4 Working with vCenter Server,

4 Working with vCenter Server

Install and use vCenter Server Appliance

After Installing the Client OS(Windows 10) we have to log in to the Client and add the IP address

Note -: In the IP section Add the DNS as your ESXI server IP for the first DNS Server and for the Alternative DNS Add the IP of the Machine that used to log int to the ESXI in my case I used the Server 2019 so I'll add that IP 

After setting up the Network do a Ping test to check the network availability you should be able to ping the ESXI from your Client (Windows 10)

Now We will move to the VCenter setup

First You have to mount the VCSA ISO to the ESXI server. I have mentioned the steps in the Installing Client OS (Windows) Post under  *** Important

 

 

 
Task 1: Deploy vCenter Server Appliance

After Mounting the VCSA ISO you will be able to see the VSA ISO under CD ROM Right click and open the ROM from a new window and You will be able to see the Folder Call 
vcsa-ui-installer inside that folder there will be a folder called win32 (if you have use any other OS Linux select the Linux ) Under the win32 folder, there will be an Installer.exe run that as administrator Check the Above Image.

 After Running the Installer.exe Installing window will popup 

Click Install

In this window, it will say that this Installing process have Two stages and now we are going to do the First stage

Click Next

 Accept the Agreement Tick the checkBox 

Click Next

In here we will go with the Embedded Platform Services Controler 

So what is the other Option??
It's like if you want to run more that one Vcenter you should select that option
in previous versions like ESXi 6.0 if you select Embedded Platform Services Controler when you are initializing the first VCSA server you want to be able to add more. Now if you use
Embedded Platform Services Controler and in the future, if you want to add more Vcenters you can do that using the

vCenter server (Requires External Platform services Controller )

Click Next

In this Window Add Your ESXi IP and user name (root) and password
and when you click Next it will show the Certificate Warning Click yes then you will be able to continue with the installation.

In this, we can Select the name that we want to give to our VM name. 
This name will be available in your ESXi dashboard under the Virtual machines

Give a New Password for root 
This is the password that you will use to log in to the Vcenter.  

Click Next 
 

In this page we will be able to select the Deployment size of the Vcenter (Resources allocations ) check the table in the above image  I will go with Tiny

Click Next
 

Here we are going to select the datastore and check the Tick box for Enable Thin Disk Mode
by ticking that we want be using the space that actually we don't need 

Click Next
 

In the Networking Setting page 

Network    -: VM Network

IP Version   -: IPV4

IP Assignment  -: Static

System Name   -: Keep it blank it will automatical assign an IP  The same IP that you will give in the IP Address section

IP Address   -:  You have to give New IP address (This will create a New VM Machine and you will use the IP to logging to the VCenter) Eg-: 10.10.18.10

Subnet mask or Prefix length  -:  255.255.0.0 or  16

Default gateway  -: ESXi Server IP 10.10.18.1

DNS Server   -:  ESXi Server IP 10.10.18.1


Click Next

 

This is the summary of First stage Configurations.  

Click Finish

When the First Installation is Finish you will get above Screen.

Click Continue

 Stage 2

In Stage 2 

The first Screen will be this it will show that we are going to Setup the VCenter Server Appliance

Click Next

In this window, it will ask to Synchronize the correct Date and time (Correct data nad time Help to have proper Certificates Logs, Licensing etc..)
we can select to Sync with Esxi or we can give the NTP server. If we select NTP Server Settings will be as Below we have to enter the NTP Server IP

For This Lab, I'm Using the Default Setting as Synchorniztime with ESXi host


Click Next
 

In SSO Configaration page

Single Sign-on Domain  -: you can use any name (If you have an Active directory or LDAP Don't use that Domain name it should not overlap with any domain name)  I'm going to use Vsphere.local 

Single Sign-on User  -:  administrator

Single Sign-on Password  -: Give password that contains Capital letter, Symbole , Number, and at least 8 characters

Confirm Password  -: Confirm the password

Site Name  -: Site-1  You can use any name that you prefer 

Click Next

In this page, it will ask to join the Customer Experience  if you Like check the Tick box
for this Lab, I'll leave it blank

 Click Next

This is the summary of Second Stage Configurations.  

