vSphere Installation and Setup - VMware vSphere 6

1 vSphere Installation and SetupUpdate 2 Modified on 11 AUG 2020 VMware vSphere ESXi Server can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware website at: , Hillview Alto, CA 2009-2020 VMware , Inc. All rights reserved. Copyright and trademark Installation and SetupVMware, vSphere Installation and Setup 9 Updated Information101 Introduction to vSphere Installation and Setup 12vCenter Server Components and Services12vCenter Server Deployment Models15 Overview of the vSphere Installation and Setup Process18vSphere Security Certificates Overview20 Certificate Replacement Overview20 Enhanced Linked Mode Overview232 System Requirements24 ESXi Requirements24 ESXi Hardware Requirements24 Supported Remote Management Server Models and Firmware Versions26 Recommendations for Enhanced ESXi Performance27 Incoming and Outgoing Firewall Ports for ESXi Hosts29vCenter Server for Windows Requirements31vCenter Server for Windows Pre-Install Checks32vCenter Server for Windows Hardware Requirements33vCenter Server for Windows Storage Requirements33vCenter Server for Windows Software Requirements34vCenter Server for Windows Database Requirements34vCenter Server Appliance

2 Requirements34vCenter Server Appliance Hardware Requirements35vCenter Server Appliance Storage Requirements35 Software Included in the vCenter Server Appliance36vCenter Server Appliance Software Requirements36vCenter Server Appliance Database Requirements36 Required Ports for vCenter Server and Platform Services Controller37vSphere DNS Requirements42 Verify That the FQDN is Resolvable43vSphere Web Client Software Requirements43 Client Integration Plug-In Software Requirements43vSphere Client Requirements44vSphere Client Hardware Requirements 44vSphere Client Software Requirements44 VMware , and UDP Ports for the vSphere Client45 Required Free Space for System Logging453 Before You Install ESXi47 Options for Installing ESXi 47 Interactive ESXi Installation 47 Scripted ESXi Installation 47 Auto Deploy ESXi Installation48 Customizing Installations with ESXi Image Builder CLI49 About ESXi Evaluation and Licensed Modes50 Media Options for Booting the ESXi Installer50 Download and Burn the ESXi Installer ISO Image to a CD or DVD50 Format a USB Flash Drive to Boot the ESXi Installation or Upgrade51 Create a USB Flash Drive to Store the ESXi Installation Script or Upgrade Script53 Create an Installer ISO Image with a Custom Installation or Upgrade Script54 PXE Booting the ESXi Installer55 Installing and Booting ESXi with Software FCoE64 Using Remote Management Applications64 Required Information for ESXi Installation64 Download the ESXi Installer654 Installing ESXi67 Installing ESXi

3 Interactively67 Install ESXi Interactively67 Install ESXi on a Software iSCSI Disk 70 Installing or Upgrading Hosts by Using a Script71 Approaches for Scripted Installation71 Enter Boot Options to Start an Installation or Upgrade Script71 About Installation and Upgrade Scripts74 Install or Upgrade ESXi from a CD or DVD by Using a Script85 Install or Upgrade ESXi from a USB Flash Drive by Using a Script86 Performing a Scripted Installation or Upgrade of ESXi by Using PXE to Boot the Installer87 Installing ESXi Using vSphere Auto Deploy 87 Understanding vSphere Auto Deploy88 Auto Deploy Quick Start and Cmdlet Overview96 Preparing for vSphere Auto Deploy100 Managing Auto Deploy with PowerCLI Cmdlets106 Provisioning ESXi Systems with vSphere Auto Deploy112 Using Auto Deploy for Stateless Caching and Stateful Installs116 Setting Up an Auto Deploy Reference Host125 Advanced Management Tasks 133vSphere Installation and SetupVMware.

