vCenter 5.5 appliance

Has anybody given any thought to deploying the new appliance. I like how it can handle a larger environment.

vCenter Server Appliance
The popularity of vCenter Server Appliance has grown over the course of its previous releases. Although it offers
matched functionality to the installable vCenter Server version on Windows, administrators have found its
widespread adoption prospects to be limited. One area of concern has been the embedded database that has
previously been targeted for small datacenter environments. With the release of vSphere 5.5, vCenter Server
Appliance now uses a reengineered, embedded vPostgres database that can now support as many as 500
vSphere hosts or 5,000 virtual machines. With new scalability maximums and simplified vCenter Server
deployment and management, vCenter Server Appliance offers an attractive alternative to the Windows version
of vCenter Server.

https://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vsphere/VMware-vSphere-Platform-Whats-New.pdf

Wanted to get other opinions on deploying this guy.

Thanks,
azjag

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Comments

fluk3d

This would be definitely something I would look into deploying into my environment with the new configuration maximums it makes rolling out vCenter a breeze.

QHalo

Still can't run VUM. So you can't get rid of that Windows server just yet. If I have to keep the Windows machine, might as well just keep deploying the Windows vCenter. I will admit it's getting much closer.

blargoe

QHalo wrote: »

Still can't run VUM. So you can't get rid of that Windows server just yet. If I have to keep the Windows machine, might as well just keep deploying the Windows vCenter. I will admit it's getting much closer.

I'm going to agree with this. As long as I have to run Windows, I'll stick with the more familiar configuration. If they can bundle VUM or create a VUM appliance, then I would probably switch.

TheProf

VUM can still be deployed, but it would need to be deployed on another Windows VM and still work with vCSA 5.5.

The advantages are the much needed increase in the quantity of VMs and hosts that it supports. However the disadvantages are:

1. No support for third party plugins (hopefully this will be available soon)
2. No support for vCenter heart beat (don't know if many people use this feature, perhaps in large environments)
3. No support for Linked-Mode (useful feature depending on your environment)

Right now as it stands, it won't be a fit for all environments that's why it's good to know what the limitations are. I am thinking that the future of vCenter is going to be the appliance, would be a more cost effective solution without having to worry about Windows or SQL Server licenses.

QHalo

Linked-Mode still not supported kills it for me as well. Requires ADAM/AD LDS so it's not surprising that they can't do it with a linux appliance. I need two vCenters for SRM, which to use my SRA requires another vCenter anyway since SRM 5.5 without vCenter means you have to use their replication and not my storage devices'. Again, a step forward but is way too limited for many customers I'd think.

astorrs

Ivo wrote a good pros/cons post a few days ago: Is the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) 5.5 a replacement for the Windows vCenter Server? | www.ivobeerens.nlwww.ivobeerens.nl

jibbajabba

Big question - when is it available to download

azjag

You can sign up for the Beta test. I don't know when it will be available for everybody.

googol

We were excited about possibly deploying this in our new site, but we read your site (found via google, small world heh) and discovered, yep. No Linked-Mode support which makes sense unfortunately. We are trying to figure out a way with VUM as well with the database requirement.

astorrs wrote: »

Ivo wrote a good pros/cons post a few days ago: Is the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) 5.5 a replacement for the Windows vCenter Server? | www.ivobeerens.nlwww.ivobeerens.nl

jibbajabba

azjag wrote: »

You can sign up for the Beta test. I don't know when it will be available for everybody.

You can ? Can't see where tbh.

azjag

jibbajabba wrote: »

You can ? Can't see where tbh.

https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/evalcenter?p=vmware-vsphere-operations&lp=1&cid=70180000000FzjBAAS

Best I can do.

SimonD.

Supposed launch date is Q3 so in theory we have until the end of September for it to launch.