Explore vCenter Maximum Host in Different Versions

What is the maximum number of vCenter hosts? Knowing the direct number will help you to manage the virtual environment in vCenter, and also ensure that vCenter Server continues to perform optimally in your environment.

Amelia

By Amelia / Updated on October 23, 2024

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Quick question about vSphere/vCenter (max amount of hosts)

I got an interesting question, which I could not really find the right answer to (including the TCO calculator can only go up to 5000 hosts)... what is the maximum number of hosts it can take in one cluster/DC? I am familiar with it, but in my current company, I am wondering if it would be able to manage ~500k cores.

- Question from Reddit

VMware vCenter Server enables centralized management and monitoring of virtualized environments and provides a centralized platform for hosts. This article will give you the direct number of how many hosts can vCenter manage, and the factors that may influence the host limits.

vcenter maximum hosts

How Many Hosts Can vCenter Manage

The vCenter maximum hosts depend on the version of vCenter Server, and the number of hosts that can be managed varies from version to version to ensure that the platform runs efficiently. You can first check the vCenter version, and then ensure the vCenter maximum hosts. The following is a list of the vCenter maximum hosts per cluster that can be managed by different versions.

vCenter Version

vCenter Edition

Maximum Hosts per vCenter

Maximum Hosts per Cluster

Maximum VMs per vCenter

Maximum VMs per Host

vCenter 6.0

vCenter Server Standard

1000

64

10000

1024

 

vCenter Server Foundation

4

32

250

512

 

vCenter Server Essentials

3

N/A

100

512

vCenter 6.5

vCenter Server Standard

2000

64

25000

1024

 

vCenter Server Foundation

4

32

300

512

 

vCenter Server Essentials

3

N/A

200

512

vCenter 6.7

vCenter Server Standard

2000

64

35000

1024

 

vCenter Server Foundation

4

32

400

768

 

vCenter Server Essentials

3

N/A

200

768

vCenter 7.0

vCenter Server Standard

2000

96

35000

1024

 

vCenter Server Foundation

4

64

400

768

 

vCenter Server Essentials

3

N/A

200

768

Factors Influencing Host Limits

The following are several factors thatcan impact the management of hosts through vCenter.

1. Resource Utilization

The more VMs running on a host, the more resource contention it has, which affects the number of hosts that can be managed.

2. Database Performance

As the number of hosts increases, the load on the vCenter Server database used to store configurations, data, and events also increases, which could affect its performance.

3. Network Infrastructure

Insufficient bandwidth or excessive latency affects vCenter's ability to effectively manage hosts.

Efficiently Manage Large Numbers of Virtual Machine in VMware

If vCenter manages an excessive number of hosts, it can cause performance issues, database strain, and other problems that can ultimately threaten data security. For this reason, it is important to have backup software that not only protects data security but also manages numerous virtual machines.

AOMEI Cyber Backup is a professional VMware backup software that enables you to back up multiple virtual machines managed by vCenter Server or on a standalone ESXi host. AOMEI Cyber Backup also provides you with the following features and benefits.

🔆Automated Backup: It provides you with the ability to configure a backup schedule where backup tasks will be executed automatically at a specified time.
🔆Multiple VM Backup: It can batch backup a large number of virtual machines managed by vCenter Server or multiple virtual machines on a standalone ESXi host.
🔆Retention Policy: It allows deleting the unwanted or expired backups to save storage.
🔆Flexible Storage Destination: It allows to storage backups to local drives, network locations, or cloud storage.
🔆Automated Execution: It can create backup schedules to automate backup daily, weekly, or monthly.

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4 Easy Steps to Create Auto Backup for Multiple VMs in vCenter Server

Step 1. Bind Device: First, access to AOMEI Cyber Backup web client, then navigate to Source Device > VMware and click + Add VMware Device to add a host. Then enter the required information, including Device Information and User Information, after finishing, click Confirm to bind the device.

Bind device

Step 2. Create Backup Task: Navigate to Backup Task and click + Create New Task, then select VMware ESXi Backup as the Backup Type.

VMware ESXi backup

Step 3. Set up the Task Name, Device, Target, Archive, Schedule, and Cleanup according to your needs.

▶Task Name: You can use the default name, or change the task name that you want.

▶Device: Batch selected VMs managed by vCenter Server for centralized backup.

Select virtual machines vCenter

▶Target: You can select to backup to a local path, or to a network path.

backup to a local path

▶Archive: You can easily backup VMware to AWS by enabling the archive feature.

archive vmware backup

▶Schedule: It can perform full, differential, or incremental backup, and automate according to the specified frequency.

schedule backup

▶Cleanup: It can automatically delete the old backup copies that exceed the retention period you specified.

backup cleanup

Step 4. Start Backup: Click Start Backup and select Add the schedule and start backup now, or Add the schedule only.

Start Backup

Step 5. Restore: Click Restore to restore the virtual machine from backup. Select a VM backup and click Restore to new location, or Restore to original location.

restore VM

Conclusion

vCenter's ability to manage a large number of hosts is an advantage, but it also poses certain risks and challenges once the maximum number is exceeded, so with an understanding of vCenter maximum hosts, it is important to efficiently manage VMware virtual environments as administrators are able to perform proper maintenance. Also, the further protection of data in virtual machines at AOEMI Cyber Backup can make the management of vCenter more reliable.

Amelia
Amelia · Editor
Amelia is an editor from AOMEI. Trained in professional systems, she specializes in solving problems in enterprise databases, virtual machines, and physical environments. With a high sense of responsibility, she is dedicated to protecting business data and security.