Note: This is the base VMware vCenter4. It does not include update 1
vCenter Requirements: Windows 2003 SP1 or SP2 (x86 or x64), Windows 2003 R2 (x86 or x64), Windows 2008 (x86 or x64 Standard or Enterprise editions). Working DNS infrastructure.
1. Inserting DVD 2 of the vSphere suite will present you with an autostart installation menu, displayed below. Ckuck vCenter Server
2. Select the language you wish to use. In this case we’ll be using English (United States). Click Ok.
3. The installation wizard begins. Click Next.
4. Select “I agree to the terms in the license agreement” and click Next.
5. Enter in your User Name, Organization Name and License Key for vCenter. If you don’t enter in the license key now for vCenter, it will be installed in evaluation mode and will run, fully functional for 60 days. You can enter in the license key before the evaluation period has expired. In this case, we’ll be running in evaluation mode, so we won’t be entering any license key here. Click Next.
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6. At the database options screen, we have two options. The first option is to install a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express instance. This option will suite organizations with a maximum of 5 or fewer hosts and 50 or fewer virtual machines. Some other constraints of Microsoft SQL 2005 Express is a maximum database size of 4GB, only 1GB of memory usuable and lasly only one CPU usuable. The good news is that you can start with SQL 2005 Express and later upgrade to the full blown SQL 2005.
The second option is to use an existing supported database. Supported databases are Oracle 10g (Release 1 or 2), Oracle 11g (Release 1 or 2), Microsoft SQL 2005 Express Edition, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 with Service Pack 2, Microsoft SQL Server 2008.
In this tutorial we’ll be using the Microsoft SQL 2005 Express instance that comes with the installation. Click Next.
7. You can specify an account to run the vCenter services or use the default of SYSTEM. We’ll be using the default. Click Next.
8. Choose which path you would like to use for the vCenter installation and click Next.
9. In this section we are presented with two options that allow us to setup up vCenter as a standalone instance or to join an existing group. If this is your first vCenter installation and no other vCenter servers exist, you will select “Create a standalone VMware vCenter Server instance”. If you have already installed vCenter or your current vCenter server is at capacity you can select, “Join a VMware vCenter Server group using linked mode to share information”, which will install a second redundant/shared vCenter Server in the same linked mode group.
As this is our first and only vCenter server, we’ll be installing a standalone server instance. Click Next.
10. Displayed here are the default ports for vCenter. If you know of any conflicting ports, i.e. port 80 or 443, then you can change them here. Once you are happy with the information, make sure you create a screen shot or document which ports have been used, as they will come in handy later. Click Next.
11. Now you are ready to begin the actual installation. Click Install.
12. In a few minutes your installation will be complete. Click Finish.
Note: To be able to administer vCenter you must install vSphere Client. To connect to the vCenter server, you must enter the IP address of the vCenter server in the client.
Disclaimer: All the tutorials included on this site are performed in a lab environment to simulate a real world production scenario. As everything is done to provide the most accurate steps to date, we take no responsibility if you implement any of these steps in a production environment.
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