After you install a Platform Services Controller on a Windows host machine, or deploy a Platform Services Controller appliance, you can install vCenter Server and the vCenter Server components and connect the vCenter Server instance to the deployed Platform Services Controller.
Procedure
- In the software installer directory, double-click the autorun.exe file to start the installer.
- Select vCenter Server for Windows and click Install.
- Follow the prompts of the installation wizard to review the welcome page and accept the license agreement.
- Select vCenter Server and click Next.
- Enter the system network name, preferably a static IP address, and click Next.
Important: The name that you type is encoded in the SSL certificate of the system. The components communicate with each other by using this name. The system name must be either a static IP address or a fully qualified domain name (FQDN). Make sure that the system name does not change. You cannot change the system name after the installation completes.
- Provide the system name of the Platform Services Controller that you already installed or deployed, the HTTPS port to use for communication with the vCenter Single Sign-On server, as well as the vCenter Single Sign-On password, and click Next.
Important: Make sure that you use either the IP address or the FQDN that you provided during the installation of the
Platform Services Controller. If you provided the FQDN as a system name of the
Platform Services Controller, you cannot use an IP address, and the reverse. When a service from
vCenter Server connects to a service running in the
Platform Services Controller, the certificate is verified. If the IP address or FQDN changes, the verification fails and
vCenter Server cannot connect to the
Platform Services Controller.
- Approve the certificate provided by the remote machine.
- Select the vCenter Server service account and click Next.
Note: Starting with vSphere 6.5, the
vCenter Server services are not standalone services under Windows SCM, instead they run as child processes of the VMware Service Lifecycle Manager service.
| Option |
Description |
| Use Windows Local System Account |
The vCenter Server service runs in the Windows Local System account. This option prevents you from connecting to an external database by using Windows integrated authentication. |
| Specify a user service account |
The vCenter Server service runs in an administrative user account with a user name and password that you provide.
Important: The user credentials that you provide must be of a user who is in the local administrator group and who has the
Log on as a service privilege.
|
- Select the type of database that you want to use and click Next.
| Option |
Description |
| Use an embedded database (PostgreSQL) |
vCenter Server uses the embedded PostgreSQL database. This database is suitable for small scale deployments. |
| Use an external database |
vCenter Server uses an existing external database.
- Select your database from the list of available DSNs.
- Type the user name and the password for the DSN.
If your database uses Windows NT authentication, the user name and password text boxes are disabled. |
- For each component, accept the default port numbers, or if another service is using the defaults, enter alternative ports, and click Next.
- (Optional) Change the default destination folders and click Next.
Important: Do not use folders that end with an exclamation mark (!).
- Review the summary of the installation settings and click Install to start the installation.
- (Optional) After the installation finishes, click Launch vSphere Web Client to start the vSphere Web Client and log in to vCenter Server.
- Click Finish to close the installer.
Results
vCenter Server is installed in evaluation mode. You can activate vCenter Server by using the vSphere Web Client. For information about activating vCenter Server, see vCenter Server and Host Management.
