Cluster configuration through host ranking

A system for constructing a cluster from a plurality of hosts, each host designed to support execution of a plurality of virtual machines thereon, the system comprising:

• a cluster management server configured to interact with the plurality of hosts;
• a cluster configuration database to store a Host list and a Features list, wherein the Host list includes information associated with the plurality of hosts interacting with and managed by the cluster management server and the Features list including information associated with a plurality of features of a cluster, wherein the plurality of features is minimum requirements for each host to be part of the cluster including licenses for operation and requirements for forming the cluster;
• a cluster configuration module configured to interact with the cluster configuration database and to execute on the cluster management server using resources of the cluster management server;
• and
• a processor programmed to:
• retrieve the Host list and the Features list from the cluster configuration database;
• execute compatibility analysis for each host in the Host list, the compatibility analysis providing a ranking of each host in the Host list;
• identify a feature not met by one or more of the hosts in the Host list;
• adjust the plurality of features of the cluster by de-selecting the feature that is not met to create an adjusted list of features;
• dynamically refine the ranking of each of the hosts in the Host list based on the adjusted list of features;
• define the cluster as being hosts that are above a particular ranking in the ranking;
• and
• configure hosts above the particular ranking for the cluster.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a stored computer program for constructing a cluster from a plurality of hosts, each host designed to support execution of a plurality of virtual machines thereon, the computer program, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• determining a plurality of features of the cluster, the plurality of features defining minimum requirements a host is to have prior to joining the cluster;
• presenting the minimum requirements or the plurality of features and a plurality of suggested adjustments to the default requirements of particular features;
• adjusting the minimum requirements based on one or more of the suggested adjustments;
• executing compatibility analysis to identify a plurality of hosts that include a minimum number of the adjusted minimum requirements, the compatibility analysis providing a ranking of each of the identified hosts;
• identifying a feature whose requirements are not met by at least one of the identified hosts;
• de-selecting the feature;
• dynamically refining the ranking of the identified hosts based on the de-selected feature;
• defining the cluster as being made up of the identified hosts;
• and
• configuring the identified hosts for the cluster so as to construct the cluster.

A method for constructing a cluster of hosts, each host designed to support execution of a plurality of virtual machines thereon, the method comprising:

• identifying a plurality of features of a cluster, wherein the plurality of features is minimum requirements for a host to join the cluster;
• identifying a plurality of hosts which are available for addition as part of the cluster;
• executing a compatibility analysis for each of the identified hosts, the compatibility analysis identifying each of the plurality of features whose requirements are not satisfied by the identified hosts;
• presenting suggested adjustments to the features, the suggested adjustments enabling the one or more identified hosts to satisfy each of the identified features a host is to have prior to joining the cluster;
• enabling user selection of a feature from among the suggested adjustments;
• adjusting the plurality of features by de-selecting the selected feature as a feature for the cluster, the de-selection automatically adjusting the plurality of features of the cluster;
• defining the cluster as being made up of the identified hosts;
• and
• configuring the identified hosts to form the cluster to enable the identified hosts to execute a plurality of virtual machines.