VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat - 6.4 Administrator’s Guide

Administrator Guide

VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat 6.4 Update 1

This document supports the version of each product listed and
supports all subsequent versions until the document is replaced
by a new edition. To check for more recent editions of this
document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

EN-000728-00

Administrator Guide

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and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

VMware, Inc.

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2 VMware, Inc.

Contents

About This Book 7

Getting Started

1 Introduction 11

vCenter Server Heartbeat Concepts 11

Architecture Overview 11
vCenter Server Heartbeat Protection Levels 12
vCenter Server Heartbeat Communications 15
vCenter Server Heartbeat Switchover and Failover Processes 16

2 Configuring vCenter Server Heartbeat 19

Server Configuration Wizard 19

Configuring the Machine 20
Configuring the Channel 20
Configuring Public IP Addressing 22
Configuring Principal (Public) IP Addressing 22
Managing vCenter Server Heartbeat License Keys 23
Configuring the Logs 23

System Administration and Management

3 Server Protection 27

Server Protection Overview 27
Checking the Server Pair Status 27
Monitoring the Status of Servers 29
Configuring Heartbeat Settings 29

Configure Pings 29
Configure Failover 29
Configuring Response Times 30

Configuring Split-Brain Avoidance 30
Common Administrative Tasks in vCenter Server Heartbeat 31
Forcing a Switchover 31
Recovering From a Failover 32
Applying Patches with vCenter Server Heartbeat Installed 33

4 Network Protection 37

Communication Status 37
Reviewing the VMware Channel Status 37
Configuring Public Network Connection Checks 37
Setting Max Server Time Difference 38

5 Application Protection 39

Application Protection Overview 39

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Applications: Applications Tab 39

Reset the Application Health Status 39

View Application Status 40

Setting the Application Timeout Exception 40

Remove an Application 40

Manually Start and Stop Applications 40

Configuring Applications 41

Application Maintenance Mode 41

Reviewing the State of an Application 41

Reviewing the Applications Log 41

Filtering Application Log Entries 41
Applications: Services Tab 42

Adding a Service 42

Editing a Service 42

Checking the Status of Services 42

Unprotecting User Defined Services and Stopping Monitoring 42

Change the Order of Services 43

Removing a Service 43
Applications: Tasks Tab 44

Adding a Task 44

Editing a Task 44

Remove a Task 44

Change the Order of Tasks 45

Starting a Task Manually 45

View, Add, and Remove User Accounts 45
Applications: Plug-ins Tab 45

Install a Plug-In 45

Editing a Plug-in 46

Uninstalling a Plug-in 46

6 Status and Control 47

vCenter Server Heartbeat Console 47
About vCenter Server Heartbeat Console 47

Navigate vCenter Server Heartbeat Console 48

Change the Font for vCenter Server Heartbeat Console 48
Work with Groups and Pairs 48

Add or Remove a vCenter Server Group 48

Remove a vCenter Server Heartbeat Group 49
Add, Edit, Move, and Remove Pairs in VCenter Server Heartbeat Groups 49

Add a New Connection 49

Edit a Connection 50

Move a Connection 50

Remove a Connection 50

Edit Username and Password Settings 50
Review the Status of vCenter Server Heartbeat Groups and Pairs 50
Exit vCenter Server Heartbeat Console 51
Shut Down Windows Without Stopping vCenter Server Heartbeat 51
Controlled Shutdown 51
vSphere Client Plug-in 52

Launching the Heartbeat Plug-in for vSphere Client 52
Uninstall vCenter Server Heartbeat 53

7 Performance Protection 57

Applications: Rules Tab 57

Rules 57

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Checking a Rule Condition 57

Edit a Rule 57

Rules Installed by vCenter Server Heartbeat Plug-Ins 57

8 Data Protection 59

Data Protection Overview 59
Replication 60

Registry and File Synchronization Status 60

Initiate a Full Registry Check 60

Initiate a Full System Check 60

Configure Fast Check 60

Initiate File Synchronization Manually 61

Initiate Verify and Synchronize Manually 61

Orphaned Files Check 62
File Filters 63

Determine Effective Filters 64

Add a User-Defined Exclusion Filter 64

Edit User Defined Inclusion/Exclusion Filters 64

Remove User-Defined Filters 64
Automatic Filter Discovery 65

Contents

9 Alerts and Events 67

Configure Alerts 67
Configure Alert Reporting 67
Test Alert Reporting 68
Configure Event Log Files 68

