Install a Platform Services Controller on Windows

Before installing vCenter Server with an external Platform Services Controller, you install a Platform Services Controller. The Platform Services Controller contains the common services, such as vCenter Single Sign-On and the License service, which can be shared across several vCenter Server instances.

You can install many Platform Services Controllers of the same version and join them as replicating partners in the same vCenter Single Sign-On domain. Concurrent installations of replicating Platform Services Controllers are not supported. You must install the Platform Services Controllers in the domain in a sequence.

Important: If you want to replace the VMCA-signed certificate with a CA-signed certificate, install the Platform Services Controller first, and then include VMCA in the certificate chain and generate new certificates from VMCA that are signed by the whole chain. You can then install vCenter Server. For information about managing vCenter Server certificates, see Platform Services Controller Administration.

Prerequisites

Verify that your system meets the minimum software and hardware requirements. See vCenter Server for Windows Requirements.
Download the vCenter Server Installer for Windows.

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 Platform Services Controller and click Next.
Enter the system name, preferably an FQDN, and click Next.

You can also enter an IP address. If you enter an IP address, provide a static IP address.

Important: When you provide an FQDN or an IP address as the system name of the Platform Services Controller, make sure that the FQDN or IP address does not change. If the FQDN or IP address of the host machine changes, you have to reinstall the Platform Services Controller and the vCenter Server instances registered with it. The FQDN or IP address of the Platform Services Controller is used to generate an SSL certificate for the Platform Services Controller host machine.

Create a new vCenter Single Sign-On domain or join an existing domain.

Option	Description
Create a new Single Sign-On domain	Creates a new vCenter Single Sign-On domain. Enter the domain name, for example `vsphere.local`. Note: Ensure that the domain name does not contain any upper-case letters. Set the user name for the vCenter Single Sign-On administrator account, for example, `administrator`. After the deployment, you can log in to vCenter Single Sign-On and to vCenter Server as `adminstrator_user_name`@`your_domain_name`. Set the password for the vCenter Single Sign-On administrator account. This is the password for the user `adminstrator_user_name`@`your_domain_name`. Enter the site name for vCenter Single Sign-On. The site name is important if you are using vCenter Single Sign-On in multiple locations. The site name must contain alphanumeric characters. Choose your own name for the vCenter Single Sign-On site. You cannot change the name after installation. Extended ASCII and non-ASCII characters are unsupported in site names. Your site name must include alphanumeric characters and a comma (,), period (.), question mark (?), dash (-), underscore (_), plus sign (+) or equals sign (=). Note: When setting up an embedded linked mode, use `Default-First-Site` as the site name for the first instance. Click Next.
Join an existing vCenter Single Sign-On domain	Joins a new vCenter Single Sign-On server to a vCenter Single Sign-On domain in an existing Platform Services Controller. You must provide the information about the vCenter Single Sign-On server to which you join the new vCenter Single Sign-On server. Enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or IP address of the Platform Services Controller that contains the vCenter Single Sign-On server to join. Enter the HTTPS port to use for communication with the Platform Services Controller. Enter the user name and password of the vCenter Single Sign-On administrator account. Click Next. Approve the certificate provided by the remote machine, and you must select whether to create or join an existing vCenter Single Sign-On site. Select whether to create or join an existing vCenter Single Sign-On site.

Option

Description

Create a new Single Sign-On domain

Creates a new vCenter Single Sign-On domain.

Enter the domain name, for example vsphere.local.
Note: Ensure that the domain name does not contain any upper-case letters.
Set the user name for the vCenter Single Sign-On administrator account, for example, administrator.
After the deployment, you can log in to vCenter Single Sign-On and to vCenter Server as adminstrator_user_name@your_domain_name.
Set the password for the vCenter Single Sign-On administrator account.
This is the password for the user adminstrator_user_name@your_domain_name.
Enter the site name for vCenter Single Sign-On.
The site name is important if you are using vCenter Single Sign-On in multiple locations. The site name must contain alphanumeric characters. Choose your own name for the vCenter Single Sign-On site. You cannot change the name after installation.

Extended ASCII and non-ASCII characters are unsupported in site names. Your site name must include alphanumeric characters and a comma (,), period (.), question mark (?), dash (-), underscore (_), plus sign (+) or equals sign (=).

Note: When setting up an embedded linked mode, use Default-First-Site as the site name for the first instance.
Click Next.

Join an existing vCenter Single Sign-On domain

Joins a new vCenter Single Sign-On server to a vCenter Single Sign-On domain in an existing Platform Services Controller. You must provide the information about the vCenter Single Sign-On server to which you join the new vCenter Single Sign-On server.

Enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) or IP address of the Platform Services Controller that contains the vCenter Single Sign-On server to join.
Enter the HTTPS port to use for communication with the Platform Services Controller.
Enter the user name and password of the vCenter Single Sign-On administrator account.
Click Next.
Approve the certificate provided by the remote machine, and you must select whether to create or join an existing vCenter Single Sign-On site.
Select whether to create or join an existing vCenter Single Sign-On site.

Click Next.
For each component, accept the default port numbers, or if another service is using the defaults, enter alternative ports, and click Next.
Make sure that ports 80 and 443 are free and dedicated, so that vCenter Single Sign-On can use these ports. Otherwise, use custom ports during installation.
(Optional) Change the default destination folders and click Next.

Important: Do not use folders that end with an exclamation mark (!).
Review the VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) page and choose if you want to join the program.
For information about the CEIP, see the Configuring Customer Experience Improvement Program section in vCenter Server and Host Management.
Review the summary of the installation settings and click Install to start the installation.
After the installation completes, click Finish to close the i nstaller.

Results

The Platform Services Controller is installed.

What to do next

Install vCenter Server on another Windows virtual machine or physical server and register vCenter Server and the vCenter Server components to the Platform Services Controller.