VirtualCenter Installation

Module 5

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

Copyright © 2006 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. 5-1
 You are here

Virtual Infrastructure Virtual Machines Operations

Virtual Infrastructure Overview VM Creation and Data Protection
ESX Server Installation Management
ESX Server Installation VM Creation & Management VM Resource Monitoring

Networking Resource Pools

Networking VM Access Control Data & Availability Protection
Storage
Storage VM Resource Management Troubleshooting Tips

ESX ServerInstallation
VirtualCenter Installation

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Importance and Module Objectives

• Importance
• VirtualCenter Server allows you to centrally manage multiple ESX
Servers and VMs. VirtualCenter Server also gives large-scale
environments added functionality in the areas of resource
balancing and high availability.
• Objectives for the learner
• To install VirtualCenter components
• To manage an ESX Server host from VirtualCenter

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Module lessons

• Lesson 1: VirtualCenter Software Installation

• Lesson 2: VirtualCenter Inventory Hierarchy
• Lesson 3: Plan VirtualCenter Deployment

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Lesson 1:
VirtualCenter Software
Installation

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Lesson topics

• VMware License Server

• VirtualCenter database
• VirtualCenter Server
• Virtual Infrastructure (VI) Client

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VirtualCenter architecture
active third-party
directory application
server
VMotion
HA
DRS
distributed active
services directory
interface

resources & alarms &

core VM inventory events
services management management

VirtualCenter user
database
access VI APl
Management Server interface statistics VM control
logging provisioning

task host & VM

scheduler configuration

ESX Server management

VC Agent HA

VI API
Host Agent

VM Host VM
VirtualCenter
database

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VirtualCenter components

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Order of installation

• Database Server
• Create database connection to either SQL Server or Oracle database
• License Server
• VirtualCenter Server
• Virtual Infrastructure Client

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 VirtualCenter database overview

• Storage area for maintaining VirtualCenter inventory as

well as the status of each VM and each managed host
• Oracle 9iR2, 10gR1 (versions 10.1.0.3 and higher only,
and 10gR2
• Recommended for production environments

• Microsoft SQL Server 2000 (SP 4 only)

• Recommended for production environments

• MSDE 2000 (Rel A)

• Default evaluation/demo database
• Not recommended for production environments
• Bundled with VirtualCenter

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VMware License Server overview

License Server

VirtualCenter
2.0 server

• Licenses are stored on a license server

• Makes licenses available to one or more hosts
• Simplifies license management in large, dynamic
environments
• If license server becomes unavailable, licenses are
unaffected for a 14-day grace period
• License types: Starter and Standard

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VirtualCenter Server overview

• A system that acts as a proxy for ESX Servers that it manages,

directs actions taken upon VMs
• Manages ESX Servers that are geographically dispersed
• Uses existing Windows-based user accounts
• Consists of three services:

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Managing across geographies

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Virtual Infrastructure (VI) Client overview

• The VI Client is a graphical

user interface used to
access VirtualCenter
• Access to VirtualCenter
• Full VirtualCenter functionality
• Access directly to ESX
Server
• Single host management only

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

Copyright © 2006 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. 5-14
 Lab for lesson 1

• Install VirtualCenter
• In this lab, you will perform the following tasks:
• Open a Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) to your VirtualCenter server
• Create an ODBC connection to the SQL Server VirtualCenter database
• Install the VMware License Server
• Install the VirtualCenter Server
• Install the Virtual Infrastructure Client (Optional)

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Lesson summary

• Oracle and SQL Server are the recommended databases

to use for VirtualCenter in a production environment
• The VMware License Server and VirtualCenter Server
typically reside on the same system
• If the license server fails, licenses remain unaffected for a
14-day grace period

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Lesson 2:
VirtualCenter Inventory
Hierarchy

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Lesson topics

• VirtualCenter inventory hierarchy

• Adding ESX Server to inventory

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VirtualCenter inventory: datacenter

Where networks
and datastores
are configured

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VirtualCenter inventory: multiple datacenters

Where networks
and datastores
are configured

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VirtualCenter inventory: folders

Where networks
and datastores
are configured

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VirtualCenter inventory: subfolders

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VirtualCenter inventory: VMs, hosts and templates

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Organizing objects in the inventory

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VirtualCenter inventory: VMs and hosts

run
nin
go
n

on
n g
ni
n
ru

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VirtualCenter inventory: clusters

run
nin Cluster for VMware HA
go
n

on
n g
i Cluster for VMware DRS
nn
ru

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 View VirtualCenter inventory

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Lab for lesson 2

• Add Host to VirtualCenter Inventory

• In this lab, you will perform the following tasks:
• Add an ESX Server to the VirtualCenter inventory
• Configure the ESX Server to use the License Server
• View general information about the ESX Server

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 ESX Server 3.0 and VC 2.0 architecture

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Lesson summary

• A datacenter object is the primary organizational

structure in the inventory
• Folders can be used to organize ESX Servers in the
datacenter

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 Lesson 3:
Plan VirtualCenter
Deployment

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Lesson topics

• VirtualCenter resource sizing

• VirtualCenter inventory guidelines

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 Your VirtualCenter deployment

2 CPUs and 3 GB RAM for up

ActiveDirectory
Domain to 100 hosts and 2000 VMs

Managed Hosts

Virtual
Infrastructure
Clients

Use SQL Server VirtualCenter

Database
or Oracle in production

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 VirtualCenter inventory guidelines

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Backup strategy for VirtualCenter server

• If primary management server fails:

• Power off primary management server
• Power on standby management server
• Point standby management server to VirtualCenter database
• Have clients point to standby management server

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Module summary

• The VirtualCenter Server, License Server and Web

Access are located on the same system
• The VI Client can be used to access the VirtualCenter
Server as well as the ESX Server
• The datacenter is the primary organizational structure in
the VirtualCenter inventory

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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 Questions?

VMware Infrastructure 3: Install and Configure – Rev B

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