Configure Log File Email Recipients 68
Review Event Logs 69

Event Log Filters 69

10 Troubleshooting 71

Troubleshooting Unexpected Behaviors 71
Two Active Servers 71

Symptoms 71

Causes 72

Resolution 72
Two Passive Servers 73

Symptom 73

Causes 73

Resolution 73
Synchronization Failures 74

Services Running on the Passive Server 74

VMware Channel Incorrectly Configured 74

Incorrect or Mismatched Disk Configuration 75

Passive Server Has Less Available Space than Active Server 75
Registry Status is Out of Sync 76

Resource Issues 76

Registry Security Issues 76
Channel Drops 76

Performance Issues 76

Passive Server Does Not Meet Minimum Hardware Requirements 77

Hardware or Driver Issues on VMware Channel NICs 77

Firewall Connection 78

Incorrect VMware Channel Configuration 78

VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat Packet Filter Is Enabled on the Channel NIC(s) 79

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Glossary 87

Subnet or Routing Issues 80

LAN Deployment 80

WAN Deployment 80
MaxDiskUsage Errors 80

Send Queue 81

Receive Queue 81
MaxDiskUsage Error Messages 81

[L9]Exceeded the Maximum Disk Usage (VCChannelExceededMaxDiskUsageException) 81

[L9]Exceeded the Maximum Disk Usage on the ACTIVE Server 82

[L9]Exceeded the Maximum Disk Usage on the PASSIVE Server 82

[L20]Out of Disk Space (VCChannelOutOfDiskSpaceException) 83

Application Slowdown 84

Poor Application Performance 84

Both Servers Can Accommodate the Initial Load but the Load Has Increased 84

One Server Can Provide Adequate Resource Support, but the Other Cannot 84

Scheduled Resource Intensive Tasks 85

6 VMware, Inc.

About This Book

The Administrator Guide provides information about configuring VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat network
protection, application protection, data protection, Split-brain Avoidance, and more. To help you protect your
VMware vCenter Server, this book provides an overview of the protection offered by vCenter Server
Heartbeat and the actions that vCenter Server Heartbeat can take in the event of a network, hardware, or
application failure.

Intended Audience

This guide assumes the reader has a working knowledge of networks including the configuration of TCP/IP
protocols and domain administration on the Windows™ 2003 and 2008 platforms, notably in Active Directory
and DNS.

VMware Technical Publications Glossary

VMware Technical Publications provides a glossary of terms that might be unfamiliar to you. For definitions
of terms as they are used in VMware technical documentation go to http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

Overview of Content

This guide is designed to give guidance on the configuration and administration of vCenter Server Heartbeat,
and is organized into the following sections:

 Preface — About This Book (this chapter) provides an overview of this guide and the conventions used

throughout.

 Chapter 1 — Introduction presents an overview of vCenter Server Heartbeat concepts including the

Switchover and Failover processes.

 Chapter 2 — Configuring vCenter Server Heartbeat shows you how to use the Server Configuration Wizard

to configure your new installation of vCenter Server Heartbeat.

 Chapter 3 — Server Protection gives an overview of how vCenter Server Heartbeat provides protection

against server system crash or server hardware failure, shows you how to check the server pair status, and
explains how to configure settings, shutdown options, and Split-Brain Avoidance.

 Chapter 4 — Network Protection describes how vCenter Server Heartbeat protects against network failure

and provides a way to monitor communication status. It also explains how to configure public network
connection checks and maximum server time difference.

 Chapter 5 — Application Protection discusses how vCenter Server Heartbeat maintains the protected

application environment ensuring that applications and services stay alive on the network.

 Chapter 6 — Status and Control introduces you to the vCenter Server Heartbeat Console and shows you

how to configure its look and feel.

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 Chapter 7 — Performance Protection describes how vCenter Server Heartbeat monitors system and

application attributes to prevent an unexpected system or application failure.

 Chapter 8 — Data Protection discusses how vCenter Server Heartbeat intercepts all data written by users

and protected applications and maintains a copy of this data for use in case of failure.

 Chapter 9 — Alerts and Events discusses additional tasks for the administrator to configure system logging

and alerting functions.

 Chapter 10 — Troubleshooting provides techniques to troubleshoot common issues and unexpected

behaviors.

Document Feedback

VMware welcomes your suggestions for improving our documentation and invites you to send your feedback
to [e-mail].

Abbreviations Used in Figures

The figures in this book use the abbreviations listed in Tab le 1.

