Running ESX Infrastructure in a VM on same Host

[cyr0n_k0r]

I do not want to dedicate a piece of hardware to store the esx infrastructure programs.
- License Server
- VirtualServer Center
- Infrastructure Client

I have already setup the license server and virtualserver center inside a VM on one of the ESX hosts. However, I currently have the infrastructure client on a laptop that I use to manage all the VM's and hosts.

Is it ok to run the infrastructure client on the same VM that holds the license server and virtualcenter server programs, then just RDP into that VM from outside the network to manage everything? Will there be any weird issues? Obviously I would set that VM to autostart when its host is restarted.

But I just want to make sure that it supports this kind of setup. Running inside a VM that rests on a host that it monitors. Would the infrastructure client see itself in the virtual machines list? Is it capable of changing settings on itself?

 

[QHalo]

Let me see if I understand. You would like to run the Virtual Center machine in a VM, and then access Virtual Center through the VI client on that same VM that sits on a host that it monitors?

The short answer is Yes, but here's documentation that talks about limitations and any gotcha's.

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_vc_in_vm.pdf

 

[cyr0n_k0r]

Thank you for that document.

Limitations
Since certain management tasks for a virtual machine require it to be powered off, you cannot
perform most of these tasks on the virtual machine that hosts the VirtualCenter server. In particular,
do not attempt the following on the VirtualCenter virtual machine
· Cold-migration
· Cloning
· Any other operation which powers down the virtual machine
· Edit most of the virtual machine settings, such as the hardware properties.

I'm willing to live with those limitations. Thanks!

 

[Gott]

We use redundant VC's in VM's and haven't had any issues at all with them.

 

[xphil3]

We use redundant VC's in VM's and haven't had any issues at all with them.

+1, theres no reason to run dedicated VC's on physical hardware as long as your VI is utilizing HA.