ESX

In the Ultra Transcenders books

2V0-17.25

Each book explains ESX in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.

Terms in this definition

• Hypervisor

  The virtualisation software allowing many isolated virtual machines to run on a single physical server. The cloud provider looks after it whichever service type is used.

• VCF fleet

  Everything that a single VCF Operations instance manages: its VCF Instances, possibly some standalone vCenters, and fleet-wide shared services like VCF Automation.

Related terms

• APD

  All Paths Down: every route from an ESX host to a storage device has dropped, but no PDL signal says the loss is permanent, so it may recover. HA's VM Component Protection can act on this as well as on PDL.

• Composite image

  vSphere Lifecycle Manager cluster image for mixed hardware, combining a base image with as many as four extra image definitions. Every host runs the same ESX version, while firmware, components and vendor add-ons may vary.

• DCUI

  Text console on an ESX host or the vCenter appliance, used to set up networking initially, troubleshoot, and turn on SSH or the ESX Shell.

• HCI

  Hyperconverged infrastructure: x86 servers supply both processing and storage, as with vSAN pooling each ESX host's local drives into one datastore, instead of relying on external arrays or vSAN storage clusters.

• Host commissioning

  Bringing ESX hosts into the SDDC Manager inventory of VCF, where they are validated and linked to a principal storage type and a network pool so clusters can use them. Decommissioning takes unassigned hosts back out.

• LACP

  Link Aggregation Control Protocol: dynamically bonds ESX uplinks to switch port channels, set up as LAGs on a Distributed Switch. Using it when deploying VCF calls for a JSON spec.

• OEM

  Original equipment manufacturer: a server vendor like Dell or HPE, supplying custom ESX images and add-ons that go into vLCM images.

• PDL

  Permanent device loss: an ESX host loses a device for good, through removal, a changed ID or an unrecoverable fault. HA VM Component Protection can then power off affected VMs and restart them.