Table 1. Abbreviations

Abbreviation Description

Channel VMware Channel

NIC Network Interface Card

P2P Physical to Physical

P2V Physical to Virtual

V2V Virtual to Virtual

Technical Support and Education Resources

The following sections describe the technical support resources available to you. To access the current version
of this book and other books, go to www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

Online and Telephone Support

Go to www.vmware.com/support to use online support to submit technical support requests, view your
product and contract information, and register your products.

Go to www.vmware.com/support/phone_support.html to find out how to use telephone support for the
fastest response on priority 1 issues (applies to customers with appropriate support contracts).

Support Offerings

Go to www.vmware.com/support/services to find out how VMware support offerings can help meet your
business needs.

VMware Professional Services

Go to www.vmware.com/services to access information about education classes, certification programs, and
consulting services. VMware Education Services courses offer extensive hands-on labs, case study examples,
and course materials designed for use as on-the-job reference tools. Courses are available onsite, in the
classroom, and live online. For onsite pilot programs and implementation best practices, VMware Consulting
Services provides offerings to help you assess, plan, build, and manage your virtual environment.

8 VMware, Inc.

Getting Started

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1

Introduction

This chapter includes the following topics:

 “vCenter Server Heartbeat Concepts” on page 11

 “vCenter Server Heartbeat Protection Levels” on page 12

 “vCenter Server Heartbeat Communications” on page 15

 “vCenter Server Heartbeat Switchover and Failover Processes” on page 16

vCenter Server Heartbeat Concepts

vCenter Server Heartbeat is a Windows based service specifically designed to provide high availability
protection for vCenter Server configurations without requiring any specialized hardware.

Architecture Overview

vCenter Server Heartbeat uses an active / passive architecture which enables it to provide High Availability in
a Local Area Network (LAN) or Disaster Recovery in a Wide Area Network (WAN) for vCenter Server, View
Composer and SQL Server. The vCenter Server Heartbeat software is installed on an existing production
server known as the Primary server running the protected applications (vCenter Server, View and SQL
Server). An additional server, known as the Secondary server, operates as a ready standby server to provide
service in the event of an application, system, or hardware failure, or when the Administrator needs to perform
system maintenance. The terms Primary and Secondary refer to the identity of each server instance, and
normally these identities do not change.

1

Active / Passive Roles

The applications protected by vCenter Server Heartbeat will run on the active server. Only one server can be
active at any one time and the active server will host the Principal (Public) IP address which is used by clients
to access the application. The passive server is only accessible on the network via its assigned management IP
address. Active and passive refer to the role that the server is performing. The role can be changed by a failover
or when the administrator performs a switchover. To ensure the servers can provide a seamless switchover /
failover experience for clients, the servers need to be symmetrical. To ensure that the Secondary server has all
the programs and components installed in the same location, the install process includes a cloning procedure.
Clients will continue to connect to vCenter Server or SQL Server using the original and unique fully qualified
domain name that was used previously by clients. During installation, a service name is configured in vCenter
Server Heartbeat which will continue to resolve in DNS to the Public (Principal) IP address.

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Managing the Primary and Secondary Servers

To allow management of vCenter Server Heartbeat server pairs using standard network, domain policy, and
domain management procedures, vCenter Server Heartbeat is deployed so that Primary and Secondary
servers use unique domain names. Each domain name must differ from the fully qualified domain name used
by the original vCenter or SQL Servers. A management IP address on each server ensures that the
Administrator can access the server even when it is passive. This allows monitoring with 3rd party monitoring
tools and maintenance operations such as updating anti-virus definition files, operating system hot-fixes and
updates.

Switchover/Failover in a LAN

When deployed in a LAN environment, the Principal (Public) IP address is moved between the Primary and
Secondary servers as the roles change from active to passive so that vCenter Server or SQL Server are available
to clients only when the server assumes the active role. vCenter Server Heartbeat does not require updates to
DNS during the switchover / failover, however the DNS server must be preconfigured with the management
IP addresses. Adjacent IP addresses should be reserved and used for the Principal (Public) IP address and the
Management IP addresses for the Primary and Secondary Servers when installing vCenter Server Heartbeat
on servers running Windows 2008. When vCenter Server Heartbeat is started, the Principal (Public) IP address
is added to the active server. When a switchover is requested the Principal (Public) IP address is removed from
the active server as it becomes passive and then added to the passive server which is being made active.

