TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 introduced terms and concepts related to server visualization, VMware-specific terms and concepts. This chapter either adds to or reinforces previously mentioned terms and concepts with the goal of this section being terms and concepts that are unique to VirtualCenter. We hope this will have us all using the same vocabulary.
VirtualCenter would have no reason to exist if it had nothing to manage. The following components are managed by VirtualCenter:
Virtualization Platform The VMware products used to create virtual machines include ESX Server, GSX Server, and VMware Workstation.
Host (Managed Host) These physical servers run either ESX or GSX server and actually run virtual machines.
Virtual Machines This guest operating system, as well as its associated applications that run on virtualized hardware, runs on the ESX or GSX Server (Host).
Datastores These are the various storage locations for associated virtual machine files. They include VMFS, SAN, and Local Storage.
The software components of VirtualCenter are the underlying technologies that work together to provide the services that make VirtualCenter so good. VirtualCenter Application consists of the following software components:
VirtualCenter Server The server service that actively communicates with the managed host and writes data to the VirtualCenter Database. This service coordinates actions with VMs and managed hosts.
VirtualCenter Web service This optional service can be installed with VirtualCenter Server. This is a required component for third-party applications that use the VMware SDK Application programming...
