vSphere cluster capability that exposes the same baseline CPU features on every host, allowing vMotion between different processor generations from the same vendor. A custom EVC mode can be applied to a cluster or to individual VMs.
Also called Enhanced vMotion Compatibility.
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Each book explains EVC in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.
Terms in this definition
- vSphere cluster
Hosts grouped and managed together by vCenter so their pooled resources can support vSAN, DRS and vSphere HA. In VCF, each such cluster belongs to a VCF domain.
- Capability
Something that a person, organisation or system is able to do.
- Baseline
A formally reviewed and approved specification that may afterwards be altered only under formal change control. The word also describes the architecture as it stands today.
- CPU
The processor that runs a VM's workload (central processing unit); while B-series VMs run under their baseline, they accumulate CPU credits.
- Document Intelligence add-on capabilities
Extra Document Intelligence options switched on with the features query parameter: barcodes, formulas, keyValuePairs, languages, ocrHighResolution, queryFields and styleFont.
- vMotion
Moves a running VM to another host with no downtime; its storage counterpart, Storage vMotion, relocates the files between datastores instead.
- Custom EVC
An EVC choice in vCenter 9.0 that, rather than using a fixed vendor mode, works out a baseline from the richest CPU and vSGA features shared by the chosen hosts or clusters.
- Virtual machines
Infrastructure-as-a-service compute giving complete control of the operating system, making it a fit for lift-and-shift moves and for software relying on OS-level pieces like COM.
Related terms
- NX/XD
A processor feature that flags areas of memory as not executable. ESX and EVC require it to be turned on in the BIOS.
- Per-VM EVC
EVC configured on a single virtual machine instead of on the whole cluster. Disabled by default, it requires virtual hardware version 14 or later, can only be changed while the VM is off, and moves with the VM when it changes cluster.