VMware vCenter Server 4.0
Product Support Engineering
VMware Confidential
Module 1-3 Lessons
Lesson 1 – vSphere Upgrade
Lesson 2 – ESX 4.0 Install
Lesson 3 – vCenter Server 4.0
Lesson 4 – vSphere 4.0 Licensing
Lesson 5 – Remote CLI
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Module 1-3 Lessons
Lesson 1 – Overview of vCenter Server 4.0
Lesson 2 – vCenter Server 4.0 Hardware requirements
Lesson 3 – Supported Databases
Lesson 4 – Preparing VC Databases
Lesson 5 – Maintaining VC Database
Lesson 6 – Installing VC 4.0
Lesson 7 – Installing vSphere Client
Lesson 8 – Linked-Mode Groups
Lesson 9 – ADAM ( Active Directory Application Mode )
Lesson 10 – vCenter 4.0 Log collection
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vSphere Components
 ESX
 vCenter Server
 vCenter Server Plugin
 vSphere Client
 Web Access
 Databases
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vSphere Components
The major components of vSphere are:
VMware ESX Server
ESX provides a virtualization layer that abstracts the processor, memory, storage,
and networking resources of the physical host into multiple virtual machines.
vCenter Server
This server installs on a Windows machine, either physical or virtual, to centrally
manage your VMware ESX hosts.
The vCenter Server allows the use of advanced vSphere features such as
VMware DRS, VMware HA, and VMotion™.
A VMware SDK Web service is installed with the vCenter Server.
vCenter Server Plugins
Optional applications that provide additional capabilities and features.
Generally, plugins are released separately, installed on top of vCenter Server,
and can be upgraded independently.
You can install server components of plugins on the same computer where the
vCenter Server resides, or on a separate one.
After the server component of a plugin is installed, you can activate the plugin’s
client component, which enhances the vSphere Client with appropriate UI
options.
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vSphere Components
The vSphere Client installs on a Windows machine and is the primary method of
interaction with vSphere. The vSphere Client acts as:
A console to operate virtual machines.
An administration interface into the vCenter Servers and ESX hosts.
The vSphere Client is downloadable from the vCenter Server and ESX hosts.
Web Access
A browser lets you download the vSphere Client from the vCenter Server or
ESX hosts.
Lets you perform limited management of your vCenter Server and ESX hosts.
Databases
vCenter Server uses a database to organize all the configuration data for the
vSphere environment. The bundled Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express
database lets you set up a limited numbers of hosts and virtual machines (5
hosts and 50 VM’s ).
vCenter Server supports several other database products for larger
deployments. vCenter Update Manager also requires a database. VMware
recommends that you use separate databases for vCenter Server and vCenter
Update Manager.
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6
vCenter Server Hardware Requirements
The vCenter Server is a physical machine or virtual machine configured
with access to a supported database.
The vCenter Server hardware must meet the following requirements:
Processor – 2.0GHz or higher Intel or AMD x86 processor.
Processor requirements can be larger if your database is run on the same
hardware. Consult Database documentation.
Memory – 2GB RAM minimum. RAM requirements can be larger if your
database is run on the same hardware.
Disk storage – 1GB minimum, 2GB recommended.
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express disk requirements – The bundled
database requires up to 2GB free disk space to decompress the installation
archive.

