secret that your initiator and the target share. This can be repeated periodically during the
iSCSI session.
When configuring iSCSI initiators for your ESX Server system, make sure that CHAP is
enabled. For more information about SCSI security, see the Server Configuration Guide
(choose Help > Manuals).
Install and configure the iSCSI hardware adapter before you set up the datastore that resides
on an iSCSI storage device. For information on the datastore, see Creating a Datastore or
Partition.
Use the following instructions when preparing and setting up datastores that you access
through the iSCSI hardware connection:
• Installing an iSCSI Hardware Initiator
• Viewing an iSCSI Hardware Initiator
• Configuring an iSCSI Hardware Initiator
To configure the iSCSI hardware initiator, set up the initiator’s iSCSI name, IP address,
target addresses and CHAP parameters. See the following sections:
• Setting up the iSCSI name and IP address for the hardware initiator
• Dynamic Discovery
• CHAP Authentication
After you configure your iSCSI hardware initiator, rescan, so that all LUNs that the initiator
has access to appear on the list of storage devices available to your ESX Server. See
Scanning for Storage Adapters and VMFS File Systems.
Setting up the iSCSI name and IP address for the hardware initiator
You can configure the iSCSI name and addrewss for a hardware initiator.
Conditions
To set up the iSCSI name and IP address for the hardware initiator
1. In the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box, click Configure.
2. To change the default iSCSI name for your initiator, enter the new name.
Make sure the name you enter is properly formatted; otherwise, some storage devices
might not recognize the iSCSI hardware initiator. See Naming Requirements.
3. Enter the iSCSI alias.
The alias is a name that you use to identify the iSCSI hardware initiator.
4. Type values for the following settings:
• IP Address
• Subnet Mask
• Default Gateway
• Preferred DNS Server
• (Optional) Alternate DNS server
5. Click OK.
Dynamic Discovery
Use the Dynamic Discovery tab to set up target discovery addresses.
Conditions
Add.
(Continued in Dynamic Discovery – Add or Edit)
Static Discovery
(Continued from Dynamic Discovery – Add or Edit)
Conditions
5. Click the Static Discovery tab to display all dynamically discovered targets.
6. For the hardware initiator only: To add a target accessible to your ESX Server host, click
Add and enter the target’s information.
7. To change or delete a specific dynamically discovered target, select the target and click
Edit or Remove.
If you remove a dynamically discovered static target, the target can be returned to the
list the next time a rescan occurs, the HBA is reset, or the system is rebooted.
CHAP Authentication
This topic discusses how to set up the CHAP parameters for the hardware or software
initiator.
Conditions
Configuring a Host : Storage Adapters : Scanning for Storage Adapters and VMFS File Systems
To perform a rescan
Network Adapters
The host Network Adapters panel displays the following information about network
adapters on the host:.
Conditions
Time Configuration
The Time Configuration panel displays the following information about the date and time
on the host:
Location host.
Conditions
The License Sources section displays the license source currently used by the host.
Available options include:
The ESX Server Edition section displays the edition name of the host license, the number of
CPUs the license covers, and the features for this license type.
The Add-Ons section displays the add-ons licensed on this host.
For information about licensing for ESX Server 3, see the Installation Guide. For information
about licensing for ESX Server 3i, see the Setup Guide. (Choose Help > Manuals.)
privileges:
You must manually select the check boxes for add-on licenses such as those for VMware
Consolidated Backup and VMotion in order for these licenses to be acquired.
Add-on licenses such as those for VC Management Agents, VMware DRS, and VMware HA are
implicitly acquired when hosts are added to the VirtualCenter inventory or to a DRS/HA-
enabled cluster.
For more information about licensing on ESX Server 3 hosts, see the Installation Guide. For
more information about licensing on ESX Server 3i hosts, see the Setup Guide. (Choose Help
> Manuals.)
DNS Configuration
On the DNS Configuration tab, the name of the host is entered into the name field by
default. The preferred DNS server addresses are preselected, as is the domain.
Conditions
Routing Configuration
On the Routing tab, the service console and the VMkernel are often not connected to the
same network, and therefore each needs its own gateway information. A gateway is needed
for connectivity to machines not on the same IP subnet as the service console or VMkernel.
For the service console, the gateway device is needed only when you have two or more
vswifs using the same subnet. The gateway device is needed to decide which vswif is used
for the default route.
Because ESX Server 3i does not have a service console, these settings do not apply to ESX
Server 3i hosts.