Switchover/ Failover in a WAN

vCenter Server Heartbeat can be deployed in a WAN using the same subnet in production and the disaster
recovery site, and like deployments in a LAN requires that each server uses the same Principal (Public) IP
address when active. This means that vCenter Server Heartbeat can be deployed without any changes to DNS
during a switchover or failover.

vCenter Server Heartbeat Protection Levels

vCenter Server Heartbeat provides the following protection levels:

 Server Protection – vCenter Server Heartbeat provides continuous availability to end users through a

hardware failure scenario or operating system crash. Additionally, vCenter Server Heartbeat ensures
users are provided with a replica server should the production server fail.

 Network Protection – vCenter Server Heartbeat proactively monitors the network by polling up to three

predefined nodes to ensure that the active server is visible on the network.

 Application Protection – vCenter Server Heartbeat maintains the application environment ensuring that

applications and services stay alive and available on the network.

 Performance Protection – vCenter Server Heartbeat proactively monitors system performance attributes

to ensure the system administrator is notified of problems. Additionally, it can be configured to take
pre-emptive action to prevent an outage.

 Data Protection – vCenter Server Heartbeat intercepts all data written by users and applications, and

maintains a copy of the data on the passive server that can be used in the event of a failure.

vCenter Server Heartbeat provides all five protection levels continuously, ensuring all facets of the user
environment are maintained at all times, and that vCenter Server continues to operate through as many failure
scenarios as possible.

Server Protection

vCenter Server Heartbeat provides continuous availability to end users through a hardware failure scenario
or operating system crash and ensures users are provided with a replica server and its IP address on the failure
of the production server.

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Chapter 1 Introduction

Two instances of vCenter Server Heartbeat regularly send “I’m alive” messages and message
acknowledgments to one another over a dedicated network connection referred to as the VMware Channel to
detect interruptions in responsiveness. If the passive server detects that this monitoring process (referred to as
the heartbeat) has failed, it initiates a failover as illustrated in Figure 1-1.

Figure 1-1. Failover

A failover occurs when the passive server detects that the active server is no longer responding. This can occur
when the active server hardware fails, loses its network connections, or otherwise becomes unavailable. Rather
than the active server gracefully closing, the passive server determines that the active server has failed and
requires no further operations. In a failover, the passive server immediately assumes the active server role. The
failover process is discussed in detail later in this guide.

Network Protection

vCenter Server Heartbeat proactively monitors the network by polling up to three predefined nodes to ensure
that the active server is visible on the network. vCenter Server Heartbeat polls by default the primary DNS
server, the default gateway, and the global catalog server at regular intervals. If all three nodes fail to respond,
for example in the case of a network card or local switch failure, vCenter Server Heartbeat can initiate a
switchover, allowing the Secondary server to assume the active role and service clients.

Application Protection

vCenter Server Heartbeat running on the active server locally monitors vCenter Server and its services
(through the use of plug-ins) to verify that vCenter Server is operational and not in an unresponsive or stopped
state. This level of monitoring is fundamental in ensuring that vCenter Server remains available to users.

If vCenter Server should fail, vCenter Server Heartbeat first tries to restart the application on the active server
(1) in Figure 1-2.

If the application does not successfully restart, vCenter Server Heartbeat initiates a switchover (2) in

Figure 1-2. Refer to “vCenter Server Heartbeat Switchover and Failover Processes” on page 16 for further

information about the switchover process.

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Figure 1-2. Switchover

A switchover gracefully closes vCenter Server running on the active server and restarts it on the passive server,
including the component or service that caused the failure. For example, if the Primary server is active and the
Secondary server is passive, the Primary server is demoted to a passive role and is hidden from the network
when the Secondary server is promoted to an active role and is made visible to the network. The mechanics of
switchovers are discussed in more detail later in this guide.

Performance Protection

Ensuring that vCenter Server is operational and providing service at an adequate level of performance to meet
user demands is important. The vCenter Server Heartbeat plug-in provides these monitoring and pre-emptive
repair capabilities.

vCenter Server Heartbeat proactively monitors system performance attributes and can notify the system
administrator in the event of a problem. Additionally, it can be configured to take pre-emptive action to
prevent an outage.

In addition to monitoring vCenter Server services, vCenter Server Heartbeat can monitor specific attributes to
ensure that they remain within normal operating ranges. Similar to application monitoring, various rules can
be configured to trigger specific corrective actions whenever these attributes fall outside of their respective
ranges.

vCenter Server Heartbeat provides the same level of flexibility to define and perform multiple corrective
actions in the event of problems on a service by service or even attribute by attribute basis.

