Task ID

Task Description

Screenshot

To deploy the vCenter server appliance we follow the standard OVF/OVA deployment process.

Select File from the menu and then select Deploy OVF Template…

Click the Browse button and browse to the directory where the OVA Appliance file was downloaded to. Select the file.

Click Next.

The version information of the OVA file is displayed.

Click Next.

Enter a name for the vCenter Server Appliance to be deployed.

Select the Inventory Location where the Appliance should be located.

Click Next.

Select the cluster to which the Appliance hould be deployed to.

Click Next.

Select the default Resource Pool to which the appliance should be deployed to.

Click Next.

Select the Storage Location where the appliance should be deployed to.

Click Next.

Select the method of provisioning to the storage IE: Thin, Thick Eager Zeroed or Thick Lazy Zeroed.

Click Next.

Select the Destination Network the Appliance will be deployed too.

Click Next.

Complete the Appliaction details form with the following details:

Hostname: <applianze full fqdn name>

Note: type this in all lower case

Default Gateway:

DNS Server:

Network IP Address: the IP of the Appliance

Network Mask: The mask for the subnet.

Click Next.

Review the deployment summary.

You can select the Radio button to start the Appliance once deployed.

Click Next.

The Appliance is copied to the correct storage.

A successful deployment message will be displayed.

Clock Close to close the window.

Open a console window to the Appliance VM to ensure the appliance has correctly started up.

To access the configuration of the Appliance you need to use a browser to access the IP Address or the FQDN.

Note: Use Google Chrome, Firefox or the latest Internet Explorer versions.

User name: root

Password: vmware

Accept the EULA agreement.

Click Next.

Select the Tick box to particiapte in the Customer User Experience program if you would like.

Click Next.

At this stage we do not want to continue to configure the appliance.

Click Cancel.

Note: We shall return to this Configuration Wizard.

Select the Network Tab.

Confirm the Appliance FQDN name and IP Address is correct.

Select the Admin tab.

We need to change the Administrator password here.

Current Password: vmware

New Password: VMware1!

Select the No radio button to ensure the Administrator password does not expire.

Click Submit.

Select the Time tab.

Select the NTP radio button and complete the NTP address with the correct trusted NTP server IP address.

Note: You can use your Domain Controller to serve the time in your envrionment.

Click Save Settings.

Select System tab.

Select the Reboot button.

This will restart the appliance.

Note: a restart is reccomended at this stage to ensure all network settings are correctly applied.

To access the configuration of the Appliance you need to use a browser to access the IP Address or the FQDN.

Note: Use Google Chrome, Firefox or the latest Internet Explorer versions.

User name: root

Password: VMware1!

Once logged on, select the vCenter Server tab.

Select the Setup Wizard, and click the Launch button.

The Setup wizard launch.

You may select the Tick box to join the Customer Experience program.

Click Next.

Select the Radio button next to Set Custom Configuration.

Click Next.

Use the Embedded Database option here.

Click Next.

Note: If you wanted to connect to an Oracle Database, you would select it here in the Drop down list and input the required settings.

Select the Embedded SSO type.

Enter a password fot he SSO Administrator.

Password: VMware1!

Note: Please take note and recored this password as you will need to use it in future for additional configuration.

Click Next.

We shall for now skip pass the Active Directory configuration settings here.

Click Next.

You may need to re-enter the NTP settings here.

Select the NTP radio button and complete the NTP address with the correct trusted NTP server IP address.

Note: You can use your Domain Controller to serve the time in your envrionment.

Click Next.

The setup summary is displayed.

Click the Start button.

The appliance is configured and the step completed shown.

Note: The SSO configuration will take some time. Please DO NOT cancel this process.

Once all steps are complete, you select Close.

At the vCenter Server tab, the status of all the services are shown.

Select System tab.

Select the Reboot button.

This will restart the appliance.

Note: a second restart is reccomended at this stage to ensure all settings are correctly applied.

Once the appliance has fully restarted, access the appliance default web page by browsing to:

HTTP Address: Https://<fqdn or ip address of appliance>

Select the Log on to vSphere Web Client link.

At the Web Client Logon Screen,

Type the useranem and password:

User Name: administrator@vsphere.local

Password: VMware1!

Note this is the SSO administrator username and password.

Once you have been logged on, the vCenter Server Web Configuration screen is displayed.

You have successfully setup the vCenter Server Appliance!