After you configure the network and you add a second NIC to the vCenter Server Appliance, you can start the vCenter HA configuration process.

Prerequisites

  • Deploy vCenter Server Appliance that you want to use as initial Active node.
    • The vCenter Server Appliance must have a static IP address mapped to an FQDN.
    • SSH must be enabled on the vCenter Server Appliance.
  • Configure the network. See Configure the Network.
  • Determine which static IP addresses to use for the two vCenter Server Appliance nodes that will become the Passive node and Witness node.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the Active node with the vSphere Client.
  2. Right-click the vCenter Server object in the inventory and select vCenter HA Settings.
  3. Click Configure.
  4. Select the Advanced configuration option and click Next.
  5. Provide the IP address and subnet mask for the Passive and Witness nodes click Next.
    You have to specify these IP addresses now even though the nodes do not exist yet. You can no longer change these IP addresses after you click Next.
  6. (Optional) Click Advanced if you want to override the failover management IP address for the Passive node.
  7. Leave the wizard window open and perform the cloning tasks.

What to do next

Create and Configure the Clones of the Active Node.