Data Protection

You can configure vCenter Server Heartbeat to protect the application environment. All data files that users or
the vCenter Server requires in the application environment are made available should a failure occur. After
installation, vCenter Server Heartbeat configures itself to protect files, folders, and registry settings for
vCenter Server on the active server by mirroring them in real time to the passive server. If a failover occurs, all
files protected on the failed server are available to users after the failover, hosted on the Secondary server.

vCenter Server Heartbeat intercepts all file system I/O operations on the active server. If the intercepted write
and update operations are within the protected set, these are placed in a queue on the active server referred to
as the active server’s send queue, pending transmission to the passive server. Each request is numbered to
maintain its order in the queue.

With the request in the active server’s send queue, vCenter Server Heartbeat allows the disk I/O to continue
with the requested disk operation.

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Chapter 1 Introduction

If the channel is connected, the active server’s send queue is transferred to the passive server, which places all
the requests in the passive server’s receive queue. The passive server confirms the changes were logged by
sending the active server an acknowledgement. The active server clears the data from its queue.

Figure 1-3. Apply Process

The apply process running on the passive server’s receive queue applies all updates in strict sequence,
duplicating an identical set of file operations on the passive server as illustrated in Figure 1-3.

vCenter Server Heartbeat Communications

The VMware Channel is a crucial component of the setup and can be configured in a number of ways.

Both the Primary and Secondary servers must have two or more network interface connections (NICs). The
Principal (Public) network requires one NIC and the VMware Channel uses a separate NIC for the private
connection between the servers used for control and data transfer between the servers in the pair.

A second pair of NICs can be used to provide a degree of redundancy for the VMware Channel. In this
configuration, the VMware Channel has a dual channel if more than one dedicated NIC is provided for the
VMware Channel on each server. To provide added resilience, the communications for the second channel
must be completely independent from the first channel. They must not share any switches, virtual switches,
routers or the same WAN connection.

Figure 1-4. Communication Between Primary and Secondary Servers

The IP address a client uses to connect to the active server (the Principal (Public) IP address) must be
configured as a static IP address, that is, not DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) enabled. In the
figure above, the IP address is configured as 192.168.1.127.

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N

OTE Obtain the IP address: type ipconfig at the prompt in a DOS shell. For additional information about

the IP configuration, add the switch /All to the ipconfig command.

When deployed in a LAN, the Principal (Public) NIC on the passive server is configured to use its unique
permanently assigned management IP address. When a switchover or failover occurs, the Principal (Public)
IP address assigned to the previously active server is removed from the active server and reassigned to the
previously passive server. Once the previously passive server becomes active, users connect to the new active
server. The previously active server becomes passive and is assigned its unique management IP address.

The NICs on the active and passive servers used for the VMware Channel are configured so that their IP
addresses are outside of the subnet range of the Principal (Public) network. These addresses are referred to as
VMware Channel addresses.

During installation, setup will switch off NetBIOS for the VMware Channel(s) on the active and passive
servers as this connection remains live and both the passive and active machines have the same NetBIOS name.
Following vCenter Server Heartbeat installation (runtime), NetBIOS is disabled across the channel(s).

The NICs that support connectivity across the VMware Channel can be standard 100BaseT Ethernet cards
providing a throughput of 100 Mbits per second across standard Cat-5 cabling. In its most basic form, a
dedicated channel requires no hubs or routers, but the direct connection requires crossover cabling.

When configured for a WAN deployment, configure the VMware Channel to use static routes over switches
and routers to maintain continuous communications independent from corporate or public traffic.

vCenter Server Heartbeat Switchover and Failover Processes

vCenter Server Heartbeat uses four different procedures — managed switchover, automatic switchover,
automatic failover, and managed failover — to change the role of the active and passive servers depending on
the status of the active server.

Managed Switchover

You can click Make Active on the vCenter Server Heartbeat Console Server: Summary page to manually
initiate a managed switchover. When a managed switchover is triggered, the running of protected applications
is transferred from the active machine to the passive machine in the server pair. The server roles are reversed.

Figure 1-5. Switchover

A managed switchover performs the following steps:

1 Stop the protected applications on the active server. After the protected applications stop, no more disk

updates are generated.

2 Send all updates that are still queued on the active server to the passive server. After this step, all updates

are available on the passive server.

3 Re-designate the Secondary server as the new active server. After this step, vCenter Server Heartbeat:

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Chapter 1 Introduction

 Reassigns the Principal (Public) IP address to the Secondary server and assigns the Primary its

unique management IP address.

