HP BL460c HP VMware ESXi 4.0 Getting Started guide - Page 3

Understanding VMware infrastructure VMware vSphere includes the following components: 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. vCenter Server-vCenter 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. vSphere Client-vSphere Client is the primary interface for interacting with hosts and virtual machines. vSphere Client can manage a standalone host by connecting directly to the host, or manage multiple hosts by connecting to a vCenter Server machine.