In each additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance, deploy a group of two cloud proxy appliances for VMware Aria Operations to monitor the management and VI workload domain vCenter Server, vSAN, and NSX instances in that instance. Deploying a separate group of VMware Cloud Proxies makes the data collection in each additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance independent from the location of the analytics cluster.

Prerequisites

Verify that your environment fulfills the prerequisites for the deployment of VMware Aria Operations in an additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance.

Prerequisite

Value

Environment

  • Verify that your environment is configured according to Before You Apply This Guidance and the Intelligent Operations Management tab of the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook.

  • Required storage per VMware Cloud Proxy appliance: 84 GB

  • Verify that vCenter Server is operational.

  • Verify that the vSphere cluster has vSphere DRS and HA activated.

  • Verify that the NSX Manager is operational.

  • Verify that the local-instance NSX segment is available for the deployment of VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations appliances.

  • Verify that VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle in the first VMware Cloud Foundation instance is operational.

Create a vCenter Server Single Sign-On User for Integration with VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle for Intelligent Operations Management for VMware Cloud Foundation

Before adding the vCenter Server instance in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance to the VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle instance in the first VMware Cloud Foundation instance, you create a user in vCenter Server Single Sign-On.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the management domain vCenter Server in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance at https://<vcenter_server_fqdn>/ui as [email protected].
  2. Navigate to Menu > Administration.
  3. In the left pane, select Single Sign On > Users and groups.

  4. From the Domain drop-down menu, select vsphere.local, and click ADD.

  5. On the Add user page, configure the settings according to the values in your VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook and click Add.

Configure Service Account Permissions in vSphere for Integration with VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle for Intelligent Operations Management for VMware Cloud Foundation

To ensure that VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle can deploy and manage VMware Aria Operations Cloud Proxy appliances on the management domain vCenter Server inventory in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance, you assign account permissions to the service account for communication from the VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle instance in the first VMware Cloud Foundation instance to vSphere in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the management domain vCenter Server in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance at https://<vcenter_server_fqdn>/ui as [email protected].

  2. Navigate to Menu > Administration.

  3. In the left pane, select Access control > Global permissions.

  4. Click the Add icon, configure the settings according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook, select Propagate to children, and click OK.

Add the vCenter Server Password for the Additional VMware Cloud Foundation Instance to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle for Intelligent Operations Management

Before adding the management domain vCenter Server in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle, you must add the password for the corresponding application-to-application service account for communication from VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle to vSphere.

You add the password for management domain vCenter Server in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance to the locker of the VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle instance in the first VMware Cloud Foundation instance.

Procedure

  1. Log in to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle at https://<aria_suite_lifecycle_fqdn> as vcfadmin@local.
  2. On the My services page, click Locker.

  3. In the navigation pane, click Passwords.

  4. On the Passwords page, click Add.

    The Add password page appears.

  5. Configure the password for management domain vCenter Server in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook, optionally, enter a password description, and click Add.

Add the Management Domain vCenter Server in the Additional VMware Cloud Foundation Instance to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle for Intelligent Operations Management

To activate cross-instance SDDC components in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instances, you add the corresponding management domain vCenter Server instances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instances to the cross-instance data center in VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle.

You add the management domain vCenter Server in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance to the existing cross-instance data center in the VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle instance in the first VMware Cloud Foundation instance.

Procedure

  1. Log in to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle at https://<aria_suite_lifecycle_fqdn> as vcfadmin@local.
  2. On the My services page, click Lifecycle operations.

  3. In the navigation pane, click Datacenters.

  4. On the Datacenters page, expand the cross-instance data center and click Add vCenter.

  5. Configure the settings according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook, select the Management vCenter Server type, and click Validate.

  6. After successful vCenter Server validation, click Save.

  7. In the navigation pane, click Requests and verify that the state of the vCenter data collection request is Completed.

Create a vSphere Content Library for Intelligent Operations Management for the Additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance

To store the VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle upgrade ISO and VMware Cloud Proxy installation OVA files, you create a content library in the vSphere of the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance.

This step can be skipped if the content library is already created.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the management domain vCenter Server in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance at https://<vcenter_server_fqdn>/ui as [email protected].

  2. From the vSphere Client Menu, select Content libraries.

  3. On the Content libraries page, click Create.

  4. In the New content library dialog box, make sure that management domain vCenter is selected, enter a name for the content library and click Next.

  5. On the Configure content library page, keep the default settings and click Next.
  6. On the Apply security policy page, leave the check box unselected and click Next.
  7. On the Add storage page, select the storage location and click Next.
  8. On the Ready to complete page, click Finish.

Import the VMware Cloud Proxy OVA to vSphere Content Library for Intelligent Operations Management for the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance

To deploy the VMware Cloud Proxy by using VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle, you must first import the VMware Cloud Proxy into your operational management vSphere Content library of the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the management domain vCenter Server in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance at https://<vcenter_server_fqdn>/ui as [email protected].
  2. From the vSphere Client drop-down menu, select Content libraries.
  3. On the Content libraries page, click your library for operational management.
  4. In the left pane, click OVF & OVA templates.

  5. Import the VMware Cloud Proxy OVA.

    1. From the Actions drop-down menu, select Import item.
    2. In the Import library item dialog box, select Local file and click Upload files.

    3. Navigate to the VMware Cloud Proxy OVA and click Open.

    4. In the Import library item dialog box, click Import and wait for the process to complete.

Deploy the VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations Appliances in an Additional VMware Cloud Foundation Instance by Using VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle

Extend the deployment of the VMware Aria Operations in additional VMware Cloud Foundation instances by using the VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle instance in the first VMware Cloud Foundation instance. Deploy VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations appliances in additional VMware Cloud Foundation instances by adding product components in the cross-instance VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle environment.

