Specifications

Supported Database Upgrades
When you upgrade to vCenter Server 5.5, make sure that the upgraded version supports your database.
For a list of the specific database versions supported for the version of vCenter Server that you are
upgrading to, see the VMware Product Interoperability Matrix at
http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/sim/interop_matrix.php.
NOTE The version 5.5 vCenter Server Appliance uses a PostgreSQL for the embedded database. For external
databases, the vCenter Server Appliance supports only Oracle databases, in the same versions shown in the
VMware Product Interoperability Matrix for the version of vCenter Server that you are upgrading to.
Confirm That vCenter Server Can Communicate with the Local
Database
If your database is located on the same machine on which vCenter Server will be installed, and you have
changed the name of this machine, make sure the vCenter Server DSN is configured to communicate with
the new name of the machine.
Changing the vCenter Server computer name impacts database communication if the database server is on
the same computer with vCenter Server. If you changed the machine name, you can verify that
communication remains intact.
The name change has no effect on communication with remote databases. You can skip this procedure if
your database is remote.
Check with your database administrator or the database vendor to make sure all components of the
database are working after you rename the server.
Prerequisites
n
Make sure the database server is running.
n
Make sure that the vCenter Server computer name is updated in the domain name service (DNS).
Procedure
1 Update the data source information, as needed.
2 Ping the computer name to test this connection.
For example, if the computer name is host-1.company.com, run the following command in the Windows
command prompt:
ping host-1.company.com
If you can ping the computer name, the name is updated in DNS.
Synchronizing Clocks on the vSphere Network
Before you install vCenter Single Sign-On, install the vSphere Web Client, or deploy the vCenter Server
Appliance, make sure that all machines on the vSphere network have their clocks synchronized.
If the clocks on vCenter Server network machines are not synchronized, SSL certificates, which are time-
sensitive, might not be recognized as valid in communications between network machines. Unsynchronized
clocks can result in authentication problems, which can cause the vSphere Web Client installation to fail or
prevent the vCenter Server Appliance vpxd service from starting.
Make sure that any Windows host on which a vCenter component runs is synchronized with the NTP
server. See the Knowledge Base article Timekeeping best practices for Windows, including NTP.
Chapter 3 Preparing for the Upgrade to vCenter Server
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