The Update Manager server is a 64-bit application. You can install the Update Manager server for Windows only on 64-bit Windows machines.

You can install the Update Manager server component either on the same machine where the vCenter Server is installed or on a separate machine. For optimal performance, especially in large-scale environments, install the Update Manager server component on a different Windows machine.

The Update Manager 6.7 installer for Windows generates a 2048-bit key and self-signed certificate. To replace the self-signed SSL certificate after installation, you can use the Update Manager Utility.

You can install vCenter Server and the Update Manager server in a heterogeneous network environment, where one of the machines is configured to use IPv6 and the other is configured to use IPv4.

To run and use Update Manager, you must use a local system account for the machine on which Update Manager is installed.

During installation, you cannot connect an Update Manager server that is installed on a Windows server to a vCenter Server Appliance. The vCenter Server Appliance facilitates Update Manager server as a service.

After you install the Update Manager server component, the Update Manager client interface is automatically enabled on the vSphere Web Client.

Note: After the deprecation of the Adobe Flash Player, using the Flash-based vSphere Web Client is not recommended. Starting with vSphere 6.7 Update 3m, however, after you install the Update Manager server component on a Windows machine, the client interface becomes automatically enabled in the vSphere Client.

VMware uses designated ports for communication. The Update Manager server connects to vCenter Server, ESXi hosts, and the vSphere Web Client on designated ports. If a firewall exists between any of these elements and Windows firewall service is in use, the installer opens the ports during the installation. For custom firewalls, you must manually open the required ports.

You can run Update Manager in deployments that you protect using SRM. Use caution before connecting the Update Manager server to a vCenter Server instance to which the SRM server is connected. Connecting the Update Manager server to the same vCenter Server instance as SRM might cause problems when you upgrade SRM or vSphere, and when you perform daily tasks. Check the compatibility and interoperability of Update Manager with SRM before you install the Update Manager server.