Introduction

This chapter discusses the design considerations that should be taken into account when designing the management layer of the virtual infrastructure. We will look at the different components that make up vCenter. You will learn how to size them correctly and how to ensure compatibility between VMware products deployed in the environment. This chapter also covers the different deployment options for vCenter and its components as well as the importance of the availability, recoverability, and security of these components.

The following diagram displays how management design is integrated into the design process:

Questions that the architect should ask and answer during the management design process are as follows:

• What components are necessary to manage the virtual environment?

• How will management components be deployed?

• What resources are required to support the management components?

• What impact will the loss of a management component have on the environment?

• How to recover from the...