Conditions
Configuring a Host : Configuring Options for Virtual Machines Associated with the Host
Configuring a Host : Configuring Options for Virtual Machines Associated with the Host : Configuring Virtual
Machine Startup and Shutdown Properties
Configuring a Host : Configuring Options for Virtual Machines Associated with the Host : Configuring Virtual
Machine Autostart Settings
Configuring a Host : Configuring Options for Virtual Machines Associated with the Host : Configuring Virtual
Machine Swapfile Properties for the Host
By default, swapfiles for a virtual machine are located on a VMFS3 datastore in the folder
that contains the other virtual machine files. However, you can instead configure your host to
place virtual machine swapfiles on an alternative datastore. You might use this option to
place virtual machine swapfiles on lower-cost or higher-performance storage, depending on
your needs. You can also override this host-level setting for individual virtual machines.
Setting an alternative swapfile location might cause migrations with VMotion to complete
more slowly. For best VMotion performance, store virtual machine swapfiles in the same
directory as the virtual machine.
To configure a host’s default virtual machine swapfile location
1. Click the Inventory button in the navigation bar, expand the inventory as needed, and
click the appropriate managed host.
2. Click the Configuration tab to display configuration information for the host.
3. Click the Virtual Machine Swapfile Location link.
The Configuration tab displays the selected swapfile location. If configuration of the
swapfile location is not supported on the selected host, the tab indicates that the feature
is not supported.
If the host is part of a cluster, and the cluster settings specify that swapfiles are to be
stored in the same directory as the virtual machine, you cannot edit the swapfile location
from the host configuration tab. To change the swapfile location for such a host, use the
Cluster Settings dialog box. See Configuring a Virtual Machine Swapfile Location for a
Cluster.
4. Click Edit.
5. Select either Store the swapfile in the same directory as the virtual machine or
Store the swapfile in a swapfile datastore selected below.
6. If you selected Store the swapfile in a swapfile datastore selected below, select a
datastore from the list, and click OK.
Security Profile
From the host Security Profile panel, you can configure firewall properties and virtual
machine delegate settings for this host.
Conditions
For more information about security profiles, see the Server Configuration Guide (choose
Help > Manuals).
In this dialog box, select the check boxes for the services and agents to enable. The
Incoming Ports and Outgoing Ports columns indicates the port or ports that VirtualCenter
opens for the service, and the Protocol column indicates the protocol the service uses.
ESX Server 3i hosts do not have a service console firewall to configure. The Incoming Ports
and Outgoing Ports columns do not appear. However, you can still use this dialog box to
select the services and agents to enable for the ESX Server 3i host.
By default, daemon processes start when any of their ports are opened and stop when all of
their ports are closed. To change the startup policy for a daemon, see Setting Service or
Client Startup Options.
When you configure an ESX Server host, various system parameters are assigned
predetermined values. These parameters control settings for memory, the processor, and
networking, for example, and affect the running of virtual machines. You can view these
settings from the management interface. Changing these values can help fine-tune the
running of virtual machines.
Changes to the VMkernel.Boot parameters do not take effect until the next reboot.
Caution: Do not make any changes to these settings unless you are working with the
VMware support team or otherwise have thorough information about the values to provide for
the settings. There is no error checking for strings. String fields accept any input, correct or
incorrect. Check your entries before you click OK.
Default values are stored on the server in /proc/vmware/config. You can reset those values if
you accidentally change them.
All ESX Server hosts run a syslog service (syslogd), which logs messages from the VMkernel
and other system components to a file. On an ESX Server 3 host, you can configure syslog
behavior by editing the /etc/syslog.conf file. On an ESX Server 3i host, you can use the VI
Client or the Remote CLI to configure the following options:
• Log file path – Specifies a datastore path to a file in which syslogd logs all messages.
• Remote host – Specifies a remote host to which syslog messages are forwarded. You can
also specify the port on which the remote host receives messages.
To configure syslogd on an ESX Server 3i host
1. Select the host in the VI Client inventory.
2. Click the Configuration tab.
3. Click Advanced Settings.
4. Select Syslog in the tree control.
5. In the Syslog.Local.DatastorePath text box, enter the datastore path for the file to
which syslog will log messages.
The datastore path should be of the form [<datastorename>] </path/to/file>, where the
path is relative to the root of the volume backing the datastore. For example, the
datastore path [storage1] var/log/messages maps to the
path /vmfs/volumes/storage1/var/log/messages.
If no path is specified, the default path is /var/log/messages.
6. In the Syslog.Remote.Hostname text box, enter the name of the remote host to which
syslog data will be forwarded.
If no value is specified, no forwarding takes place.
To receive the forwarded syslog messages, your remote host must have a syslog service
installed and correctly configured. Consult the documentation for the syslog service
installed on your remote host for information on configuration.
7. In the Syslog.Remote.Port text box, enter the port on the remote host to which syslog
data will be forwarded.
By default, this option is set to 514, which is the default UDP port that syslog uses.
Changes to this option take effect only if Syslog.Remote.Hostname is configured.
8. Click OK.
Changes to the syslog options take effect immediately.
