HP BL460c HP integrated VMware ESXi 3.5 Update 5 Getting Started guide - Page 3

Understanding VMware infrastructure The following components make up VMware infrastructure: Virtual machine-A virtual machine is a software-based computer capable of running an operating system such as Microsoft® Windows® or GNU/Linux just as if the operating system is installed on a physical machine. Host-A host is a physical machine running platform virtualization software such as ESXi. Hosts provide processor, memory, storage, and network resources for one or more virtual machines. VirtualCenter Server-VirtualCenter Server continuously monitors your virtual infrastructure, automates system administration tasks, and centralizes remote management sessions. It coordinates the resources and activities of individual hosts to efficiently distribute virtual machines and tolerate hardware downtime across a data center. VMware Infrastructure Client (VI Client)-VI Client is the primary interface for interacting with hosts and virtual machines. VI Client can manage a stand-alone host by connecting directly to the host, or manage multiple hosts by connecting to a VirtualCenter Server machine. Management network-A management network enables the server administrator to manage discrete, physical servers without relying on a general purpose communications network. This dedicated network enables a reliable connection to the hardware in the event of a failure in the general-purpose network.