Which component provides centralized management for security and network of multiple ESXi hosts?

The component that provides centralized management for security and network of multiple ESXi hosts is vCenter Server. vCenter Server acts as a centralized management platform for VMware environments, allowing administrators to manage multiple ESXi hosts and the virtual machines running on those hosts from a single interface. This centralized control includes not only the deployment and management of virtual machines, but also critical functions such as monitoring performance, managing security permissions, and configuring network resources across a cluster of hosts.

Through vCenter Server, you can implement features like vSphere Distributed Switches, which allow for more advanced networking capabilities among linked hosts, and you can enforce security policies across multiple hosts from one point. This makes vCenter Server vital for maintaining a cohesive and organized virtual infrastructure, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and that security protocols are consistently applied.

In contrast, VMware ESXi is the hypervisor that runs on physical hardware to provide the virtualization layer, but it does not provide centralized management. VMware Horizon is focused on delivering virtual desktops and applications, while the vSphere Web Client is merely an interface for accessing vCenter Server, rather than a management component by itself.