Central to resource management for all environments is either a ComputeResource or a ClusterComputeResource managed object.

  • The ComputeResource managed object represents the set of resources for a set of virtual machines. A ComputeResource is always associated with a root ResourcePool object, representing the resources of a single host.
  • The ClusterComputeResource data object aggregates the compute resources of multiple associated HostSystem objects into a single compute resource for use by virtual machines. A ClusterComputeResource is associated with a root ResourcePool representing the combined resources of the cluster. If you plan on using VMware cluster services such as HA (High Availability), DRS (Distributed Resource Scheduling), or on using EVC (Enhanced vMotion Compatibility), use ClusterComputeResource.
    Important: HA, DRS, and EVC may require feature licenses. If any clustering functionality does not work properly, check whether you have licenses for it.
  • The ResourcePool managed object represents a set of physical resources of a single host, a subset of a host's resources, or resources spanning multiple hosts. Resource pools can be subdivided by creating child resource pools. Only virtual machines associated with a resource pool can be powered on.