6.7
Table Of Contents
- vCenter Server Installation and Setup
- Contents
- About vCenter Server Installation and Setup
- Introduction to vSphere Installation and Setup
- Overview of the vSphere Installation and Setup Process
- vCenter Server Components and Services
- Overview of the vCenter Server Appliance
- vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller Deployment Types
- Understanding vSphere Domains, Domain Names, and Sites
- Deployment Topologies with External Platform Services Controller Instances and High Availability
- vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode
- Deploying the vCenter Server Appliance and Platform Services Controller Appliance
- System Requirements for the vCenter Server Appliance and Platform Services Controller Appliance
- Hardware Requirements for the vCenter Server Appliance and Platform Services Controller Appliance
- Storage Requirements for the vCenter Server Appliance and Platform Services Controller Appliance
- Software Requirements for the vCenter Server Appliance and Platform Services Controller Appliance
- Required Ports for vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller
- DNS Requirements for the vCenter Server Appliance and Platform Services Controller Appliance
- vSphere Web Client Software Requirements
- Preparing for Deployment of the vCenter Server Appliance and Platform Services Controller Appliance
- Prerequisites for Deploying the vCenter Server Appliance or Platform Services Controller Appliance
- GUI Deployment of the vCenter Server Appliance and Platform Services Controller Appliance
- Required Information for Deploying a vCenter Server Appliance or Platform Services Controller Appliance
- Deploy the vCenter Server Appliance with an Embedded Platform Services Controller by Using the GUI
- Deploy a Platform Services Controller Appliance by Using the GUI
- Deploy the vCenter Server Appliance with an External Platform Services Controller by Using the GUI
- CLI Deployment of the vCenter Server Appliance and Platform Services Controller Appliance
- System Requirements for the vCenter Server Appliance and Platform Services Controller Appliance
- Installing vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller on Windows
- vCenter Server for Windows Requirements
- Pre-Install Checks for vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller on Windows
- Hardware Requirements for vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller on Windows
- Storage Requirements for vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller on Windows
- Software Requirements for vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller on Windows
- Database Requirements for vCenter Server on Windows
- Required Ports for vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller
- DNS Requirements for vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller on Windows
- vSphere Web Client Software Requirements
- Preparing for Installing vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller on Windows
- Download the vCenter Server Installer for Windows
- Preparing vCenter Server Databases for Install
- vCenter Server Database Configuration Notes
- Configure Microsoft SQL Server Databases
- Configure Oracle Databases
- Database Permission Requirements for vCenter Server
- Verify That vCenter Server Can Communicate with the Local Database
- Maintaining a vCenter Server Database
- Synchronizing Clocks on the vSphere Network
- Using a User Account for Running vCenter Server
- Installing vCenter Server on IPv6 Machines
- Running the vCenter Server Installer from a Network Drive
- Required Information for Installing vCenter Server or Platform Services Controller on Windows
- Installing vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller on Windows
- vCenter Server for Windows Requirements
- File-Based Backup and Restore of vCenter Server Appliance
- Image-Based Backup and Restore of a vCenter Server Environment
- After You Install vCenter Server or Deploy the vCenter Server Appliance
- Log in to vCenter Server by Using the vSphere Web Client
- Install the VMware Enhanced Authentication Plug-in
- Collect vCenter Server Log Files
- Repoint vCenter Server to Another External Platform Services Controller in the Same Domain
- Repoint vCenter Server to External Platform Services Controller in a Different Domain
- Reconfigure a Standalone vCenter Server with an Embedded Platform Services Controller to a vCenter Server with an External Platform Services Controller
- Troubleshooting vCenter Server Installation or Deployment
- Uninstall vCenter Server
Procedure
1 Download the vCenter Server installer from the VMware Web site at
https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/downloads.
vCenter Server is part of VMware vCloud Suite and VMware vSphere, listed under Datacenter &
Cloud Infrastructure.
2 VMware provides a sha-1 hash, a sha-256 hash, or an MD5 message digest for software downloads.
To confirm file integrity, use a sha-1, sha-256, and/or a MD5 utility on your computer to calculate your
own hash for files downloaded from the VMware web site.
See the VMware Web site topic Using Cryptographic Hashes at
http://www.vmware.com/download/md5.html.
3 Mount the ISO image to the Windows virtual machine or physical server on which you want to install
vCenter Server for Windows.
Preparing vCenter Server Databases for Install
vCenter Server requires a database to store and organize server data. For vCenter Server on Windows,
you can either use the bundled PostgreSQL database that can be installed and configured together with
vCenter Server, or you can set up an external database prior to installing vCenter Server.
vCenter Server for Windows supports Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server as external databases.
You can configure an external database manually or by using a script. In addition, the data source name
user must have a specific list of permissions.
The database passwords are stored in clear text on the Windows virtual machine or physical host on
which you install vCenter Server and in the vCenter Server Appliance. The files containing the passwords
are protected by using the operating system protection, that is, you must be a Windows local
administrator or a Linux root user to access and read these files.
vCenter Server instances cannot share the same database schema. Multiple vCenter Server databases
can reside on the same database server, or they can be separated across multiple database servers. For
Oracle databases, which have the concept of schema objects, you can run multiple vCenter Server
instances in a single database server if you have a different schema owner for each vCenter Server
instance. You can also use a dedicated Oracle database server for each vCenter Server instance.
You cannot install vCenter Server and point to an older external vCenter Server database. You can
upgrade the old vCenter Server database to the latest version only by upgrading the vCenter Server
instance connected to that database. For information about upgrading vCenter Server, see vSphere
Upgrade.
vCenter Server Database Configuration Notes
After you select a supported database type, make sure you understand any special configuration
requirements.
vCenter Server Installation and Setup
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