Disabling Distributed Resource Scheduler for an individual virtual machine allows administrators to prevent automated vMotion migrations while keeping cluster-wide load balancing enabled for all other workloads. This setting is configured directly inside the vSphere inventory by adjusting individual virtual machine automation overrides within the cluster configuration panel to maintain strict placement control over sensitive software components.
Understanding Cluster Automation Mechanics
Cluster Level Resource Balance
Cluster automation coordinates resource distribution across available physical server hardware using continuous metrics. When enabled at the cluster tier, Distributed Resource Scheduler monitors central processing unit and memory usage to relocate running virtual machines. This balancing mechanism ensures that no single hypervisor host becomes overloaded during peak operational workloads. Administrators rely on this baseline feature to optimize overall data center performance without manual intervention.
Virtual Machine Override Settings
Individual virtual machine overrides allow granular exception handling for specialized applications. By modifying individual settings, an administrator can decouple a specific guest operating system from automated cluster movements. This capability stops unexpected vMotion events that might disrupt long running processes or licensed software nodes. The configuration acts as a targeted exception rather than altering the broader cluster behavior.
Manual Control and Stability
Opting out of automated management preserves predictable placement on a designated physical host. Certain legacy workloads or specialized database engines require stable hardware affinities to function properly. Locking a virtual machine to its current host eliminates migration overhead and potential network handoff delays. System engineers often use this approach during troubleshooting phases or maintenance windows.
Impact on Group Rules
Disabling automation for a single workload interacts closely with existing affinity or anti-affinity rules. While individual migration automation stops, cluster rules may still influence initial power-on placement or failover events. Administrators must evaluate whether group constraints conflict with the newly static status of the target machine. Proper planning prevents unexpected compliance errors or resource scheduling bottlenecks across the cluster.
Configuring Per Machine Overrides
Adjusting automation behavior for a single workload requires navigating to the specific cluster settings inside the management console where virtual machine overrides can be added, customized, and saved for immediate operational effect.
| Configuration State | Migration Behavior | Operational Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Fully Automated | Migrates freely across hosts | Standard general purpose workloads |
| Partially Automated | Suggests moves for approval | Balanced oversight with review |
| Automation Disabled | Stays on current host | Specialized or legacy applications |
| Cluster Default | Inherits global cluster rules | Uniform enterprise environment setup |
Steps for Adjusting Virtual Machine Settings
- Select the target vSphere cluster within the inventory tree view.
- Open the configuration tab and locate virtual machine automation options.
- Add the specific virtual machine to the override exception list.
- Set the automation level to disabled and save changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does disabling automation stop high availability restarts?
Disabling resource scheduling automation does not affect high availability restart behavior during an unexpected host failure event. The virtualization platform will still power on the affected virtual machine on an alternate surviving host automatically.
Can storage migrations still occur normally?
Storage relocation via storage vMotion remains completely independent of compute resource scheduling automation settings. Administrators can move virtual machine disks across datastores without altering compute host placement rules.
How do group affinity rules apply here?
Affinity and anti-affinity rules continue to evaluate placement constraints during power-on actions. Reviewing group policies on the Broadcom Community Discussion helps clarify rule interactions.
Conclusion
Managing individual virtual machine automation provides essential flexibility for maintaining application stability across enterprise cloud infrastructures. Reviewing cluster dependencies before modifying settings ensures predictable placement. Proceed to your vSphere management console to inspect current cluster overrides and update your target virtual machine configuration safely.
