What feature should be enabled to ensure compatibility of a new server with existing servers in a vSphere cluster?

Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) is the feature that should be enabled to ensure compatibility of a new server with existing servers in a vSphere cluster. EVC provides a uniform set of CPU features for all hosts within a cluster to support virtual machine migrations without compatibility issues.

When introducing a new server into a cluster, there may be differences in the CPU architecture or features between the new server and the existing servers. EVC ensures that all hosts present a consistent set of processor capabilities to the virtual machines, allowing for seamless migrations and operations. By enabling EVC, administrators can take advantage of newer CPU technologies while maintaining support for older hosts, thus facilitating the addition of new servers to the cluster without disrupting the existing environment.

This capability is crucial in environments where virtual machines may need to be migrated for load balancing or maintenance purposes, ensuring high availability and operational continuity.

Understanding this feature can significantly impact how a vSphere environment is managed, particularly when scalability and hardware upgrades are planned. Other options, while useful in different scenarios, do not specifically address the critical need for CPU compatibility across the cluster.