For each VI workload domain, you deploy one vCenter Server appliance that manages the ESXi hosts that run NSX Edge nodes and your workloads.

Figure 1. Logical Design of vCenter Server in the VI Workload Domain

Each VMware Cloud Foundation instance contains one vCenter Server for the management ESXi hosts and one for the hosts of a VI workload domain. All vCenter Server instances are connected in one vCenter Single Sign-On domain.
Table 1. vCenter Server Configuration

Single VMware Cloud Foundation Instance

Single VMware Cloud Foundation Instance with Multiple Availability Zones

Multiple VMware Cloud Foundation Instances

  • One vCenter Server instance that is allocated to the VI workload domain and the customer workloads.

  • One vCenter Server instance that is allocated to the VI workload domain and customer workloads.

  • A should-run VM-Host affinity rule in vSphere DRS that specifies that the vCenter Server appliance should run in the first availability zone unless an outage in this zone occurs.

  • In each VMware Cloud Foundation instance, one vCenter Server instance that is allocated to the VI workload domain and the SDDC tenant workloads.

  • One vCenter Single Sign-On domain for all vCenter Server instances across all VMware Cloud Foundation instances.

    Note: In VMware Cloud Foundation 4.5, the ability to join multiple VMware Cloud Foundation instances to the same vCenter Single Sign-On domain is deprecated.

  • When using multiple availability zone, a should-run VM-Host affinity rule in vSphere DRS that specifies that the vCenter Server appliance should run in the first availability zone unless an outage in this zone occurs.