VM host servers are generally separate machines from the Orchestrate Server, because the Orchestrate Server is highly utilized by the Orchestrate functions. Host servers’ main function is to manage and run virtual machines, which can also create high utilization.
VM host servers provide the capability to run virtual machines in their RAM. They are also used to store and manage VM files and templates in their local or shared repositories.
Machines must have the following installed on them to qualify as VM host servers:
The Xen kernel, Hyper-V, or VMware vSphere, which provides the hypervisor capability
The Orchestrate Agent, which provides access to the Orchestrate Server in order to work with VMs in the virtualization grid
For more information on setting up VM host servers, see Section 2.3, Registering VM Hosts.