4 Deploy Best Practices and Security Consideration138 Troubleshooting Auto Deploy146 Auto Deploy Proof of Concept Setup153 Using vSphere ESXi Image Builder169 Understanding vSphere ESXi Image Builder169vSphere ESXi Image Builder Installation and Usage179vSphere ESXi Image Builder Common Tasks180vSphere ESXi Image Builder Workflows1915 Setting Up ESXi199 ESXi Autoconfiguration200 About the Direct Console ESXi Interface200 Configure the Keyboard Layout for the Direct Console201 Create a Security Banner for the Direct Console201 Redirecting the Direct Console to a Serial Port201 Set the Password for the Administrator Account204 Configuring the BIOS Boot Settings204 Change the BIOS Boot Setting for ESXi204 Configure the Boot Setting for Virtual Media205 Host Fails to Boot After You Install ESXi in UEFI Mode205 Network Access to Your ESXi Host206 Configure the Network Settings on a Host That Is Not Attached to the Network207 Managing ESXi Remotely207 Configuring Network Settings207 ESXi Networking Security Recommendations208 Choose Network Adapters for the Management Network208 Set the VLAN ID209 Configuring IP Settings for ESXi209 Configuring DNS for ESXi210 Test the Management Network211 Restart the Management Agents211 Restart the Management Network212 Restoring the Standard Switch212 Test Connectivity to Devices and Networks213 Storage Behavior213 About the Scratch Partition215 Enable ESXi Shell and SSH Access with the Direct Console User Interface217 View System Logs217 Configure Syslog on ESXi Hosts218 Configure Log Filtering on ESXi Hosts219 Set the Host Image Profile Acceptance Level220vSphere Installation and SetupVMware.

5 The System Configuration221 Remove All Custom Packages on ESXi222 Disable Support for Non-ASCII Characters in Virtual Machine File and Directory Names222 Decommission an ESXi Host2236 After You Install and Set Up ESXi224 Managing the ESXi Host224 Licensing ESXi Hosts 224 About ESXi Evaluation and Licensed Modes225 Recording the License Key of an ESXi Host225 Install the vSphere Client2267 Before You Install vCenter Server or Deploy the vCenter Server Appliance228 Preparing vCenter Server Databases for Install228vCenter Server Database Configuration Notes229 Configure Microsoft SQL Server Databases230 Configure Oracle Databases240 Database Permission Requirements for vCenter Server245 Verify That vCenter Server Can Communicate with the Local Database248 Maintaining a vCenter Server Database249 How vCenter Single Sign-On Affects Installation249vCenter Single Sign-On Components250 Setting the vCenter Server Administrator User251 Authenticating to the vCenter Server Environment251 How vCenter Single Sign-On Affects Log In Behavior252 Identity Sources for vCenter Server with vCenter Single Sign-On252 Synchronizing Clocks on the vSphere Network254 Synchronize ESXi Clocks with a Network Time Server254 Using a User Account for Running vCenter Server254 Installing vCenter Server on IPv6 Machines255 Running the vCenter Server Installer from a Network Drive255 Required Information for Installing vCenter Server255 Required Information for Installing vCenter Server with an Embedded Platform Services Controller255 Required Information for Installing a Platform Services Controller257 Required Information for Installing vCenter Server259 Required Information for Deploying the vCenter Server Appliance260 Required Information for Deploying the vCenter Server Appliance with an Embedded Platform Services

6 Controller261 Required Information for Deploying the Platform Services Controller Appliance264 Required Information for Deploying the vCenter Server Appliance267vSphere Installation and SetupVMware, vCenter Server on a Windows Virtual Machine or Physical Server270 Download the vCenter Server for Windows Installer270 Install vCenter Server with an Embedded Platform Services Controller271 Installing vCenter Server with an External Platform Services Controller274 Install a Platform Services Controller on a Windows Machine275 Install vCenter Server and the vCenter Server Components278 Installing vCenter Server in an Environment with Multiple NICs2809 Deploying the vCenter Server Appliance281 Download the vCenter Server Appliance Installer282 Install the Client Integration Plug-In 283 Deploy the vCenter Server Appliance with an Embedded Platform Services Controller284 Deploying a vCenter Server Appliance with an External Platform Services Controller288 Deploy a Platform Services Controller Appliance289 Deploy the vCenter Server Appliance29310 Troubleshooting vCenter Server Installation or