However, approximately 1.5GB of these files are deleted after the
installation is complete.
Networking – 1 GB recommended.
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vSphere Client Hardware Requirements
The vSphere Client hardware must meet the following
requirements:
Processor – 266MHz or higher Intel or AMD x86 processor (500MHz
recommended).
Memory – 256MB RAM minimum, 512MB recommended.
Disk Storage – 150MB free disk space required for basic installation.
You must have 55MB free on the destination drive for installation of
the program, and you must have 100MB free on the drive containing
your %temp% directory.
Networking – 1 Gb recommended.
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vSphere Client and vCenter Server Software Requirements
For any operating system except Windows Server 2003 SP1,
install Microsoft Windows Installer 3.1, otherwise your vCenter
Server installation can fail.
See http://support.microsoft.com/?id=893803 for information on
downloading Windows Installer 3.1.
The vSphere Client requires the Microsoft .NET 3.0 SP1
Framework and Microsoft Visual J# 2.0 Second Edition. If your
system does not have these installed, the vSphere Client
installer installs them.
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Supported Operating Systems
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Supported Operating Systems
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11
vSphere Web Access Requirements
VMware vSphere Web Access is a browser-based application
designed to manage virtual machines on ESX/ ESXi and
vCenter Server deployments.
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vCenter Server Database Requirements
IBM DB2 Support
IBM DB2 Express-C v9.5
IBM DB2 Express Edition v9.5
IBM DB2 Workgroup Server Edition v9.5
IBM DB2 Enterprise Server Edition v9.5
Microsoft SQL server Database Support
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard edition (SP2)
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise edition (SP2)
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise edition (SP2) x64
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise Edition (x64)
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vCenter Server Database Requirements
Oracle Database Support
Oracle 10g Standard edition (Release 1 [10.1.0.3.0])
Oracle 10g Enterprise edition (Release 1 [10.1.0.3.0])
Oracle 10g Standard edition (Release 2 [10.2.0.1.0])
Oracle 10g Enterprise edition (Release 2 [10.2.0.1.0])
Oracle 10g Enterprise edition (Release 2 [10.2.0.1.0]) x64
Oracle 11g Standard edition
Oracle 11g Enterprise edition
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Supported Guest Operating Systems
The VMware Guest Operating System Installation Guide
includes information on supported guest operating systems.
ESX offers support for a number of 64-bit guest operating
systems.
Specific hardware requirements for 64-bit guest operating system

AMD Opteron-based systems, the processors must be Opteron
Rev E and later

Intel Xeon-based systems, the processors must include support
for Intel Virtualization Technology (VT).
CPUs with VT support might ship with VT disabled by default
To determine whether your server has the necessary support,
you can use a CPU Compatibility Tool at
http://www.vmware.com/download/vi/drivers_tools.html
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Virtual Machine Requirements
Each Virtual Machine has the following requirements.
Virtual processor

Intel Pentium II or later (dependent on system processor)

