Create a separate data center and cluster for the {virt-product-fullname} {engine-name} and other infrastructure-level services, if the environment is large enough to allow it. Although the {engine-name} virtual machine can run on hosts in a regular cluster, separation from production virtual machines helps facilitate backup schedules, performance, availability, and security.

A storage domain dedicated to the {engine-name} virtual machine is created during self-hosted engine deployment. Do not use this storage domain for any other virtual machines.

If you are anticipating heavy storage workloads, separate the migration, management, and storage networks to reduce the impact on the {engine-name} virtual machine’s health.

Although there is technically no hard limit on the number of hosts per cluster, limit self-hosted engine nodes to 7 nodes per cluster. Distribute the servers in a way that allows better resilience (such as in different racks).

All self-hosted engine nodes should have an equal CPU family so that the {engine-name} virtual machine can safely migrate between them. If you intend to have various families, begin the installation with the lowest one.

If the {engine-name} virtual machine shuts down or needs to be migrated, there must be enough memory on a self-hosted engine node for the {engine-name} virtual machine to restart on or migrate to it.