A Principled Technologies report: Hands-on testing. Real-world results.
Executive summary
Streamline operations with new and updated VMware vSphere 8.0 features on 16th Generation Dell PowerEdge servers
Managing infrastructure at scale requires significant monitoring and maintenance from data center administrators. By updating your environment with clusters of latest 16th Generation Dell™ PowerEdge™ servers and the latest versions of software, you can arm administrators with cutting-edge tools to help simplify routine tasks. The latest release of VMware® vSphere®, version 8.0, offers new and updated features to make monitoring and managing Dell PowerEdge servers easier.
Connecting to a cluster of two remote 16th Generation Dell PowerEdge R6625 servers from our data center, we explored how vSphere 8.0 can simplify some PowerEdge server, host, and VM configuration tasks as well as some ongoing monitoring tasks. We found that the new and upgraded vSphere 8.0 features we evaluated provide the functionality they aim to deliver. For your organization, that could translate to better hardware and software performance and less downtime. In addition, your data center admins could focus less on routine management and monitoring tasks and spend more time on remediation or other work to help the organization.
For latest 16th Generation Dell PowerEdge servers, what’s new and improved with VMware vSphere 8.0?
Centralized management capabilities for VMware vSphere 8.0 improved from the previous version to further ease management burdens for administrators. Figure 1 shows the improvements that we found.
Summary of the lifecycle management features we investigated in vSphere 8.0 compared to the previous version. Source: Principled Technologies.
Stage cluster image updates
With vSphere 8, admins no longer need to put hosts into maintenance mode when staging updates for the 16th Gen PowerEdge cluster, which can lessen the time that hosts must spend in maintenance mode and thus reduce potential downtime due to host updating. In addition, VMs in the PowerEdge cluster do not need to shut down or migrate to a host not in maintenance mode.
Remediate hosts in a PowerEdge server cluster in parallel
Admins can remediate issues on multiple hosts in parallel in vSphere 8.0. Parallel remediation of hosts could reduce the overall time to remediate a cluster of latest-gen PowerEdge servers.
Configure hosts in a PowerEdge cluster at scale
Configuration Profiles, a new feature in vSphere 8.0, allows admins to configure all hosts in a PowerEdge cluster at once with the same configuration. Ensuring hosts in a cluster have the same configuration can help minimize errors at the host level so VMs can function properly regardless of placement within the cluster.
Reduce potential issues when securing VMs
Cloning a VM with a virtual TPM (vTPM) means cloning the secret Endorsement Key of a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which could introduce security risks. vSphere 8 offers a new feature, called TPM Provision Policy, to ensure each cloned VM in the PowerEdge cluster can have a unique vTPM.
Conclusion
By using the latest software and 16th Generation Dell PowerEdge servers in your VMware vSphere environment, you can provide your data center administrators with new or updated tools that simplify routine tasks in both initial host setup and ongoing monitoring. In our exploration of the latest features in vSphere 8.0 Lifecycle Manager, we found that vSphere 8.0 on 16th Generation Dell PowerEdge servers offers advantages compared to the previous generation, which may make an infrastructure update worth your while. By introducing vSphere Configuration Profiles and providing simpler image updates to vSphere clusters, VMware vSphere 8.0 on latest 16th Generation Dell PowerEdge servers can help streamline operations for your administrative staff.
This project was commissioned by Dell Technologies.
April 2023. Revised April 2023.
Principled Technologies is a registered trademark of Principled Technologies, Inc.
All other product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.
Principled Technologies disclaimer
Principled Technologies is a registered trademark of Principled Technologies, Inc.
All other product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:
Principled Technologies, Inc. has made reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and validity of its testing, however, Principled Technologies, Inc. specifically disclaims any warranty, expressed or implied, relating to the test results and analysis, their accuracy, completeness or quality, including any implied warranty of fitness for any particular purpose. All persons or entities relying on the results of any testing do so at their own risk, and agree that Principled Technologies, Inc., its employees and its subcontractors shall have no liability whatsoever from any claim of loss or damage on account of any alleged error or defect in any testing procedure or result.
In no event shall Principled Technologies, Inc. be liable for indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages in connection with its testing, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Principled Technologies, Inc.’s liability, including for direct damages, exceed the amounts paid in connection with Principled Technologies, Inc.’s testing. Customer’s sole and exclusive remedies are as set forth herein.
Principled Technologies disclaimer
Principled Technologies is a registered trademark of Principled Technologies, Inc.
All other product names are the trademarks of their respective owners.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY:
Principled Technologies, Inc. has made reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and validity of its testing, however, Principled Technologies, Inc. specifically disclaims any warranty, expressed or implied, relating to the test results and analysis, their accuracy, completeness or quality, including any implied warranty of fitness for any particular purpose. All persons or entities relying on the results of any testing do so at their own risk, and agree that Principled Technologies, Inc., its employees and its subcontractors shall have no liability whatsoever from any claim of loss or damage on account of any alleged error or defect in any testing procedure or result.
In no event shall Principled Technologies, Inc. be liable for indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages in connection with its testing, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. In no event shall Principled Technologies, Inc.’s liability, including for direct damages, exceed the amounts paid in connection with Principled Technologies, Inc.’s testing. Customer’s sole and exclusive remedies are as set forth herein.
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