One, two, four or eight processors per virtual machine
NOTE If you create a two-processor virtual machine, your ESX machine
must have at least two physical processors. For a four-processor virtual
machine, your ESX machine must have at least four physical processors.
Virtual chip set — Intel 440BX-based motherboard with NS338 SIO
chip
Virtual BIOS — PhoenixBIOS 4.0 Release 6
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ESX and vCenter Server and Client Compatibility
Use this section to look up the ESX/ESXi versions that are
compatible with vCenter Server 4.0
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ESX and vCenter Server and Client Compatibility
ESX/ESXi versions compatible with the vSphere Client 4.0
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vCenter Required Ports
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Configure vCenter Server to Use Evaluation Mode
When you run vCenter Server in evaluation mode, vCenter
Server behaves for 60 days as if it has a vCenter Server edition
license.
The vCenter Server and evaluation editions of vCenter Server
allow you to manage an unlimited number of hosts and use
Linked-Mode vCenter Server.
To configure vCenter Server to use evaluation mode
If you install vCenter Server and do not enter a license key during
the installation, vCenter Server is installed in evaluation mode. When
the install wizard prompts you for a license key, leave the license-key
field blank and click Next.
If vCenter Server is licensed and you want to convert vCenter Server
to evaluation mode, you can do so.
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Licensing vCenter Server After the Evaluation Expires
After the 60-day evaluation period expires, unless you obtain
licenses for your software, you are no longer able to perform most
operations in vCenter Server and ESX.
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Switching vCenter Server to Licensed Mode
When you switch your vCenter Server and ESX from evaluation
mode to the licensed mode, consider the following:
If vCenter Server is managing vSphere 3 hosts (for example, ESX
3.0.x or ESXi 3.5), vCenter Server must have access to the VMware
License Server. You can download the VMware License Server from
the VMware Web site.
When you assign a license to a machine on which a vSphere
component is installed, the license must be compatible with all of the
resources and features that you configure during the evaluation
period.
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Preparing vSphere Databases
VMware recommends using a separate database for vCenter
Server and vCenter Update Manager
vCenter Server and vCenter Update Manager require databases
to store and organize server data.
vSphere supports Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server and IBM DB2
databases.
IBM DB2 database only supported for vCenter, no support for
Update Manager or any plug-in that requires a database.
You must have administration credentials (ID and password) to
log in to an Oracle, SQL Server or IBM DB2 database.
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express is intended to be used for
small deployments of up to 5 hosts and 50 virtual machines.
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Supported Database Types
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Supported Database Types
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Configure DB2 Databases
If you use a DB2 database for your vCenter Server repository, you
need to configure your database to work with vCenter Server.
1. “Configure an IBM DB2 Database User and Group,” on page 54
If you plan to use an IBM DB2 database when you install vCenter Server, you
must configure the database user and group.
2. “Use a Script to Create a DB2 Database,” on page 55
When you use a DB2 database with vCenter Server, the database must have
certain buffer pools, table spaces, and privileges.
3. “Use a Script to Create the DB2 Database Schema,” on page 56
This script, in conjunction with the script that creates the DB2 database, enables
you to have tighter control over the parameters of your database.
4. “Configure a Connection to a Local Database on Windows,” on page 57
You can configure a DB2 database for vCenter Server either locally on the same
Windows machine as vCenter Server or remotely on a network-connected host.
5. “Configure a Connection to a Remote Database on Linux, Unix or Windows,” on
page 58
You can configure a DB2 database for vCenter Server either locally on the same
Windows machine as vCenter Server or remotely on a network-connected
Windows, Linux, or Unix host.
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Configure Microsoft SQL Server Databases
If you use a Microsoft SQL database for your vCenter Server
repository, you need to configure your database to work with
vCenter Server.
1. “Use a Script to Create a Local or Remote Microsoft SQL Server Database,”
on page 59
When you use a SQL Server database with vCenter Server, the database
must have certain buffer pools, table spaces, and privileges. To simplify the
process of creating the database, you can run a script.
2. “Use a Script to Create the Microsoft SQL Server Database Schema,” on
page 60
This script, in conjunction with the script that creates the SQL Server
database, enables you to have tighter control over the parameters of your
database.
3. “Configure a SQL Server ODBC Connection,” on page 61
When you install the vCenter Server system, you can establish a connection
with a SQL Server database.
4. “Configure Microsoft SQL Server TCP/IP for JDBC,” on page 62
If the Microsoft SQL Server database has TCP/IP disabled and the dynamic
ports are not set, the JDBC connection remains closed. This causes the
vCenter Server statistics to malfunction.
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Configure Oracle Databases
If you use an Oracle database for your vCenter Server repository, you need
to configure your database to work with vCenter Server.
1. “Use a Script to Create a Local or Remote Oracle Database,” on page 63
When you use an Oracle database with vCenter Server, the database must have
certain buffer pools, tablespaces, and privileges.
2. “Configure an Oracle Database User,” on page 64
If you plan to use an Oracle database when you install vCenter Server, you must
configure the database user.
3. “Use a Script to Create the Oracle Database Schema,” on page 64
This script, in conjunction with the script that creates the Oracle database, enables
you to have tighter control over the parameters of your database.
4. “Configure an Oracle Connection for Local Access,” on page 65
VMware recommends that the vCenter Server database be located on the same
system as vCenter Server.
5. “Configure an Oracle Connection for Remote Access,” on page 66
To have a vCenter Server system access the database remotely, use the following
procedure.
6. “Connect to an Oracle Database Locally,” on page 66
To have a vCenter Server system access the database locally, use the following
procedure.
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vCenter Server Prerequisites
Before you begin the installation procedure, ensure that you have done the
following:
Make sure that your hardware meets vCenter Server Hardware
Requirements.
Make sure that the system you use for your vCenter Server installation
belongs to a domain rather than a workgroup.

