User`s guide

Overview
1
Overview
This manual helps you determine your specific hardware and software requirements for VMware vCenter
Configuration Manager (VCM) and helps you install and configure the prerequisites necessary for a
successful installation.
To determine your hardware and software requirements, you must begin by considering the answers to
several questions. Worksheets are available later in this document to help you determine the answers to
these questions.
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How many Windows Servers and Workstations and UNIX/Linux machines do you plan to license?
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How often do you intend to collect data?
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How much data do you intend to collect?
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How long do you plan to retain the data that you collect?
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What additional VCM components do you intend to use? See the Download VMware vCenter
Configuration Manager Web site for more information about VCM components.
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Do you fully understand your VCM security requirements? See the VCM Security Environment
Requirements Technical White Paper on the Download VMware vCenter Configuration Manager Web
site.
To successfully install VCM, you must complete the preparatory tasks in order.
1. Understand how VCM and its related components are installed (described in this chapter).
2. Determine your VCM Collector hardware requirements based on the number of machines in your
enterprise and the VCM components that you plan to license. See "Hardware Requirements for
Collector Machines" on page 11.
3. Determine your VCM Agent hardware requirements based on the VCM components that you plan to
license. A list of supported operating systems is included. See "Hardware and Operating System
Requirements for Agent Machines" on page 15.
4. Prepare the Windows server to install VCM by installing and configuring the necessary software
prerequisites. See "Software and Operating System Requirements for Collector Machines" on page 25.
5. Configure SQLServer to fine-tune the settings. See "Configure SQL Server for VCM" on page 47.
Complete each of the activities and procedures in the order in which they appear. After you complete
these tasks, you can run Foundation Checker to ensure your system is ready to install VCM. Foundation
Checker is a VCM application that scans the Collector machine for the necessary prerequisites.
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