Enable EVC on an Existing Cluster
When putting esx hosts with different CPU family in a cluster , the EVC - Enhanced vMotion Compatibility should be enable to improve CPU compatibility between hosts. EVC hide CPU features in order to let vMotion compatible for servers with different CPU models.
Procedure
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- If virtual machines are running on hosts that have feature sets greater than the EVC mode you intend to enable, ensure that the cluster has no powered-on virtual machines.
- Power off all the virtual machines on the hosts with feature sets greater than the EVC mode,
- Migrate the cluster’s virtual machines to another host using vMotion.
- Because these virtual machines are running with more features than the EVC mode you intend to set, power off the virtual machines to migrate them back into the cluster after enabling EVC :
- "The host cannot be admitted to the cluster's current Enhanced vMotion Compatibility mode. Powered-on or suspended virtual machines on the host may be using CPU features hidden by that mode."
- Ensure that the cluster contains hosts with from either Intel or AMD CPUs.
- Any virtual machines running with a larger feature set than the EVC mode you enabled for the cluster must be powered off before they can be moved back into the cluster.
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EVC Mode
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Virtual Machine Power Action
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Raise the EVC mode to a CPU baseline with more features.
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Running virtual machines can remain powered on. New EVC mode features are not
available to the virtual machines until they are powered off and powered back
on again. A full power cycling is required. Rebooting the guest operating
system or suspending and resuming the virtual machine is not sufficient.
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Lower the EVC mode to a CPU baseline with fewer features.
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Power off virtual machines if they are powered on and running at
a higher EVC Mode than the one you intend to enable.
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The Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) processor support could be found in :
Description of Intel EVC Baselines
| EVC Level |
EVC Baseline |
Description |
| L0 |
Intel® "Merom" Gen. (Intel® Xeon® Core™ 2) |
Applies baseline feature set of Intel® "Merom" Generation (Intel® Xeon® Core™ 2) processors to all hosts in the cluster. |
| L1 |
Intel® "Penryn" Gen. (formerly Intel® Xeon® 45nm Core™ 2) |
Applies baseline feature set of Intel® "Penryn" Generation (Intel® Xeon® 45nm Core™ 2) processors to all hosts in the cluster.
Compared to the Intel® "Merom" Generation EVC mode, this EVC mode exposes additional CPU features including SSE4.1. |
| L2 |
Intel® "Nehalem" Gen. (formerly Intel® Xeon® Core™ i7) |
Applies baseline feature set of Intel® "Nehalem" Generation (Intel® Xeon® Core™ i7) processors to all hosts in the cluster.
Compared
to the Intel® "Penryn" Generation EVC mode, this EVC mode exposes
additional CPU features including SSE4.2 and POPCOUNT. |
| L3 |
Intel® "Westmere" Gen. (formerly Intel® Xeon® 32nm Core™ i7) |
Applies
baseline feature set of Intel® "Westmere" Generation (Intel® Xeon® 32nm
Core™ i7) processors to all hosts in the cluster. Compared to the
Intel® "Nehalem" Generation mode, this EVC mode exposes additional CPU
features including AES and PCLMULQDQ.
Note:
Intel® i3/i5 Xeon® Clarkdale Series processors that do not support AESNI
and PCLMULQDQ cannot be admitted to EVC modes higher than the Intel®
"Nehalem" Generation mode. |
| L4 |
Intel® "Sandy Bridge" Generation |
Applies
baseline feature set of Intel® "Sandy Bridge" Generation processors to
all hosts in the cluster. Compared to the Intel® "Westmere" Generation
mode, this EVC mode exposes additional CPU features including AVX and
XSAVE.
Note: Intel® "Sandy Bridge" processors
that do not support AESNI and PCLMULQDQ cannot be admitted to EVC modes
higher than the Intel® "Nehalem" Generation mode. |
| L5 |
Intel® "Ivy Bridge" Generation |
Applies
baseline feature set of Intel® "Ivy Bridge" Generation processors to
all hosts in the cluster. Compared to the Intel® "Ivy Bridge" Generation
EVC mode, this EVC mode exposes additional CPU features including
RDRAND, ENFSTRG, FSGSBASE, SMEP, and F16C.
Note:
Some Intel® "Ivy Bridge" processors do not provide the full "Ivy
Bridge" feature set. Such processors cannot be admitted to EVC modes
higher than the Intel® "Nehalem" Generation mode. |
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In vCenter Server 5.1 and 5.5, the Intel® "Ivy Bridge" Generation option is only displayed in the Web Client.
Prerequisites
Before you enable EVC on an existing cluster, ensure that the hosts in the cluster meet the requirements listed in EVC Requirements for Hosts.
The EVC option in vSphere 5.5 including the "Haswell" CPU series support
Intel EVC Baselines supported in vCenter Server releases
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EVC Cluster Baseline |
| vCenter Server Release |
Intel® "Merom" Generation |
Intel® "Penryn" Generation |
Intel® "Nehalem" Generation |
Intel® "Westmere" Generation |
Intel® "Sandy Bridge" Generation |
Intel® "Ivy Bridge" Generation |
| VirtualCenter 2.5 U2 and later updates |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
| vCenter Server 4.0 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
| vCenter Server 4.0 U1 and later updates |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
| vCenter Server 4.1 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
| vCenter Server 5.0 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| vCenter Server 5.1 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| vCenter Server 5.5 |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes* |
*The EVC option in vSphere 5.5 including the "Haswell" CPU series support
Include vSphere 5.5
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