To determine whether the system belongs to a workgroup or a domain,
right-click My Computer and click Properties and the Computer Name tab. The
Computer Name tab displays either a Workgroup label or a Domain label.
Create a vCenter Server database, unless you want to use SQL Server
2005 Express.
Static IP address and host name to the Windows server. This IP address
must have a valid (internal) DNS registration that resolves properly from
all managed ESX hosts.
You can deploy vCenter Server behind a firewall. However, make sure
there is no Network Address Translation (NAT) firewall between vCenter
Server and the hosts it will manage.
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vCenter Server Account Considerations
The vCenter Server install wizard gives you the option to use the
Windows system account or a user-specified account for the
purpose of running vCenter Server.
The primary reason to use a user-specified account is to enable
the use of Windows authentication for SQL Server.
If you choose this option,
The user-specified account must be an Administrator on the local
machine
You must specify the account name as DomainName\Username in
the vCenter Server install wizard
You must configure the SQL Server database to allow the domain
account access to SQL Server.
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vCenter Server Account Considerations
Another reason to use a user-specified account is security.
The built-in system account has more permissions and rights on the
server than vCenter Server needs, which can contribute to security
problems.
Even if you do not plan to use Windows authentication for SQL
Server or you are using an Oracle database, you might want to
set up a local user-specified account for vCenter Server.
The only requirement is that the user-specified account is an
Administrator on the local machine.
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vCenter Server Install Notes
To ensure a smooth installation of vCenter Server, review the
following lists that you will be prompted for during the
installation.
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vCenter Server Install Notes
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Install vCenter Server
1 In the software installer directory, double-click the autorun.exe file.
2 Click vCenter Server.
3 Choose a language for the installer and click OK.
4 When the Welcome screen appears, click Next.
5 Select I agree to the terms in the license agreement and click Next.
6 Type your user name, organization, and vCenter Server license key, and
click Next.
If you omit the license key, the installer installs vCenter Server in
evaluation mode.
7 Choose the type of database that you want to use.
If you want to use the bundled database, click Install SQL Server 2005
Express instance.
If you want to use an existing database, click Use an existing database server
and select your database from the list of available DSNs. Enter the user
name and password for the DSN and click Next.
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Install vCenter Server
8 Choose the account type and click Next.
9 Either accept the default destination folders or click Change to select
another location, and click Next.
10 Select Standalone vCenter Server Instance or Join Group and click
Next.
Join a Linked Mode group to enable the vSphere Client to view, search,
and manage data across multiple vCenter Server systems.
11 If you join a group, enter the fully qualified domain name and LDAP
port number of any remote vCenter Server system and click Next.
In some cases, you can enter the IP address instead of the fully qualified
domain name.
12 Enter the port numbers that you want to use or accept the default port
numbers and click Next.
13 Click Install.
14 Click Finish.
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Install the vSphere Client
1 In the software installer directory, double-click the autorun.exe file.
2 Click VMware vSphere Client.
3 Choose a language for the installer and click OK.
4 When the Welcome screen appears, click Next.
5 SelectI agree to the terms in the license agreement and click Next.
6 Type your user name and company name and click Next.
7 Select Install VMware vSphere Host Update Utility if you want to manage
host patches, updates, and upgrades from this machine and click Next.
8 Accept the default installation location and click Next, or click Change to
select a different location and click Next.
9 Click Install to begin the installation.
10 Click Finish to complete the installation.
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Install the vSphere Host Update Utility
The vSphere Host Update Utility is for patching ESXi hosts and
upgrading ESX 3.x/ESXi 3.5 hosts & ESXi 4.0
vSphere Host Update Utility is bundled with the vSphere Client.
You can install vSphere Host Update Utility when you install the
vSphere Client.
1 Open a command window:
a Select Start > Run.
b Enter cmd.
2 Navigate to the folder that contains VMware-viclient.exe.
E.g. C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\vSphere Client\Launcher\
3 Run the VpxClient.exe executable with the following command:
VpxClient.exe /S /V"/qr INSTALL_VIUPDATE=1 /L*v %temp%\vimviu-launch.log"
The vSphere Host Update Utility is installed.
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Lab – Install vCenter 4.0
Lab 4 Part 1 – vCenter 4.0 Installation
Lab 4 Part 2 – vCenter 4.0 Client Installation
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Linked-Mode Product Overview
Core Features

Standard vSphere Client can access inventory across multiple vCenter
Servers

Query combined inventory of a group of vCenter Servers

vCenter Servers in linked mode share replicated data
vSphere Client
Replicated Group Data
Role and privilege definitions
Inventory Search
Security Manager
Inventory Cache
Inventory Search
Security Manager
Inventory Cache
Inventory Search
Security Manager
Inventory Cache
DB
DB
DB
Licenses
LDAP
LDAP
LDAP
VC 1
VC 2
VC 3
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Linked-Mode Product Overview
2 Installation Methods
Standalone vCenter instance

First instance of vCenter to be installed
Join to a vCenter Linked-Mode group

Add vCenter Server to an existing vCenter Linked-Mode group
Isolate from a vCenter Linked-Mode group
Roles and privilege information are retained
Join an existing linked-mode group ( Post Install )
Join an existing group of VCs, after installing as standalone
Roles and privilege information are retained
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Linked-Mode Components
•ADAM Instance
•Tomcat Web
Services
•VWS application
•Other webapps
•Stats
Reporter,
SMS
ADAM Instance
(VMware VCMSDS)
VC
Server
Tomcat
Web Services /
VWS
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ADAM Instance
(VMware VCMSDS)
VC
Server
Tomcat
Web Services /
VWS
ADAM Fundamentals
Implementation of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
Loose consistency across instances
Consistency achieved through replication
Forms of replication:
Configuration/Schema replication