In case of unrecoverable errors during scale-out, before you deploy the VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations appliances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance, take snapshots of the VMware Aria Operations analytics cluster and VMware Cloud Proxy appliances.

After successful deployment, delete the snapshots of the VMware Aria Operations analytics cluster and VMware Cloud Proxy appliances.

Procedure

  1. Log in to VMware Aria Suite Lifecycle at https://<aria_suite_lifecycle_fqdn> as vcfadmin@local.
  2. On the My services page, click Lifecycle operations.

  3. In the navigation pane, click Environments.

  4. On the Environments page, in the cross-instance environment card, click View details.

  5. In the products navigation bar, click the Operations tab.

  6. In the VMware Aria Operations pane, click ADD COMPONENTS.

    The Proceed to Add Components dialog box appears.

  7. Click TRIGGER INVENTORY SYNC , click SUBMIT and wait for the synchronization process to finish.

  8. The Scale Out wizard appears. Repeat steps 3 to 6 and click Proceed.

  9. On the Infrastructure page, click NEXT.

  10. On the Network page, click NEXT.

  11. On the Components page, add two VMware Cloud Proxy appliances for the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance to the VMware Aria Operations deployment configuration.

    1. In the Components panel, click the icon next to Components and select Cloud Proxy.

    2. Repeat step Step a to add one more VMware Cloud Proxy.

  12. Configure the first VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations.

    1. In the vrops-cloudproxy-3 panel, configure the settings according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook.

    2. On the right side of the vrops-cloudproxy-3 panel, click the Advanced configuration icon.

    3. Under Infrastructure, configure the following settings and enter your values from the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook and, under Content Library select the VMware Cloud Proxy ova.

      Setting

      Value

      Select resource pool

      N/A

      Select disk mode

      Thin

    4. Under Default properties, from the Time zone drop-down menu, select UTC and click Save.

  13. In the vrops-cloudproxy-4 panel, repeat step 12 for the second VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations.

  14. On the Components page, click NEXT.

  15. On the Precheck page, click RUN PRECHECK.

  16. Wait for all prechecks to finish with Passed messages and click Next.

  17. On the Summary page, review the configuration details.

  18. To start the deployment of the VMware Cloud Proxy appliances, click SUBMIT.

  19. On the Request Details page, monitor the deployment progress until all stages become Completed.

Note:

Please delete the snapshots of the VMware Aria Operations analytics cluster and VMware Cloud Proxy appliances taken before the start of the workflow.

Configure the VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations Appliances in an Additional VMware Cloud Foundation Instance

After you deploy the VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations appliances in an additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance, perform the necessary configuration tasks to activate the VMware Aria Operations services in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance.

Perform the post-deployment configuration of the VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations appliances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook.

Procedure

  1. In the inventory of the management domain vCenter Server in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance, create a dedicated virtual machine and template folder for the VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations appliances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance.

    Follow the steps mentioned in Create Virtual Machine and Template Folders for the VMware Aria Operations Appliances for Intelligent Operations Management for VMware Cloud Foundation for the virtual machine and template folder for the VMware Cloud Proxy appliances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook.

  2. Move the VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations appliances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance to the dedicated folder that you created in the inventory of the management domain vCenter Server in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance.

    Follow the steps mentioned in Move the VMware Aria Operations Appliances to the Dedicated Folders for Intelligent Operations Management for VMware Cloud Foundation for both the VMware Cloud Proxy appliances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook.

  3. If the management domain is configured with two availability zones, move the VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations appliances to the VM group for the first availability zone.

    Follow the steps mentioned in Add the VMware Aria Operations Appliances to the First Availability Zone VM Group for Intelligent Operations Management for VMware Cloud Foundation for the VMware Cloud Proxy appliances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook.

  4. Configure a vSphere DRS anti-affinity rule for the VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations appliances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance.

    Follow the steps mentioned in Configure vSphere DRS Anti-Affinity Rules for the VMware Aria Operations Appliances for Intelligent Operations Management for VMware Cloud Foundation for the VMware Cloud Proxy appliances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook.

  5. Group the VMware Cloud Proxy for VMware Aria Operations appliances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance into a VMware Aria Operation collector group..

    Follow the steps mentioned in Group the VMware Cloud Proxy Appliances for Intelligent Operations Management for VMware Cloud Foundation for the VMware Cloud Proxy appliances in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook.

  6. Integrate VMware Aria Operations with VMware Cloud Foundation by assigning a service account a role in SDDC Manager with the required privileges.

    Follow the steps mentioned in Assign SDDC Manager Role to a Service Account for Intelligent Operations Management for VMware Cloud Foundation in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook.

  7. Integrate VMware Aria Operations with vSphere by creating a custom role with the required privileges in the vSphere client.

    Follow the steps mentioned in Define a Custom Role in vSphere for Intelligent Operations Management for VMware Cloud Foundation in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook

  8. To provide the necessary privileges to the service account for VMware Aria Operations to vSphere integration, you assign the custom role to the integration service account in vCenter Server.

    Follow the steps mentioned in Configure Service Account Permissions for vSphere Integration for Intelligent Operations Management for VMware Cloud Foundation in the additional VMware Cloud Foundation instance according to your values in the VMware Cloud Foundation Planning and Preparation Workbook.