Retaining resource pools when disabling VMware DRS clusters in the vSphere Web Client

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article provides steps to retain resource pools when disabling VMware DRS clusters in the vSphere Web Client.

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.x

Resolution

Caution: Contact VMware Technical Support before proceeding with the resolution steps if  using vCloud Director within the environment.

 

After disabling DRS, the cluster’s resource pool hierarchy and affinity rules are not retained when DRS is turned back on. When disabling DRS, the resource pools are removed from the cluster.

Note: If there are vApps in the cluster, disabling DRS prompts to delete all vApps in the cluster.

To avoid losing the resource pools when disabling DRS, save a snapshot of the resource pool tree on the local machine. The resource pool tree snapshot can then be used to restore the resource pool when DRS is enabled again.

Disabling DRS in the vSphere Web Client to save Resource pool

To disable DRS in the vSphere Web Client:

1. Browse to the cluster in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
2. Click the Manage tab and click Settings.
   
   Note: Alternatively, in the vSphere 5.5 Web Client,  right-click the cluster and click Settings.
   
   
3. Under vSphere DRS, click Edit.
4. Deselect the Turn On vSphere DRS option.
5. Click OK to turn off DRS.
6. Select an option to save the resource pool.
   
   
   • Click Yes to save a resource pool tree snapshot on a local machine.
   • Click No to turn off DRS without saving a resource pool tree snapshot.

Note: This step is optional. Also, permissions for the resource pool are not included in the snapshot, please record the list of permissions if they are intended to be reinstated.

Restoring a resource pool tree in the vSphere Web Client

To restore a resource pool tree in the vSphere Web Client:

 

Note: Before restoring a previously saved resource pool tree snapshot, ensure that:

• vSphere DRS is enabled
• Restore the snapshot only to the same cluster from which it was taken.
• No other resource pools are present in the cluster.

1. Browse to the cluster in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
2. Right-click the cluster and click All vCenter Actions.
3. Select Restore Resource Pool Tree.
4. Click Browse and locate the snapshot file on the local machine.
5. Click Open.
6. Click OK to restore the resource pool tree.

Additional Information

Impact/Risks:
Caution: Contact VMware Technical Support before proceeding with the resolution steps if you are using vCloud Director within your environment.