Attempts to paint a uniform global picture for all servers
(instances)
Data replication

Attempts to keep data across all instances synchronized
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Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM)
Shared distributed store for:
Global data
Connection information to available services

All vCenters (VIMAPI)

All query services (VIMWEBSVC)
Installer installs ADAM with every install of vCenter Server
Runs the ‘jointool’ java application
Stores Roles and Privileges across VCs
Stores Licensing information
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Linked-Mode Jointool
Installer calls into the Jointool application
Runs a bunch of pre-operative validations
For all linked mode operations:
Finds at least one reachable remote instance to connect to
Validates write privileges for current user on remote instance
Validates clock synchronization (clocks cannot be more than 5 mins
out of sync)
Validates DNS name and name lookup
Runs ADAM installer
Does post-operative validations
Forces replication of unreplicated data from remote instances
Verifies if basic information VC Server needs to startup is present
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Linked-Mode Jointool (contd.)
Recovery and rollback
On all errors
Attempts to reset local and remote ADAM state
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Data in ADAM
Using ADSI Edit
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Data in ADAM
Data partition : dc=virtualcenter,dc=vmware,dc=int
Roles data under OU=Roles, Privileges data under OU=Privileges
Licensing information under OU=Licenses
Connection information under OU=Instances
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ADAM prerequisites for Linked mode
Domain membership
If on different domains

trust relationship between machines on different domains
Machines should be able to ‘ping’ each other with fully qualified
domain name,
i.e. ping xyz.abc.com
Pinging by IP address is not a strong enough guarantee!
Install should be done using domain accounts
Domain accounts should have privileges on local machine (on
all Linked mode vCenters) to install into ‘join mode’
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Backing up ADAM data to DB
vCenter has an internal thread that backs up ADAM data
periodically (every 12 hours)
Note: Replication is done every 15 minutes AD
In case VC has trouble starting up due to a detected ADAM error
Attempts to load most recent backup
Verify integrity of backup
Restore ADAM DB files from backup
Back up directory: C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\VirtualCenter
Server\VMwareVCMSDS\
Restart ADAM service
On any failure, re-attempts backup with next older backup
On vCenter Server Startup (vpxd logs )
[2008-11-06 15:39:35.326 05252 info 'App'] [LdapBackup] Backing up directory: C:\Program
Files\ADAM\VMwareVCMSDS\
[2008-11-06 15:39:38.311 05252 verbose 'App'] [LdapBackup] Device name:
\\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy74
[2008-11-06 15:39:42.686 05252 info 'App'] [LdapBackup] Deleted snapshot
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Install issues with ADAM
Jointool reports errors it encounters
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\status.txt
See jointool-0.log as well

C:\Documents and Settings\<User>\Local Settings\Temp

List of operations performed by jointool
Usual errors:
Pre-operative validation errors:

Name resolution errors

Clock out-of-sync errors
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Install issues with ADAM
ADAM install errors:
“Insufficient privileges…”
Unable to remove NTDS Settings object

Implies a previous instance existed on this machine, not removed cleanly

Should delete entry mentioned in error manually
“The list of RPC servers available for the binding of auto handles has been
exhausted”

Connectivity issues, firewall problems
Post-operative validation errors:
Replication failure errors

Permission/privilege problems on the data partition

Domain membership problems
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Debugging problems with ADAM
Expect issues with replication
Use ADSI Edit to diagnose problems
Installs with ADAM
Try these on all VCs in the group:

Create new connection to
dc=virtualcenter,dc=vmware,dc=int
under ‘distinguished name or naming context’

Drill down ‘OU=Instances’

Should see same number
of entries as number of VCs
You can connect across machines as well

Useful to verify privileges
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Debugging problems with ADAM (contd.)
Create new connection to
Configuration partition
under ‘well known naming context’
Expand the following

CN=Configuration

CN=Sites

CN=Default-first-site-name

CN=Servers

Should see list of all VCs
in the group
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Debugging problems with ADAM
Event Viewer
Read Event Viewer logs

