VMware 4817V62 Administration Guide - Page 77

Managing Hosts in vCenter Server 7 To access the full capabilities of your hosts and to simplify the management of multiple hosts, you should connect your hosts to a vCenter Server system. For information on configuration management of ESX/ESXi hosts, see the ESX Configuration Guide or ESXi Configuration Guide. The views and capabilities displayed vary depending on whether the vSphere Client is connected to a vCenter Server system or an ESX/ESXi host. Unless indicated, the process, task, or description applies to all kinds of vSphere Client connections. This chapter includes the following topics: n "About Hosts," on page 77 n "Add a Host," on page 78 n "Completing the Add Host Process," on page 79 n "Disconnecting and Reconnecting a Host," on page 80 n "Remove a Host from a Cluster," on page 81 n "Understanding Managed Host Removal," on page 81 n "Remove a Managed Host from vCenter Server," on page 82 n "Monitoring Host Health Status," on page 83 About Hosts A host is a virtualization platform that supports virtual machines. A vCenter Server managed host is a host that is registered with vCenter Server. The task of managing a host is accomplished through the vSphere Client. This vSphere Client can be connected either directly to an ESX/ESXi host or indirectly to hosts through a connection to a vCenter Server system. When ESX/ESXi hosts are connected to the vSphere Client directly, you manage them individually as standalone hosts. Most of the host configuration and virtual machine configuration features still apply. Features that require multiple hosts, such as migration with VMotion of a virtual machine from one host to another, are not available through the standalone host connection. VMware, Inc. 77