 Makes the newly active server visible on the network. The newly active server begins to intercept and

queue disk I/O operations for the newly passive server.

4 vCenter Server Heartbeat causes the newly passive server to begin accepting updates from the active

server.

5 vCenter Server Heartbeat starts the same protected applications on the new active server. The protected

applications become accessible to users. The managed switchover is complete

Automatic Switchover

Automatic switchover (auto-switchover) is similar to failover (discussed in the next section) but is triggered
automatically when system monitoring detects failure of a protected application.

Like managed switchover, auto-switchover changes the server roles but then stops vCenter Server Heartbeat
on the previously active server to allow the administrator to investigate the cause of the auto-switchover and
verify the integrity of the data.

After the cause for the auto-switchover is determined and problems are corrected, the administrator can use
vCenter Server Heartbeat Console to return the server roles to their original state.

Automatic Failover

Automatic failover is similar to automatic switchover (discussed above) but is triggered when the passive
server detects that the active server is no longer running properly and assumes the role of the active server.

Figure 1-6. Failover

During the automatic failover, the passive server performs the following steps:

1 Apply any intercepted updates currently in the passive server’s receive queue as identified by the log of

update records that are saved on the passive server but not yet applied to the replicated files.

The amount of data in the passive server’s receive queue affects the time required to complete the failover
process. If the passive server’s receive queue is long, the system must wait for all updates to the passive
server to complete before the rest of the process can take place. An update record can be applied only if
all earlier update records are applied, and the completion status for the update is in the passive server’s
receive queue. When no more update records can be applied, any update records that cannot be applied
are discarded.

2 Switch mode of operation from passive to active.

This enables the public identity of the server. The unique management IP address is removed from the
passive server and the shared Principal (Public) IP address is assigned. The passive server becomes active
and available to clients that were connected to the previously active server before the automatic failover
and clients are able to reconnect.

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3 Start intercepting updates to protected data. Any updates to the protected data are saved in the send

4 Start all protected applications. The applications use the replicated application data to recover, and then

Managed Failover

Managed failover is similar to automatic failover in that the passive server automatically determines that the
active server has failed and can warn the system administrator about the failure; but no failover actually occurs
until the system administrator manually triggers this operation.

Automatic Switchover and Failover in a WAN Environment

Automatic switchover and failover in a WAN environment differ from an automatic switchover and failover
in a LAN environment due to the nature of the WAN connection. In a WAN environment, automatic
switchover and failover are disabled by default in the event that the WAN connection is lost.

Should a condition arise that would normally trigger an automatic switchover or failover, the administrator
will receive vCenter Server Heartbeat alerts. The administrator must manually click the Make Active button
on the Server: Summary page of the vCenter Server Heartbeat Console or vSphere Client to allow the roles of
the servers to switch over the WAN.

queue on the local server.

accept re-connections from any clients. Any updates that the applications make to the protected data are
intercepted and logged.

At this point, the originally active server is offline and the originally passive server is filling the active role
and running the protected applications. Any updates that completed before the failover are retained.
Application clients can reconnect to the application and continue running as before.

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2

Configuring vCenter Server Heartbeat

This chapter includes the following topics:

 “Server Configuration Wizard” on page 19

 “Configuring the Machine” on page 20

 “Configuring the Channel” on page 20

 “Configuring Public IP Addressing” on page 22

 “Managing vCenter Server Heartbeat License Keys” on page 23

 “Configuring the Logs” on page 23

Server Configuration Wizard

The VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat – Server Configuration Wizard (Configure Server wizard) sets up
and maintains communications between the vCenter Server Heartbeat servers. After the system is set up and
is functioning correctly, you do not normally need to reconfigure the system. The Configure Server wizard
becomes redundant during daily operations of the software.

1 Before launching the Configure Server wizard, you must stop vCenter Server Heartbeat.

2

2 Click the Configure Server icon on the desktop or Start > All Programs > VMware > VMware vCenter

Server Heartbeat > Configure Server to launch the Configure Server wizard.

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Configuring the Machine

The Machine tab is used to set the server Physical Hardware Identity, Active Server, and Client Connection
Port.

The Machine Identity

The machine identity is either Primary or Secondary and once assigned does not normally change during the
life of the server.

CAUTION The machine Identity should only be changed when directed to do so by VMware Support or
when instructed to by a knowledge base article. vCenter Server Heartbeat is designed not to allow two
passive or two active servers to connect.

To change the machine identity

1Click the Machine tab and select a Physical Hardware Identity for the local machine.