On both remote machine and
local machine

Check for Errors
ADAM ( VmwareVCMSDS) extract from event logs
11/6/2008
11:13:33 PM ADAM [VMwareVCMSDS] ISAM
Information (10)
701
N/A
VC40-STANDALONE
VMwareVCMSDS (3816) ADAMDSA: Online defragmentation has completed a full pass
on database 'C:\Program Files\ADAM\VMwareVCMSDS\adamntds.dit'.
11/6/2008
11:13:32 PM ADAM [VMwareVCMSDS] ISAM
Information (10)
700
N/A
VC40-STANDALONE
VMwareVCMSDS (3816) ADAMDSA: Online defragmentation is beginning a full pass
on database 'C:\Program Files\ADAM\VMwareVCMSDS\adamntds.dit'.
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Debugging problems with ADAM
Run Knowledge Consistency Checker
C:\WINDOWS\adam\repadmin.exe /kcc remote-host.eng.vmware.com:389
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Debugging problems with ADAM
Attempt to force replication:
C:\WINDOWS\adam\repadmin.exe /replicate
localhost1.eng.vmware.com:389 remote-host.eng.vmware.com:389
dc=virtualcenter,dc=vmware,dc=int
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Debugging problems with ADAM
Attempt to force replication:
C:\WINDOWS\adam\repadmin.exe /replicate
localhost1.eng.vmware.com:389 remote-host.eng.vmware.com:389
dc=vCenter Server,dc=vmware,dc=int
DsReplicaSync() failed with status 1772 (0x6ec):
The list of RPC servers available for the binding of auto handles has been
exhausted.
This is actually a connectivity problem.

Check if the remote machine is reachable, and the ADAM service
is running.

Check for firewall being turned on.

Machine on domain or not
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ADAM Logs
ADAM install and uninstall logs are under %windir%\debug folder
Jointool-0.log and Status.txt in %TEMP% folder
Created by Join tool. Contains Action/Error messages when Creating
directory services instance VMwareVCMSDS
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About Linked-Mode Groups
A Linked Mode group allows you to log in to any single instance
of vCenter Server and view and manage the inventories of all
the vCenter Server systems in the group.
Using peer-to-peer networking, the vCenter Server instances in
a group replicate shared global data to the LDAP directory. The
global data includes the following information for each vCenter
Server instance:
Connection information (IP and ports)
Certificates and thumbprints
Licensing information
User roles
All vCenter Server 4.0 instances in a Linked-Mode group can
access a common view of the global data.
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Requirements and Limitations for Linked-Mode Groups
The following requirements apply to each vCenter Server
that is a member of a Linked-Mode group:
Each vCenter Server user sees vCenter Server instances on
which they have valid permissions.
Each vCenter Server instance in a Linked-Mode group must be
part of a domain, rather than a workgroup.
The vCenter Server instances can be in different domains if the
domains have a two-way trust relationship.
When you have multiple vCenter Server instances, each instance
of vCenter Server must have a working relationship with the
domain controller.

Each instance must not conflict with another machine that is in
the domain.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 61
Requirements and Limitations for Linked-Mode Groups
The vCenter Server instances in a Linked-Mode group do not need to
have the same domain user login.
The instances can run under different domain accounts.
By default, they run as the LocalSystem account of the machine on which
they are running, which means they are different accounts.
A vCenter Server machine that is a domain controller cannot join a
Linked- Mode group.
DNS must be operational for Linked-Mode replication to work.
The DNS name of the machine must match with the actual machine
name.
During vCenter Server installation, if you enter an IP address for the
remote instance of vCenter Server, the installer converts it into a fully
qualified domain name.
You do not need to freshly install a database for your vCenter Server
installation to work. During the installation, you can point vCenter
Server to any existing supported database.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 62
Requirements and Limitations for Linked-Mode Groups
Use a single SQL Server instance with multiple databases.
Each vCenter Server installation must have its own database.
Alternatively each vCenter Server instance must have a dedicated
SQL Server.
Oracle uses schema objects.
Running multiple vCenter Server instances in a single database so
long as there is a different schema owner for each vCenter Server
installation
Alternatively use a dedicated Oracle Server for each vCenter
Server installation.
When adding a vCenter Server instance to a Linked-Mode
group, the user running the installer must be:
A local administrator on the local and target machine where
vCenter Server is being installed
the installer must be run by a domain user who is an administrator
on both systems.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 63
Requirements and Limitations for Linked-Mode Groups
A standalone vCenter Server the machine need not be joined to a
domain.
At a later time another vCenter Server is to be joined to this standalone
instance, the standalone instance must be joined to the domain, and a
domain user must be added as an administrator.
On each system that is running vCenter Server, the domain user
account must be set up with the following permissions:

