Load Balance within single cluster?

[mhost]

Hello,

We are running the majority of our hosts and VMs within a single cluster. (Currently 24 hosts and 350VMs).
This brings the number of monitored objects to 5800 - and thus overloads the collector (116%)
(BTW: We also run a small 2-host cluster for Exchange 2010.)
Everything runs unde a single vCenter server.

We have setup another collector. But it seems that load balance is only available on a per-cluster basis.
The result is that our main cluster with 24 hosts is placed on one collector - and our Exchange cluster with 2 hosts is placed on the other collector.
- and we still overload the first collector.

Apparently we can remove vCenter from monitoring and add the individual hosts as standalone.
- But if I understand correctly we will lose vCenter-level monitoring? (such as DRS and HA events)

Any advice?
Besides splitting up the cluster. (Which we would rather not do).

Best regards
Martin Holst

[Irina Simkina]

Hello Martin,

unfortunately for the current release the cluster is the minimal monitoring job and couldn't be split accross multiple collectors.
I can advise to change collection settings to spread the monitoring loading:
1. uncheck some monitoring classes if you don't need them to be monitored
2. change the default multipliers to make the publishing for some classes rare
3. increase the collection interval from 5 minutes to 10 or higher if possible.
4. check\uncheck some hosts from monitoring if possible

Another way (not recommended but still possible) is to add hosts with the direct connection (as standalon hosts) for "metrics only".
And then add VC as "events only".
You will get all the VC events and all the metrics for ESX hosts and nested objects. The only problem will be with the cluster\resource pools metrics and the common topology (you will not have Clusters overview).

So I do recommend first to determin the monitoring scope in terms of hosts\objects to be monitored and then to decide which way is better for you.

Any questions please let me know,
Irina

[vBPav]

Martin,

I am curious, what version of VMWare Infrastructure are you running?

Thanks!

Brian Pavnick - Solutions Architect

[mhost]

Hello Martin,
unfortunately for the current release the cluster is the minimal monitoring job and couldn't be split accross multiple collectors.
Irina

Thanks Irina,

We will try either splitting VC Events / Host Metrics - or perhaps adjusting the monitoring level.

Any estimate on a future version supporting load balance within cluster?

Best regards
Martin

[mhost]

Martin,

I am curious, what version of VMWare Infrastructure are you running?

Thanks!

Brian Pavnick - Solutions Architect

Hi Brian,

We are in the process of upgrading.
So vCenter and about two thirds of the hosts are running v4.1 (ESXi)
The remaining hosts are running ESX v4.0u2

Best regards
Martin

[Irina Simkina]

Any estimate on a future version supporting load balance within cluster?

Martin,
we are planning to release it in H1 2011. Keep an eye on our newsletters for the exact dates.

Irina

[RJW1975]

any news on when a new release that enables load balancing a single cluster will be released?

[Alec King]

Hi,

Our nworks 5.7 release, with support for automatically splitting clusters across Collectors, is planned for early Q4 - watch this space!

Regards,
Alec

[RJW1975]

Excellent, thanks Alec, will look forward to it