VMware vSphere Client
vSphere Client is a lightweight HTML5-based GUI component for the vCenter Server that allows you to connect to a vCenter Server system for managing vSphere environments and is included with vCenter Server. As of vSphere 7.0, the vSphere Web Client (flash-based GUI) has been deprecated and the vSphere Client is the primary interface for connecting to and managing vCenter Server instances.
The VMware vSphere environment supports integration with Active Directory (AD) as the identity source, which simplifies user management. Therefore, when users log in to the vSphere Client, they can use their domain credentials. This approach allows administrators to define user roles for users with different permissions (administrator, read-only, and so on) that can then be used to access and manage all systems connected to the AD database. Depending on the access permissions configured, the user can access some of the virtualized environment or the entire environment using vSphere Client. For example, users can connect to the consoles of the VMs but not be able to start or stop those VMs, or change the parameters of the underlying host. Users also use one set of credentials to access multiple systems or devices. This allows administrators to create user accounts, change user permissions, or disable user accounts via a central location (AD database) and not on each system/device separately. Figure 18-6 shows the GUI interface of vSphere Client.
Figure 18-6 vSphere Client
vSphere vMotion
The vSphere vMotion feature migrates a live, running VM from one physical server to another with zero downtime and continuous service availability. This capability is possible across vSwitches, clusters, and even clouds. The entire process takes less than two seconds on a gigabit Ethernet network. The vMotion feature enables you to perform hardware maintenance without scheduling downtime or disrupting business operations. You can also move virtual machines away from failing or underperforming servers using vMotion. It is a powerful tool for maintenance or resource distribution situations, but it is not designed for disaster recovery. If a physical host fails, the VMs running on the host go offline until another host recovers the VMs. Figure 18-7 shows the vSphere vMotion feature in action.
Figure 18-7 vSphere vMotion