VMware vCenter Server

Module 4

2012 VMware Inc. All rights reserved

You Are Here

Course Introduction

Data Protection

Introduction to Virtualization

Access and Authentication Control

Creating Virtual Machines

Resource Management and Monitoring

VMware vCenter Server

High Availability and Fault Tolerance

Configuring and Managing Virtual Networks

Host Scalability

Configuring and Managing vSphere Storage

Patch Management

Virtual Machine Management

Installing VMware vSphere Components

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Importance
VMware vCenter Server allows you to centrally manage multiple
VMware vSphere ESXi hosts and their virtual machines. Failure to
properly install, configure, and manage vCenter Server could result
in reduced administrative efficiency or possible ESXi host and virtual
machine downtime.

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Module Lessons

Lesson 1:

vCenter Server Architecture

Lesson 2:

Managing vCenter Server Inventory

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Lesson 1:
vCenter Server Architecture

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Learner Objectives

After this lesson, you should be able to do the following:

Describe the architecture of vCenter Server.
Discuss how ESXi hosts communicate with vCenter Server.
Identify additional vCenter Server components and modules.
Describe single sign-on components.

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vCenter Server: Management Platform

vCenter Server is a service

that acts as a central
administration point for ESXi
hosts and their virtual
machines, connected on a
network:

vCenter Server

Manage

Up to 1,000 hosts per

vCenter Server instance
Up to 10,000 powered-on
virtual machines per
vCenter Server instance

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VMware
vSphere

VMware
vSphere

VMware
vSphere

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vCenter Architecture

ESXi host

ESXi host

ESXi host

* NIS also supported

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ESXi and vCenter Server Communication

vCenter Server

vpxa

hostd
ESXi host

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vCenter Server Components

distributed services

Active Directory/
NIS Services

Additional Services:

database
server

Update Manager
Orchestrator

user
access VMware
control vSphere
API

core services
ESXi management

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Additional vCenter Server Modules

Optional vCenter Server modules (plug-ins) provide additional

features to vCenter Server.
Examples:
VMware vSphere Update Manager
VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager Plug-In
These modules include a server component and a client component:
The client component is a plug-in available for download and
installation to the VMware vSphere Client after the server
component is installed in vCenter Server.
The client component alters the interface by adding items related to the
enhanced functionality.

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Default vCenter Server Plug-Ins

vCenter Server is installed with a set of default plug-ins.

To install a new plug-in, use the Plug-in Manager in the vSphere Client.
Web
client

Windows
client

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vCenter Single Sign On

Mgmt
App

vCD

VMware
vCenter

Directory
Server
(AD)

Benefits of Single Sign On:

Features of Single Sign On:

Faster operations and less complexity

Support for multiple or non AD user

repositories

Trust between components

Better Architecture
Support of an open standard

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Auto discovery of vCenter 5.1 servers in

vSphere environment.
The vCenter 5 servers require one-time
manual registration.
User gets to see all vCenter instances.
Linked mode no longer required for
unified views of vCenter.

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Single Sign-On Server

vCenter

Authorization

Active
Directory

VMware
vSphere
Web Client

Inventory
Service

vCO

Authentication
(Single Sign On)

Open
LDAP

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NIS

vSphere
Solutions

Auditing

Local OS
Users

vSphere
Platform
Services
Customer
Identity
Sources

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Single Sign On: Components Installed

Security Token
Service (STS)

SSO Administrative
Server

SSO

RSA SSPI
service

Lookup
Service

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About Identity Sources

An identity source is a collection of user and group data.

The user and group data is stored in a repository, such as Active
Directory, LDAP, or a database that is local to SSO or to an operating
system.

vCenter Server 5.1 supports the following types of user repositories

as identity sources:
OpenLDAP versions 2.4 and later
Active Directory versions 2003 and later
Local operating system users
You can attach multiple identity sources from each type to a single
sign-on server.

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Adding Identity Sources

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Inventory Object: Tagging

Ability to create custom tags on inventory objects

Associate an arbitrary set of objects of the same type using a tag:
Search for objects by that tag
Enable a business case where customers want to create arbitrary
groups of VMS, clusters, and datastores for ease of management

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Review of Learner Objectives

You should be able to do the following:

Describe the architecture of vCenter Server.
Discuss how ESXi hosts communicate with vCenter Server.
Identify additional vCenter Server components and modules.
Describe single sign-on components.

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Lesson 2:
Managing vCenter Server Inventory

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Learner Objectives

After this lesson, you should be able to do the following:

Create and organize vCenter Server inventory objects.
Navigate using the vSphere Client.
Add license keys to vCenter Server.
View vCenter Server logs and events.

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Datacenter Object

vCenter Server

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Organizing Inventory Objects into Folders

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Navigating the vSphere Client

Home page
search box

navigation bar

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vCenter Server Views: Hosts and Clusters, VMs, and Templates

VMS and Templates
inventory view

Hosts and Clusters

inventory view

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vCenter Server Views: Datastores and Networks

Datastores and datastore clusters

inventory view

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Networking inventory view

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Adding a Host to the vCenter Server Inventory

To add an ESXi host to the
vCenter Server inventory,
use the Add Host wizard
and specify:
Fully qualified domain
name
User name and password
Lockdown mode setting

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vCenter License Overview

Licenses are managed and monitored from vCenter Server.

Licensing consists of:
Product License to use a vSphere software component or feature
License key 25-character string that corresponds to a product
Asset Machine on which a product is installed

product
license
key
assets

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vCenter Server Events

event search

details of
selected
event

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vCenter Server System Logs

log search

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Lab 4

In this lab, you will perform basic vCenter Server inventory

operations.
1. Configure the VCVA for first use.
2. Install vSphere license keys.
3. Create a vCenter Server inventory datacenter object.
4. Create vCenter Server inventory folder objects.
5. Add your ESXi host to the vCenter Server inventory.
6. Use the web console to configure the VMware vCenter Server
Appliance to use Directory Services.
7. Use the vSphere Web Client to log in to the vCenter Server Appliance.

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Review of Learner Objectives

You should be able to do the following:

Create and organize vCenter Server inventory objects.
Navigate using the vSphere Client.
Add license keys to vCenter Server.
View vCenter Server logs and events.

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Key Points

The vCenter Server architecture consists of the following:

vCenter Server
The vCenter Server database
Active Directory
Managed ESXi hosts

Use the inventory views to organize inventory objects in a meaningful

way.

Questions?

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