What is the function of the vCenter Server?

The function of vCenter Server primarily revolves around providing a centralized management interface for virtualized environments. It enables administrators to streamline the management of multiple ESXi hosts and their virtual machines from one location, improving operational efficiency and simplifying administrative tasks. Through vCenter Server, users can perform a range of tasks such as provisioning, monitoring, and maintaining virtual machines across different hosts, as well as configuring advanced features like vMotion, High Availability, and Distributed Resource Scheduler.

While aspects like managing host hardware or controlling storage policies can certainly be part of the overall management experience in a virtual environment, these functions are typically delegated to the hosts or other components rather than being the primary purpose of vCenter Server. Running virtual machines directly is also not a function of vCenter; instead, it is the ESXi hosts that actually execute the virtual machine workloads. The centralized management provided by vCenter Server is essential for efficiently controlling the overall infrastructure and ensuring seamless operations within the virtual environment.