2Click Next or Finish.

Configuring the Server Role

To change the server role, click the Machine tab, select the Current Role of the local machine, and click Next
or Finish.

NOTE Before changing the role of the local server, verify that the other (remote) server in the pair is not already
performing the same role.

Configuring the Client Connection Port

Clients such as the vCenter Server Heartbeat Console use the Client Connection Port to connect to vCenter
Server Heartbeat. Do not change this port unless another application is using it. To change the Client
Connection Port, click the Machine tab, edit the default entry (52267) and click Next or Finish.

Configuring the Channel

The Channel tab is used to configure the Channel Routing, Default Channel Port, and Low Bandwidth
Optimization.

20 VMware, Inc.

Chapter 2 Configuring vCenter Server Heartbeat

Configuring Channel Routing

Channel IP routing defines the IP addresses used to communicate between the Primary and Secondary
servers. Each link has a pair of addresses, one for the Primary, and one for the Secondary.

To add an additional VMware Channel after installing the NICs and configuring them

1Click the Channel tab. Click Add Row to add the new IP addresses for both the Primary and Secondary

server to the VMware Channel IP Routing table.

2 Use the drop-down menu to view a list of available IP addresses on the local server.

3 Type the remote server IP address.

4 To change the VMware Channel IP addresses, select and edit the entry in the table.

5Click Next or Finish.

Configuring the Default Channel Port

VMware Channel uses the Default Channel Port to communicate between the Primary and Secondary server.
Do not change this port unless another application is using it. To change the Default Channel Port, click the
Channel tab, edit the default entry (57348), and click Next or Finish.

Configuring Low Bandwidth Module

This feature is automatically enabled during installation when configured for a WAN. To disable this feature,
click the Channel tab and clear the Low Bandwidth Optimization check box. When enabled, the VMware
Channel optimizes communications for low bandwidth connections. Low Bandwidth Optimization (LBO)
stores data on disk rather than in memory and is essential for WAN installations or when bandwidth is limited.

This setting should not be changed unless directed to do so by VMware Support.

N

OTE This feature is designed for implementations where the available throughput on the VMware Channel

is slower than 10 Mbit/s. Do not enable the Low Bandwidth Module in a LAN, this feature is not designed to
work in a LAN where the throughput is much faster.

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Configuring Public IP Addressing

vCenter Server Heartbeat servers are configured with one or more Principal (Public) IP addresses. These are
the addresses used by clients to connect to the protected application. Typically, there is one shared Principal
(Public) IP address.

You must configure all of the Principal (Public) IP addresses on the server to be active initially. On the passive
server, you must configure a unique management IP address by which you can access the passive server while
the active server continues to service clients. When the server roles switch, the passive server’s management
IP address is removed and replaced with the Principal (Public) IP address which was removed from the
previously active server. The previously active server is then provided its unique management IP address by
which the server can be accessed while passive.

Configuring Principal (Public) IP Addressing

While this is normally performed as a post-installation task when installing vCenter Server Heartbeat, in the
event of an upgrade you may be required to reconfigure your servers for non-identical nodes.

To configure for Non-Identical Nodes

1 Select the Public tab of the Configure Server wizard and verify that Non-Identical is selected in the Public

Identity Mode pane.

2 Enter the vCenter Server or SQL Server name in the Name used to connect to vCenter or SQL Server field.

3In the NIC field, select the Principal (Public) network connection in the drop-down.

N

OTE Adjacent IP addresses should be reserved and used for the Principal (Public) IP address and the

management IP addresses for the Primary and Secondary Servers when installing vCenter Server
Heartbeat on servers running Windows 2008.

4 Enter the Principal (Public) IP address in the Public IP field.

5 Enter the Principal (Public) IP address Subnet Mask in the first Mask field.

6 Enter the reserved Management IP address in the Mgmt IP field.

7 Enter the reserved Management IP address Subnet Mask in the second Mask field.

8Click Next or Finish.

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Chapter 2 Configuring vCenter Server Heartbeat

Managing vCenter Server Heartbeat License Keys

To manage vCenter Server Heartbeat license keys, select the License tab of the Configure Server
wizard.

To add an entry to the License Keys table

1Click the Add Row icon and enter your VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat serial number.

2 Manually type or paste (using Ctrl-V) your license key into the table.

3Click Next or Finish.

Configuring the Logs

vCenter Server Heartbeat allows you to change the default location for the logs used for storing data in the
queue.