7 Deployment297 Collecting Logs for Troubleshooting a vCenter Server Installation or Upgrade297 Collect Installation Logs by Using the Installation Wizard298 Retrieve Installation Logs Manually298 Collect Deployment Log Files for the vCenter Server Appliance298 Export a vCenter Server Support Bundle for Troubleshooting299 Attempt to Install a Platform Services Controller After a Prior Installation Failure299 Microsoft SQL Database Set to Unsupported Compatibility Mode Causes vCenter Server Installation or Upgrade to Fail30011 After You Install vCenter Server or Deploy the vCenter Server Appliance302 Log in to vCenter Server by Using the vSphere Web Client302 Collect vCenter Server Log Files303 Install or Upgrade vSphere Authentication Proxy304 Uninstall vCenter Server305 Repoint vCenter Server to Another External Platform Services Controller306 Reconfigure a Standalone vCenter Server with an Embedded Platform Services Controller to a vCenter Server with an External Platform Services Controller307 Reconfigure Multiple Joined Instances of vCenter Server with an Embedded Platform Services Controller to vCenter Server with an External Platform Services Controller310 Verify that the Services of the Embedded Platform Services Controller Instances are Running313 Configure Replication Agreement Between All External Platform Services Controller Instances314 Reconfigure Each vCenter Server Instance and Repoint It from an Embedded to External Platform Services Controller Instance316vSphere Installation and SetupVMware.

8 Up and Restoring a vCenter Server Environment320 General vSphere Data Protection Workflow321 Deploy the vSphere Data Protection OVF Template321 Configure vSphere Data Protection323 Create a Backup Job in vSphere Data Protection324 Start a Backup Job Manually325 Restoring a vCenter Server Environment326 Backing Up and Restoring vCenter Server with an Embedded Platform Services Controller330 Backing Up and Restoring a vCenter Server Environment with a Single External Platform Services Controller331 Backing Up and Restoring the Platform Services Controller332 Backing Up and Restoring vCenter Server333 Backing Up and Restoring a vCenter Server Environment with Multiple Platform Services Controller Instances334 Backing Up and Restoring a Single Platform Services Controller335 Backing Up and Restoring Several Platform Services Controller Instances 337 Backing Up and Restoring All Platform Services Controller Instances341 Backing Up and Restoring vCenter Server345vSphere Installation and SetupVMware, vSphere Installation and SetupvSphere Installation and Setup describes how to install and configure VMware vCenter Server, deploy the vCenter Server Appliance, and AudiencevSphere Installation and Setup is intended for experienced administrators who want to install and configure vCenter Server, deploy and configure the vCenter Server Appliance, and install and configure information is written for experienced Windows or Linux system administrators who are familiar with virtual machine technology and data center operations.

9 The information about using the Image Builder and Auto Deploy is written for administrators who have experience with Microsoft PowerShell and , InformationThis vSphere Installation and Setup is updated with each release of the product or when table provides the update history of the vSphere Installation and APR 2021 VMware has rebranded the My VMware portal as VMware Customer Connect. We updated the vSphere Installation and Setup documentation to reflect this name AUG 2020At VMware , we value inclusion. To foster this principle within our customer, partner, and internal community, we are replacing some of the terminology in our content. We have updated this guide to remove instances of non-inclusive OCT 2019 Updated Install the Client Integration Plug-In with corrected instructions for installing the Client Integration DEC 2017 Updated Download the vCenter Server Appliance Installer to specify that the vCenter Server Appliance ISO image should be downloaded from the VMware Web topic About the File to add a reference to an the steps in Download Auto Deploy Logs to download log files by using the Export Support topic TCP and UDP Ports for the vSphere Client to remove port chapter Preparing vCenter Server Databases for Install to improve the information about configuring external topic Log in to vCenter Server by Using the vSphere Web Client to add the URL of the vSphere Web Client with the HTTPS topic Repoint vCenter Server to Another External Platform Services Controller to improve the task context and vCenter

10 Server for Windows Hardware Requirements and vCenter Server Appliance Hardware Requirements to state that the hardware requirements for vCenter Server with an embedded Platform Services Controller and vCenter Server with an external Platform Services Controller are the Reconfigure Each vCenter Server Instance and Repoint It from an Embedded to External Platform Services Controller Instance to add a step for creating direct replication agreement between the embedded and the external Platform Services Controller instances if not the prerequisites and steps in Format a USB Flash Drive to Boot the ESXi Installation or Install the Client Integration Plug-In to improve the information about the location of the executable , information on ports 389, 636, 11711, and 11712 in Required Ports for vCenter Server and Platform Services revisions of the examples in Create an Installer ISO Image with a C