The VMware Cloud Builder appliance is a VM that you use to deploy and configure the management domain and transfer inventory and control to SDDC Manager. During the deployment process, the VMware Cloud Builder validates network information you provide in the deployment parameter workbook such as DNS, network (VLANS, IPs, MTUs), and credentials.

This procedure describes deploying the VMware Cloud Builder appliance to the cluster that was created during the VxRail first run.

Prerequisites

The VMware Cloud Builder requires the following resources.
Component Requirement
CPU 4 vCPUs
Memory 4 GB
Storage 150 GB

The VMware Cloud Builder appliance must be on the same management network as the hosts to be used. It must also be able to access all required external services, such as DNS and NTP.

Procedure

  1. Download the VMware Cloud Builder appliance OVA.
  2. Log in to vCenter Server using the vSphere Client.
  3. In the navigator, select the cluster that was created during the VxRail first run.
  4. Click Actions > Deploy OVF Template.
  5. Select Local file and click Upload Files.
  6. Browse to the VMware Cloud Builder appliance OVA, select it, and click Open.
  7. Click Next.
  8. Enter a name for the virtual machine, select a target location, and click Next.
  9. Select the cluster you created during the VxRail first run and click Next.
  10. Review the details and click Next.
  11. Accept the license agreement and click Next.
  12. On the Select Storage page, select the storage for the VMware Cloud Builder appliance and click Next.
  13. On the Select networks dialog box, select the management network and click Next.
  14. On the Customize template page, enter the following information for the VMware Cloud Builder appliance and click Next:
    Setting Details
    Admin Username The admin user name cannot be one of the following pre-defined user names:
    • root
    • bin
    • daemon
    • messagebus
    • systemd-bus-proxy
    • systemd-journal-gateway
    • systemd-journal-remote
    • systemd-journal-upload
    • systemd-network
    • systemd-resolve
    • systemd-timesync
    • nobody
    • sshd
    • named
    • rpc
    • tftp
    • ntp
    • smmsp
    • cassandra
    Admin Password/Admin Password confirm The admin password must be a minimum of 8 characters and include at least one uppercase, one lowercase, one digit, and one special character. Supported special characters:

    @ ! # $ % ? ^
    Root password/Root password confirm The root password must be a minimum of 8 characters and include at least one uppercase, one lowercase, one digit, and one special character. Supported special characters:

    @ ! # $ % ? ^
    Hostname Enter the hostname for the VMware Cloud Builder appliance.
    Network 1 IP Address Enter the IP address for the VMware Cloud Builder appliance.
    Network 1 Subnet Mask For example, 255.255.255.0.
    Default Gateway Enter the default gateway for the VMware Cloud Builder appliance.
    DNS Servers IP address of the primary and secondary DNS servers (comma separated). Do not specify more than two servers.
    DNS Domain Name For example, vsphere.local.
    DNS Domain Search Paths Comma separated. For example vsphere.local, sf.vsphere.local.
    NTP Servers Comma separated.
  15. Review the deployment details and click Finish.
    Note: Make sure your passwords meet the requirements specified above before clicking Finish or your deployment will not succeed.
  16. After the VMware Cloud Builder appliance is deployed, SSH in to the VM with the admin credentials provided in step 14.
  17. Ensure that you can ping the ESXi hosts.
  18. Verify that the VMware Cloud Builder appliance has access to the required external services, such as DNS and NTP by performing forward and reverse DNS lookups for each host and the specified NTP servers.