For more information about the VMware Management Interface, go to www.vmware.com/support/esx2/doc/.


 

Configuring the Service Console
Configuring the Service Console

You can configure the server processor and disk resources for the service console. These resources are divided among the service console and all virtual disks on any VMFS partitions located on the same disk on the ESX Server system.

You must be logged into the management interface as root. Click the Options tab, then click Service Console Settings.

Configuring the Service Console's Processor Usage
Configuring the Service Console's Processor Usage

To review and configure the service console's processor usage, click the CPU tab. The CPU page appears. The CPU page shows how much of the server processor or processors the service console is utilizing and how CPU resources are allocated to the service console. CPU resources information includes:

For example, a virtual machine is stored on the same drive as the service console and has a minimum CPU percentage of 20%, and a maximum CPU percentage of 50%. Meanwhile, the service console has a minimum percentage of 30% and no specified maximum percentage. You then decide to give the virtual machine 3000 CPU shares and the service console 1000 CPU shares.

ESX Server interprets this allocation so that the virtual machine never has less than 20% of the total physical CPU resources, while the service console never has less than 30% of the total physical CPU resources, in any situation.

However, if other virtual machines on the same disk are idling, then ESX Server redistributes this extra CPU time proportionally, based on the virtual machine's and service console's CPU shares. Active virtual machines benefit when extra resources are available. In this example, the virtual machine gets three times as much CPU time as the service console, subject to the specified CPU percentages.

That is, the virtual machine has three times as much CPU time as the service console, as long as the virtual machine's CPU percentage is between 20% and 50%. In actuality, the virtual machine may only get twice the CPU time of the service console, because three times the CPU time exceeds 50%, or the maximum CPU percentage of the virtual machine.

These values can be modified. Click Edit. The Edit CPU Resources window appears.

Change the settings and click OK to save them and close the window.

If you are running a large number of virtual machines on the same disk as the service console, consider increasing the minimum processor percentage. Otherwise, you may notice performance problems with the service console, even if the virtual machines are idle.

Click the Disk tab to view information about the service console processor usage.

Configuring the Service Console's Disk Usage
Configuring the Service Console's Disk Usage

To review and configure the service console's disk usage, click the Disk tab. The Disk page appears.

The Disk page shows hard disk performance information and resources allocated to the service console. Disk bandwidth represents the amount of data that is written to or read from the server's physical disks.

The values under Performance indicate how much bandwidth is being used when the service console is reading from or writing to the physical disk on the server.

The Shares value represents a relative metric for controlling disk bandwidth, where this value is compared to the sum of all shares of all virtual machines on the same disk as the service console and the service console itself.

For example, the service console and 2 VMFS partitions, VMFS-A and VMFS-B, are located on the same hard disk on the ESX Server system. If the service console has 2000 shares and VMFS-A and VMFS-B each have 1000 shares, then the service console has twice the disk bandwidth of both VMFS-A and VMFS-B.

The number of shares can be modified. Click Edit.

Change the number of shares, then click OK to save it and close the window.

Click the CPU tab to view information about service console processor usage.