5.8.2

Before Installing vCenter Operations
Manager 1
This section introduces the vCenter Operations Manager server installation.
This chapter includes the following topics:
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“Overview,” on page 7
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“Architecture,” on page 7
Overview
Installing vCenter Operations Manager consists of two procedures:
1 Preparing a database in either SQL Server or Oracle to hold the vCenter Operations Manager data.
2 Installing the vCenter Operations Manager software.
vCenter Operations Manager is designed as an enterprise solution, so planning and preparing your
environment is critical to successful deployment. You should consider several factors when planning your
vCenter Operations Manager environment:
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Environment size and landscape—the vCenter Operations Manager architecture needs to take into
account how large the environment is, including the number of applications, data sources, resources
and metrics, the physical environment distribution (the number of data centers), and the number of
users.
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Environment complexity—what specific architectural and service level requirements must be met,
including security, availability, and accessibility.
Architecture
vCenter Operations Manager architecture allows for deployment flexibility.
vCenter Operations Manager is a Java-based application with four interdependent components:
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vCenter Operations Manager server—Hosts the user interface and coordinates the functions of the
software, including controlling communications between the other components.
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vCenter Operations Manager analytics—Receives metrics gathered from monitored resources, analyzes
the data, and creates statistical models to detect abnormal behavior. This includes the dynamic
thresholds processor, which can be installed separately to distribute the processing load, as described in
Chapter 10, “Installing the Analytics Processor,” on page 37.
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vCenter Operations Manager collector—Acts as the gateway between vCenter Operations Manager and
the adapters used to collect data from the collection landscape. It is installed by default as part of the
primary server but can also be distributed as a stand-alone component. You can install one or more
remote collectors to navigate firewalls, share bandwidth across data centers, and reduce the load on the
vCenter Operations Manager server. You can install the collector on a shared server.
VMware, Inc.
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