Member of the Administrators group

Act as part of the operating system

Log on as a service (account)
A vCenter Server instance cannot join a Linked Mode group if the
system on which vCenter Server is running is a terminal server.
All vCenter Server instances should have good clock synchronization.
The vCenter Server installer validates that the machine clocks are not
more than 5 minutes apart.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 64
Joining a Linked-Mode Group
You can join a machine to a Linked-Mode group during or after the
installation of vCenter Server 4.0.
Suppose you have three machines on which you want to install
vCenter Server 4.0. You want the three instances of vCenter Server
to be members of a Linked-Mode group.
This is how it works:
On Machine 1, you install vCenter Server 4.0 and do not join a group.
When you install vCenter Server on the first machine, you must select a
standalone installation because there is no remote vCenter Server 4.0
machine yet to point to.
On Machine 2, you install vCenter Server 4.0 and point to Machine 1.
Machine 2 copies the global data from Machine 1.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 65
Joining a Linked-Mode Group
Machine 1 and Machine 2 are now members of a Linked-Mode
group.
On Machine 3, you install vCenter Server 4.0 and point to either
Machine 1 or Machine 2.
Machine 3 copies its global data from either Machine 1 or Machine 2.
Machine 1, Machine 2, and Machine 3 are now members of a
Linked-Mode group.
It may take several minutes for the global data (such as user
roles) that are changed on one machine to be visible on the
other machines.
It may take a few minutes for a new vCenter Server instance to
be recognized and published by the existing instances, because
group members do not read the global data very often.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 66
Join a Linked-Mode Group After Installation
If you have a machine that is already running
vCenter Server 4.0, you can join the machine
to a Linked-Mode group.
1 Select Start > All Programs > VMware >
vCenter Server Linked Mode
Configuration.
2 Click Next.
3 Select Modify Linked-Mode configuration
and click Next.
4 Click Join this vCenter Server instance to
an existing Linked-Mode group or
another instance and click Next.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 67
Join a Linked-Mode Group After Installation
5 Enter the server name and LDAP port
number of any remote vCenter
Server that is or will be a member of
the group and click Next.
6 Click Finish.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 68
Isolate from a Linked-Mode Group
You can isolate a vCenter Server
instance from a Linked-Mode
group.
To isolate from a Linked-Mode
group
1 Click Select Start > All Programs >
VMware > vCenter Server Linked
Mode Configuration
2 Click Modify linked mode
configuration and click Next
3 Click Isolate vCenter Server from a
group and click Next.
4 Click Continue and click Finish.
The vCenter Server instance is no
longer part of the Linked Mode
group.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 69
Linked Mode Troubleshooting
If you are having trouble with your Linked Mode group, consider the
following points.
When you have multiple vCenter Server instances, each
instance must have a working relationship with the domain
controller and not conflict with another machine that is in the
domain.