Click Finish

After Clicking the Finish, you will get the Warning Click OK  to continue.

After Installation completed you will be able to see this page when you Click the Close button it will automatically Open the Vcenter page in your Web Browser.

 

 

 Task 2: Access and Configure vCenter Server Appliance

 

 

In the Getting start page  Click VSphere Client (HTML5) - Patial Functionally

If the browser Didn't Open the Vcenter page Use the IP that you gave in stage one.
Use the Client browser to log in.

Username  -: administrator@doamin name that you gave  administrator@vshphere.local
Password -: Password that you gave in the Single Sign-on Password

 

 

 Task 3: Add Your ESXi Hosts to the vCenter Server Inventory

  

When you log in you will be able to see the Server name on your left side Right click on that crate a New Data Center and give a name that you like

 

 

 

 

After Creating the Data center Right click on that  Data center and under New Folder select New Folder and Cluster folder 

 

 

 

 

Give a  name for New Folder and Cluster folder  

 

Click OK

 

 

 

Now we have to add the Hosts to do that Right click on the Folder that you have create and Select Add Host

 

 

 

In the Add host window  You have to enter the IP or the Name of your or ESXi IP address

 

Click Next

 

 

When you click Next There will be warning message 

 

Click Yes

 

 

 

When you accept the Warning it will give you the Host Summary

 

Click Next 

 

 

It will ask for the Licensing we can continue with Evolution for this Lab and later you can add the license 

 

Click Next  

 

 

 

In this page it will ask for Lock Down Mode for this Lab i will go with the default settings as Disabled

 

Click Next  

 

 

 

In This page asking for which Data center we are going to add theses Hosts currently i have one Data center i will add these host for this Host.

 

Note Later I will be adding the Other Data center as well

 

 

Click Next  

 

Last page will be the summary of the Host 

Click Finish  

 

 

 

After Adding the Host You will be able to see the Machines in side your ESXi

 

 Task 4: Configure the ESXi Hosts as NTP Clients

 

 

 

 

 Now We Have to configure the ESXi host as NTP Client to do that we have to set the Time

 

 Form The Lefet Panel select the Added Host and from Right side of the window select Configure Tab

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Configure Tab Under Systems select Time Configuration Select Edit and you will be able to see a Confirmation window  

 

Click OK

 

 

 

 

 In the Time Configuration select   Use Network Time Protocol (NTP)

Enter the NTP server IP 

 

in NTP Service Startup Policy  Start and Stop with Host

 

 

 

 

Task 5: Back Up vCenter Server Appliance

 

 

 
 

 To log in to the Server Appliance enter the server IP and end of the IP add :5480

Click Details and  select go on to the webpage.

 
 Eg-: https://10.10.18.20:5480

 

 

 

 

 After entering the IP you will be able to log in to the Appliance Management Enter the Username and Password of the server 

Note-: Password have to be the VCenter login password

 

 

 

 After Longing Select the Backup in top Right Conner

Enter the Backup details as above 

Note -: For Location You have to enter the Server IP/Location where to save 

Enter the Root password

Click Next

 

In this Window we can select the Parts that we want to backup for this Lab I have Select All of them

Click Next

 

 

In the Last Page It will be a Summary of the Backup Details

 

Click Finish

 

 

Task 6: Complete the vCenter Server Appliance Deployment

 

 
 

 

When the Backup is fully Completed you will be able to see this message saying backup is completed

 

 

Issues that I have Faced during the Installation

Task failed on the server: Module 'CPUID' power on failed.

This one of the issues that I have faced during the installation If you get this error,thats mean you haven't enabled the  Hardware Virtualization as below image you have to enable this setting from the ESXi Settings.

Critical Thinking 

In this lab we have deployed the Vcenetr and Server Appliance. Benefits of Vcenter is we can control  and manage all the Vm machines in one place and using Server Appliance we have back up all the data as well. Initially  when we configure the Vcenter we gave the NTP server as ESXi and after completing the Installation we have change the NTP server as well Benefits of NTP server is when It come to Licensing and certificate, correct date and time in the most Important factor so we must have the correct date and time.