Chapter 2. Designing VMware ESXi Host, Cluster, and vCenter

The core elements that are responsible for the success of virtualizing our datacenter start with accurate design of ESXi and vCenter. VMware ESXi is a host OS, installed on bare metal, which is a driving factor for virtual datacenters and the cloud. VMware's ESXi hypervisors have changed a lot over the years, and the foundation of the enterprise contribution has undergone a structured transition phase.

There are a plenty of implementation options for ESXi deployment that tell us about product growth and maturity. We'll compare the choices, looking at the returns from each implementation to decide which one will be more suitable for different environments. An enterprise can now rollout ESXi in a straightforward manner and manage it constantly with policy management. In this chapter, we'll discuss the essential configurations that are required in VMware vSphere design and how to effectively design the management layer. The heart of any moral vSphere infrastructure is a strong ESXi design.

In this chapter, you will learn about the following topics:

• Design essentials for ESXi
• Designing ESXi
• Design configurations for ESXi
• Design considerations for ESXi with industry inputs
• Design essentials for upgrading ESXi
• Design essentials for migrating ESXi
• Designing essentials for the management layer
• Design decisions for the management layer
• Design considerations for the management layer with industry inputs