Conflicts can occur, for example, when you clone a vCenter
Server instance that is running in a virtual machine and you do not
use sysprep or a similar utility to ensure that the cloned vCenter
Server instance has a globally unique identifier (GUID).
The DNS name of the machine must match with the actual
machine name. Symptoms of machine name not matching the
DNS name are data replication issues, ticket errors when
trying to search, and missing search results from remote
instances.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 70
Linked Mode Troubleshooting
If a vCenter Server instance is no longer reachable by remote
instances of vCenter Server, the following symptom might occur:
Clients logging in to other vCenter Server systems in the
group cannot view the information that belongs to the vCenter
Server system on which you changed the domain name
because the users cannot log in to the system.
Any users that are currently logged in to the vCenter Server
system might be disconnected.
Search queries do not return results from the vCenter Server
system.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 71
Linked Mode Troubleshooting
To resolve this issue, make sure
the vCenter.VimApiUrl key
points to the location where the
vSphere Client and SDK clients
can access the vCenter Server
system, and the
vCenter.VimWebServicesUrl
key points to the location where
vCenter Server Webservices is
installed.
Menu -> Administration ->
vCenter Server Settings ->
Advanced Settings
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 72
Fixing duplicate/erroneous VC instances
ADAM data gets into a bad state
Multiple unclean install/uninstall cycles
VC machines getting hosed
Leaves an extra entry (GUID) in ADAM
Look for duplicates under
CN=VIMAPI,CN=<GUID>,OU=Instances
The ‘vmw-vc-URL’ attributes represent
VC connection endpoints
Remove the entire GUID under
OU=Instances
Might need to restart VC server for this
to get reflected in vSphere Client
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 73
Communication Between vCenter Server Components
vCenter Server must be able to send data to every vCenter Server
managed host and receive data from each vSphere Client.
To enable any migration or provisioning activities between vCenter
Server managed hosts, the source and target hosts must be able
to receive data from each other. Port 443 is required for
communication from vCenter Server to ESX hosts.
If a firewall exists between any of these elements, a hole must be
created to allow data transfer to these designated ports.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 74
Connecting to vCenter Server through a Firewall
The default ports that the vCenter Server uses to listen for
connections from the vSphere Client are ports 80, 443, and 902.
The vCenter Server also uses port 443 to listen for data transfer
from the VI Web Access Client and other SDK clients
To enable the vCenter Server to receive data from the vSphere
Client, open ports 80, 443, and 902 in the firewall to allow data
transfer from the vSphere Client to the vCenter Server.
To enable the vCenter Server to receive data from the VI Web
Access Client, open port 443 in the firewall.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 75
Connect to Your Managed Hosts Through a Firewall
Port 902 is the default port that vCenter Server uses to send
data to the managed hosts.
If you have a firewall between your vCenter Server and vCenter
Server managed host, you must configure a means for the
vCenter Server to send data to the vCenter Server managed
host.
If you have a firewall between two vCenter Server managed
hosts and you want to perform any source or target activities,
such as migration or cloning, you must configure a means for
the managed hosts to receive data.
Managed hosts also send a regular heartbeat over UDP port
902 to the vCenter Server. This port must not be blocked by
firewalls.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 76
Install vCenter Server in a Virtual Machine
You can install your vCenter Server components in a Windows
virtual machine, which runs on an ESX host. Deploying your
vCenter Server in the virtual machine has the following
advantages:
Rather than dedicating a separate server to your vCenter Server,
you can place it in a virtual machine running on the same ESX host
where your other virtual machines run.
You can provide high availability for the vCenter Server by using
VMware HA.
You can migrate the virtual machine containing your vCenter Server
from one host to another, enabling maintenance and other activities.
You can create snapshots of the vCenter Server virtual machine and
use them for backups, archiving.
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 78
To install vCenter Server in a Virtual Machine
To install vCenter Server in a Virtual Machine
On a standalone server, install the ESX.
On any machine that has network access to your ESX host, install
the vSphere Client.
To install only the vSphere Client, perform a custom installation
Using the vSphere Client, access the ESX host directly to create the
virtual machine for hosting vCenter Server.
Install a supported Guest Operating system
In the virtual machine, install vCenter Server following procedures
described earlier
For more details on installing and running vCenter Server in a virtual
machine, see Running vCenter Server in a Virtual Machine at
www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_vc_in_vm.pdf
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 79
vCenter Server log Collection
There are 2 methods to collect vCenter Server logs
Export Diagnostic Data from the vSphere Client
Run the vc-support.wsf script ( if vCenter will not start )
Logs can only be collected from one vCenter at a time
You have the option to collect ESX logs when you use the
Export Diagnostic Data from the vSphere Client
Export Diagnostic Data will save the resulting log in a folder
specfied
Running the vc-support.wsf will save the Logs on the Desktop
where it is being run
Run cscript vc-support.wsf /? for a list of command line
options
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 80
Lesson 1-3 Summary
Learn how to install VC 4.0
Download and Install vSphere Client
Supported Databases
VC 4.0 and communication through Firewalls
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 85
Lesson 1-3 - Lab 4
Lab 4 Part 3 – vCenter 4.0 Linked Mode Group
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 86
Review Questions
Which database, either DB2 or Oracle 11g can support both
upgrades and installations?
11g
vCenter Linked Mode uses what technology and port(s)?
ADAM, 389, ssl (636)
ADSI Edit connects to vCenter ADAM instance using the string?
1. dc=vcenter,dc=vmware,dc=int
2. dc=virtualcenter,dc=vmware,dc=int
VI4 - Mod 1-3 - Slide 87