vCenter Server 6.0 is the first version that offers the same scale numbers for the Windows version as well as the Linux-based Appliance. Previously, customers might have had to choose the Windows variant, when running big virtualized environments. This update enables customers to deploy the version that fits best in their business, without worrying about stability or scalability.
VMware vSphere Update Manager (vUM) is the only remaining vCenter component that still needs a Windows server. So if you plan to use the vCenter Server appliance, you will still need to install an additional VM, running Microsoft Windows, to provide vUM.
The following table shows the major differences between vCenter Server (Appliance) 6 and 5.5:
|
Feature |
vCS / vCSA 6 |
vCSA 5.5 |
|---|---|---|
|
Hosts per vCenter |
1000 |
100 (1000 with external Oracle database) |
|
Registered VMs per vCenter |
15,000 |
3000 (10,000 with external Oracle database) |
|
Hosts per cluster |
64 |
32 |
|
VMs per cluster |
6,000 |
4,000 |
|
Linked Mode... |