vCenter Installation Guide

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to deploy VMware vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) in your environment.

Pre-Requisites

• Download VMware vCenter Server Appliance ISO from VMware Customer Connect.
• DNS records (A & PTR) for the vCenter Server fully qualified domain name (FQDN).
• IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS information for vCenter deployment.
• At least 2 vCPU, 12 GB RAM, 250 GB disk for tiny deployment (minimum).

Deployment Steps

1️⃣ Mount ISO and Launch Installer

Mount the VCSA ISO to your local workstation and run the installer for your OS (Windows/Linux/Mac).

2️⃣ Stage 1: Deploy Appliance

1. Choose Install from the installer menu.
2. Connect to target ESXi host or existing vCenter.
3. Accept license agreement.
4. Enter VM name for vCenter appliance and root password.
5. Select deployment size (Tiny, Small, Medium, Large, X-Large).
6. Select datastore and enable thin disk provisioning if needed.
7. Enter network configuration (FQDN, IP, DNS, Gateway).
8. Review and confirm deployment.
9. Wait until OVF deployment completes successfully.

3️⃣ Stage 2: Configure Appliance

1. Proceed to setup wizard after deployment.
2. Set NTP time synchronization or manually enter time.
3. Enable or disable SSH access (recommended to enable for management).
4. Configure Single Sign-On (SSO) domain (usually vsphere.local).
5. Set administrator password for SSO.
6. Join VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program (optional).
7. Review summary and click Finish to begin configuration.
8. Wait for setup to complete and services to start.

Initial vCenter Access

• Access vCenter using https://FQDN-of-vcenter/.
• Login using [email protected] and the password you set.
• Configure Datacenter, Clusters, Hosts, and Networking.

Official Documentation

For more detailed deployment options, refer to VMware vSphere Installation and Setup Guide.

Next Step

Once vCenter is deployed, proceed to Managing ESXi Hosts to start adding and managing your infrastructure.