Do you need help installing vCenter Server 8 to manage multiple ESXi hosts? This article walks you through the steps.
Step 1: Review the vCenter Server 8 Appliance Requirements
vCenter Server has multiple components with complex deployment requirements. Firstly, check that the ESXi host meets the vCPUs, memory, and storage requirements.
Specifically, the ESXi host must have at least 2 vCPUs, 14 GB RAM, and 579 GB storage size. The screenshot below shows the hardware requirements for deploying vCenter 8 Server Appliance.
Beyond these requirements, if you intend the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) for the vCenter server, it must be created in the DNS server in advance.
There is also a time synchronization requirement for the ESXi host that will run the vCenter server. To read the complete requirements, read the 4th link in our reference and further reading section at the end of this article.
Step 2: Prepare Your VMware ESXi Environment
Before you proceed, ensure that you’ve read the requirements and ensure that your ESXi environment meets them. In a test or lab environment, you may ignore some of the requirements.
However, there are some that you must meet. One of them is ensuring that the VMware ESXi host meets the minimum requirements of 2 vCPUs, 14 GB RAM, and 579 GB storage size.
These subsections explain how to check and configure your ESXi environment to meet these requirements.
1. Check for vCPU, RAM, and Storage Requirements
Follow these steps to check that the vCenter destination ESXi server meets these hardware requirements:
- Sign in to the ESXi host and click on Hosts. After that, expand Hardware -> CPU and view the Cores per socket. My screenshot below shows that the ESXi host has 2 vCPUs
This meets the minimum vCPU requirement.
- After that, check the RAM on the ESXi host by looking at the Memory.
- Finally, scroll to the Storage section and view available datastores.
Secondly, if you intend to use the FQDN for the vCenter server, it must be created in advance. To open a FQDN, open your DNS server and create a host-A record.
2. Create a Host A Record (FQDN) for the vCenter Server
Here is how to do this on a Windows DNS server:
- Right-click the forward lookup zone and point to New Host (A or AAA).
- After that, on the New Host pop-up, enter the name and IP address of the vCenter server. Before you click Add host, check “Create associated Pointer (PTR) record.”
3. Configure all ESXi Hosts to Synch to Network Time Server (NTP)
Before you proceed with these steps, get your NTP server for your region.
- Then, sign in to the ESXi host and set the host to Use Network Time Protocol (enable NTP client) from the Systems tab.
- After that, start the ntpd service: Under Host -> Manage -> Services.
Step 3: Install vCenter Server 8 Appliance
The vCenter Server 8 Appliance deployment is in two stages. Stage 1 installs the vCenter server appliance in a target ESXi host.
Then, stage 2 configures the vCenter Server 8 appliance.
Stage 1: vCenter Server 8 Appliance Deployment
- Download the vCenter server ISO file and mount it. To mount an ISO file, right-click it and choose Mount.
- Once the ISO is mounted, Windows will open it. Navigate to the folder – vcsa-ui-installer\win32 – and double-click installer.exe
- Then, on the first page of the vCenter Server installer, click Install.
- Read the information on the introduction and click Next. Then, accept the license terms and click Next.
- When the vCenter Server deployment target page opens, enter the details of the ESXi host you want to install the vCenter server. Also, enter the root login details and click Next.
If you receive a certificate warning, click Yes.
- After the installer validates successfully, enter a hostname for the vCenter server, set a root password, and click Next.
- Select the size of the deployment based on your current and further requirements and continue.
- Select a datastore storage location for the vCenter server and continue.
- When the wizard displays the vCenter server network configuration page, enter the details and click Next.
- Finally, review the stage 1 configuration settings and click Finish. Wait for the stage 1 deployment to complete.
Once the stage 1 deployment is completed, proceed to stage 2.
Stage 2: Configure the vCenter Server 8 Appliance
- To proceed with stage 2, open the URL of your vCenter server appliance on a browser on port 5480. Here is mine:
ipmpvcsa01.corp.itechguides.com:5480
- Log in to the vCenter server appliance with the root password you created in Stage 1.
- After signing in to the console via a browser, click Setup.
- On the introduction page, read the information and click Next.
- When the vCenter Server Configuration page loads, select your options and click Next.
- Then, configure the vCenter Single Sign-On and proceed.
- On the “Join the VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program” page, it is checked by default. If you do not wish to join, uncheck it and continue.
- Finally, to complete stage 2 of the vCenter Server 8 appliance installation, review your selections and click Finish. You’ll be prompted to confirm; click OK.
Wait for the deployment to complete
vCenter 8 Server Appliance installation – stage 2 completed
Launch VSPHERE CLIENT
Sign in with the SSO admin account
Frequently Asked Questions
VMware vCenter Server appliance is a VM running the vCenter Server. It manages multiple ESXi servers and provides additional features like creating clusters.
As of August 2023 when we wrote this article, the latest version of VMware vCenter was 8.0.1, Build 22088981.
An ESXi host runs the VMware ESXi hypervisor, while the vCenter Server appliance runs a vCenter server and manages multiple ESXi hosts.
Additionally, a vCenter server provides additional features, such as creating clusters with multiple ESXi hosts.
Yes, a vCenter Server is a pre-configured VM deployed on the target ESXi host when the vCenter Server appliance is installed on the host.
To access the vCenter Server appliance, open a browser and enter the following:
https://ip-address-or-fqdn-of-the-VCSA
Yes, ESXi hosts can be managed directly without a vCenter server appliance.
Conclusion
As we demonstrated in this hands-on guide, installing vCenter Server 8 appliance is a two-step process. The first step entails installing the vCenter appliance server.
This step creates a VM in the target ESXi host. Step two involves configuring the vCenter server appliance.
This step configures the network and SSO domain for the vCenter server. Once you finish these two steps, you can sign in to the server via a browser and enjoy the benefits of the vCenter server.
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