Specifications

Table 3‑7. Configuration Notes for Databases Supported with vCenter Server
Database Type Configuration Notes
Microsoft SQL Server 2008
R2 Express
Bundled database that you can use for small deployments of up to 5 hosts and 50 virtual
machines.
SQL Server Collation Model: SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS.
ODBC System DSN minimum version: SQL Native Client 10.0 (version 2009.100.4000.00),
which you can obtain as a free download from the microsoft.com Download Center.
You cannot install the bundled database during an upgrade to vCenter Server. To use the
bundled database, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Express must be already installed or you
must perform a clean installation of vCenter Server.
NOTE This database is not supported for the vCenter Server Appliance.
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Ensure that the machine has a valid ODBC DSN entry.
SQL Server Collation Model: SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS.
ODBC System DSN minimum version: SQL Native Client 10.0 (version 2009.100.4000.00),
which you can obtain as a free download from the microsoft.com Download Center.
NOTE This database is not supported for the vCenter Server Appliance.
Microsoft SQL Server 2012
SP1
Ensure that the machine has a valid ODBC DSN entry.
Oracle 11g and 12c Ensure that the machine has a valid ODBC DSN entry.
After you complete the vCenter Server installation, take the following steps:
n
Apply the latest patch to the Oracle client and server.
n
Copy the Oracle JDBC driver (ojdbc14.jar or ojdbc5.jar) to the vCenter Server
installation directory, in the tomcat\lib subdirectory: vCenter install
location\Infrastructure\tomcat\lib.
n
In the Services section of the Windows Administrative Tools control panel, restart the
VMware VirtualCenter Management Webservices service.
The vCenter Server installer attempts to copy the Oracle JDBC driver from the Oracle client
location to the vCenter Server installation directory. If the Oracle JDBC driver is not found
in the Oracle client location, the vCenter Server installer prompts you to copy the file
manually. You can download the file from the oracle.com Web site.
Upgrading to vCenter Server on a Different Machine
Instead of performing an in-place upgrade to vCenter Server, you might want to use a different machine for
your upgrade. Because vCenter Server 5.x requires a 64-bit platform, you cannot upgrade from a version of
vCenter Server installed on a 32-bit platform.
The vCenter Server 5.0 installation media include a data migration tool. When you upgrade to version 5.0,
you can use this tool to migrate configuration information such as port settings, SSL certificates, and license
information from your existing vCenter Server host. This data migration tool is not supported for vCenter
Server versions 5.1 and later. You cannot directly migrate an existing vCenter Server to a different machine
during an upgrade to version 5.1.x or 5.5. You can migrate an existing vCenter Server to a different machine
during an upgrade to version 5.0, and then perform an in-place upgrade from version 5.0 to version 5.1.x or
5.5. See the version 5.0 vSphere Upgrade documentation.
vSphere Upgrade
52 VMware, Inc.