You can set an alarm to trigger based on the overall health status of the host. For more
information, see Creating and Editing Alarms.
Resetting Sensors
Some host hardware sensors display data that is cumulative over time. You can reset these
sensors to clear the data in them and begin collecting new data.
To reset sensors
1. On the host Configuration tab, click Health Status.
2. Click Reset Sensors.
Configuring a Host : Monitoring Host Health Status : Refreshing Health Status Data
Disconnecting a managed host does not remove it from the VirtualCenter inventory. It
temporarily suspends all VirtualCenter monitoring activities. The managed host and its
associated virtual machines remain in the VirtualCenter inventory. Removing a managed host
removes the managed host and all its associated virtual machines from the VirtualCenter
inventory.
To connect to a managed host
1. Click the Inventory button in the navigation bar, expand the inventory as needed, and
click the managed host.
2. If needed, add the managed host to the VirtualCenter inventory (see Adding a Host).
3. Right-click the managed host icon in the inventory panel and choose Connect.
When the managed host's connection status to VirtualCenter is changed, the statuses of the
virtual machines on that managed host are updated to reflect the change.
When the managed host is connected, the disconnected designation is removed and the
object name is in bold. All associated virtual machines are similarly labeled.
To disconnect a managed host
1. Click the Inventory button in the navigation bar, expand the inventory as needed, and
click the managed host.
2. If needed, add the managed host to the VirtualCenter inventory (see Adding a Host).
3. Right-click the managed host icon in the inventory panel and choose Disconnect.
4. Click Yes.
When the managed host's connection status to VirtualCenter is changed, the statuses of the
virtual machines on that managed host are updated to reflect the change.
When the managed host is disconnected, the word disconnected is appended to the object
name in parentheses, and the object is dimmed. All associated virtual machines are similarly
dimmed and labeled.
Removing Hosts
You can remove hosts from a cluster or from VirtualCenter.
Related Topics:
Removing a Host from a Cluster
Removing a Host from VirtualCenter
To reach this dialog box: Host object > right-click > Connect
| Remove
When a host is removed from a cluster, the resources it provides are deducted from the total
cluster resources, and the virtual machines deployed on it are either to be migrated to other
hosts within the cluster or remain with the host and are removed from the cluster, depending
on their current state.
A host can be removed from a cluster only if all the virtual machines on it are powered off
and the host is placed into maintenance mode.
To remove a host from a cluster
1. From a VI Client connected to a VirtualCenter Server, click the Inventory button in the
navigation bar, expand the inventory as needed, and click the managed host.
2. Right-click the managed host icon in the inventory panel and choose Enter
Maintenance Mode.
What happens next depends on the type of cluster:
• Automatic DRS clusters: DRS migrates all virtual machines to a different host.
• Partially Automatic or Manual DRS clusters: DRS displays five-star
recommendations for each running virtual machine to be moved to a different host.
When you accept the recommendations, the virtual machines are migrated.
• Clusters not enabled for DRS: You must power off or migrate all running virtual
machines.
3. If necessary (if the cluster is not enabled for DRS), power off all virtual machines on the
host or migrate them.
4. Click Yes.
The term maintenance mode is added to the host name in parentheses.
When the host has no running virtual machines, it is in maintenance mode.
5. Move the host to another cluster or another datacenter:
a. Select the host icon in the inventory panel.
b. Drag the host icon to the new location. A blue box surrounds the cluster or datacenter
name.
c. Release the mouse to move the host.
6. Right-click the host, and choose Exit Maintenance Mode to remove the maintenance
mode on the host.
7. Restart any virtual machines, as needed.
and managing functions of that managed host and of all the virtual machines on that
managed host. The managed host and its associated virtual machines are removed from the
inventory. Historical data remains in the VirtualCenter database.
If possible, remove managed hosts while they are connected. Removing a disconnected
managed host does not remove the VirtualCenter agent from the managed host.
Disconnecting a managed host does not remove it from VirtualCenter. It temporarily
suspends all VirtualCenter monitoring activities. The managed host and its associated virtual
machines remain in the VirtualCenter inventory.
Removing a managed host from VirtualCenter does not remove the virtual machines from the
managed host or datastore. It removes only VirtualCenter's access to the managed host and
virtual machines on that managed host.
To remove a managed host
1. Click the Inventory button in the navigation bar, expand the inventory as needed, and
click the appropriate managed host.
2. To remove the VirtualCenter agent from the managed host, ensure that the managed
host is in a connected state.
3. Right-click the managed host icon in the inventory panel and choose Remove.
4. Click Yes to confirm that you want to remove the managed host and all its associated
virtual machines.
• VirtualCenter removes the managed host and associated virtual machines from the
VirtualCenter environment.
• VirtualCenter returns all associated processor and migration licenses to Available
status.