Configuring the Message Queue Logs

The server temporarily stores replication data received in the passive server’s receive queue and the replication
data waiting in the active server’s send queue in message queue logs.

This configuration only affects the local server. Logs can be in different locations on the Primary and
Secondary servers.

To configure the location of the message queue logs

1Click the Logs tab.

2Click Browse to navigate to the folder to store the message queue logs.

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3 Select the folder and click Next or Finish.

Configuring the Maximum Disk Usage

You can configure the maximum disk space allocated for logging. Log files increase in size on the active server
under the following conditions:

 If the active server cannot communicate with the passive server

 Certain operations on the passive server

 If the server is under heavy load

When the disk reaches quota, replication stops and the system is no longer protected.

If using a dedicated disk for log files, consider disabling the quota. To do this, set the quota to zero. If vCenter
Server H eartb eat runs out of physi cal disk space, it must be shut down before it can re sume r eplication. Set the
quota with sufficient overflow space so vCenter Server Heartbeat can stop replicating gracefully.

To configure Maximum Disk Usage, click the Logs tab, type the maximum dedicated disk space allocated for
message queue log files, and click Finish.

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System Administration and Management

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3

Server Protection

This chapter includes the following topics:

 “Server Protection Overview” on page 27

 “Checking the Server Pair Status” on page 27

 “Monitoring the Status of Servers” on page 29

 “Configuring Heartbeat Settings” on page 29

 “Configure Pings” on page 29

 “Configure Failover” on page 29

 “Configuring Response Times” on page 30

 “Configuring Split-Brain Avoidance” on page 30

 “Forcing a Switchover” on page 31

 “Recovering From a Failover” on page 32

 “Applying Patches with vCenter Server Heartbeat Installed” on page 33

 “Configuring Split-Brain Avoidance” on page 30

3

Server Protection Overview

Protection against operating system or hardware failure affecting the active server is facilitated by two
instances of the vCenter Server Heartbeat that monitor one another by sending “I’m alive” messages and
reciprocating with acknowledgments over the VMware Channel. If the passive server detects that this process
(the heartbeat) has failed, an automatic switchover is initiated.

Additionally, vCenter Server Heartbeat proactively monitors the capability of the active server to
communicate with the rest of the network by polling defined nodes around the network, including by default,
the primary DNS server, default gateway, and the Global Catalog server at regular intervals. If all three nodes
fail to respond, for example, due to a network card or local switch failure, vCenter Server Heartbeat can initiate
an automatic switchover, allowing the passive server to assume the role of the active server.

Checking the Server Pair Status

The Server: Summary page is the default page that opens when administering a pair of servers. The Server:
Summary page allows you to view the roles that the servers are performing (active or passive), the actions that

the servers are currently performing, and summary information on the status of communications and data
replication between servers. The lower pane displays status information for each server in the pair.

NOTE To change the currently displayed server, click the server graphical representation in the upper pane,
or select the server Identity tab (Primary or Secondary Server) in the bottom pane.

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The following table lists the possible system statuses and their meanings.

Table 3-1. System Status

Status Icon Description

Heartbeat service
shutdown

Initializing

Replicating (Normal status.) File and registry changes on the active server are

Not replicating File and registry replication is in the process of stopping and all protected

The Heartbeat service is shut down

intercepted and replicated to the passive server. The protected applications
are monitored.

applications may be closing down.

Switching active
server

Connecting to peer
server

Disconnecting from
peer server

Stopping replication File replication is in the process of being stopped and, optionally, all

Starting replication The replication process is starting and protected applications are optionally

Starting as active
server

Heartbeat service
shutting down

Lost active server The passive server has lost connection to the active server. If this condition

Active following
failover

Not participating

The system is in the process of performing a switchover.

VMware Channel connections have been established between the two
servers.

VMware Channel connections have been lost between the two servers.

protected applications may be closing down.

starting.

The Heartbeat service is initializing on the active server and starting
protected applications.

The Heartbeat service is stopping. The Heartbeat service is shutting down,
and will no longer participate in replication. Optionally, protected
applications may be stopped.

persists for the failover timeout, and failover is permitted between the pair
of servers, then a failover will occur.

Server not
responding

The Heartbeat service cannot be contacted on the server.

When viewing the status of the passive server, the status of the file system and registry are displayed
graphically. The following tables list possible synchronization statuses and their meanings.

Table 3-2. File Synchronization Status

Status Icon Description

Synchronized Fully synchronized

Unchecked There are files that are currently unchecked. A full system check did not

complete

Out of Sync Not synchronized

Uninitialized

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