Virtualization Objects

The following objects reside in the DSM virtualization tree:

  • Root object Virtual Environments
  • Organizational Unit (OU)
  • Virtualization Host
  • Virtualization Cluster
  • Virtualization Management Server

Virtual Environments

The Virtual Environments system object is the root object of the DSM virtualization tree.

Organizational Unit (OU)

The organizational units (OU) structure the DSM virtualization tree.They serve as containers for the virtualization objects. Several Virtualization Hosts with different virtualization platforms may be contained in the same OU.

Note that you cannot copy an OU from the Virtual Environments system container to other containers in the DSMC.

Virtualization Host

Virtualization Hosts are computers that create, execute and manage virtual machines.

Objects of this type are automatically created in the DSM virtualization tree during the inventory of the associated Virtualization Management Server. You can neither delete, rename nor move these objects.

However, you can create individual Virtualization Hosts. They may not have been inventoried automatically before.

Virtual Machine (VM)

A virtual machine is a software computer where all parts of a physical computer are virtual.You can install an operating system and software on a virtual machine.

Objects of this type are displayed in the Object window of the DSMC when you select a Virtualization Host in the DSM virtualization tree.

Virtualization Cluster (Xen, ESX, Hyper-V)

A Virtualization Cluster is made up of several Virtualization Hosts. By means of live migration of the virtual machines, you can guarantee a high failure safety in a Cluster.Also, load balancing always allows for a highly efficient resource management of the Virtualization Hosts.

VMware

Objects of this type are created automatically in the DSM virtualization tree during the inventory of the associated Virtualization Management Server. You can neither delete, rename nor move these objects.

Citrix

Citrix Clusters / Pools have to be created manually.

In the Create Virtualization Cluster dialog you have to additionally specify the pool master server's FQDNin the Fully Qualified Domain Name field.

Virtualization Management Server (ESX, Hyper-V)

The vCenter Server, which is a Virtualization Management Server, manages the Virtualization Hosts.During the inventory of the Virtualization Management servers, the DSM environment returns the managed objects.

These are

  • Virtualization Data Center
  • Virtualization Cluster
  • Virtualization Hosts with virtual machines.

If you delete a Virtualization Management Server, all of the child Virtualization objects determined during the inventory are also deleted.

Virtualization Data Center (ESX, Hyper-V)

A Data Center contains the virtual IT infrastructure including the servers, storage and networks.

Objects of this type are created automatically in the DSM virtualization tree during the inventory of the associated Virtualization Management Server.You can neither delete, rename nor move these objects.

ESX Objects

  • VMware vCenter Server
  • VMware Data Center
  • VMware Cluster
  • VMware ESX Host

XenServer Objects

  • Citrix Xen Server Pool
  • Citrix Xen Server Host

Hyper-V-Objects

  • Hyper-V Server

Log-On Information

The authentication of the DSM environment on a Virtualization Management Server (ESX, Hyper-V) or a Virtualization Cluster (Xen) always requires you to specify a user name and password when creating these objects. This information is stored in the user-defined variables Username and Passwordcontained in the SystemVirtualizationCredentials variable group.You must specify the user name and password to be able to address the computers during a later inventory.

When you create Virtualization Clusters and Virtualization Management Servers, please enter their Full Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) as follows: computersName.Domain.Name.local

With Citrix XenServer, this applies to the Pool Master of a Xen Pool, that is created with the task Create Virtualization Cluster (Xen).

The user account must have access permissions to the domain where your Virtualization Management Server or Virtualization Cluster resides.

If your vCenter Virtualization Management Server accepts only local logins, please enter a local vCenter user account and password.

Naming Virtualization Objects

In order to ensure the unique identification of different virtualization objects, the following naming rules apply:

  • Virtualization Management Server:
    The FQDN must be unique per Virtualization Platform.
  • Virtualization Data Center:
    The Name and the RefId must be unique for the same Virtualization Management Server.
  • Virtualization Cluster:
    The Name and RefId must be unique for the same Virtualization Data Center.
    The Name, RefId and FQDN must be unique for XEN clusters.
  • Virtualization Host:
    The RefId must be unique per Virtualization Platform.