12/10/2023, 09:16 vSphere Software Components

VMware vSphere Product Documentation Technical Articles

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Physical Topology of
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Selected product version: VMware vSphere 7.0 
 vSphere Cluster
Services VMware vSphere is a suite of software components for virtualization. These include ESXi, vCenter
Server, and other software components that fulfill several different functions in the vSphere
Client Interfaces for
environment.
vSphere
vSphere includes the following software components:
vSphere Managed
Inventory Objects ESXi

Optional vCenter The hypervisor runs virtual machines. Each virtual machine has a set of configuration and disk files
that together perform all the functions of a physical machine.
Server Components
Through ESXi, you run the virtual machines, install operating systems, run applications, and
vCenter Server Plug-
configure the virtual machines. Configuration includes identifying the virtual machine’s resources,
Ins
such as storage devices.

 Using the vSphere The server provides bootstrapping, management, and other services that manage your virtual
machines.
Client

Submit Suggestions for vCenter Server

New Features and A service that acts as a central administrator for VMware ESXi hosts that are connected on a
Feature Requests network. vCenter Server directs actions on the virtual machines and the ESXi hosts.
Through the vSphere
vCenter Server is installed to run automatically on a preconfigured virtual machine. The vCenter
Ideas Portal
Server service runs continuously in the background. It performs its monitoring and managing

Using Enhanced Linked activities even when no vSphere Clients are connected and when no one is logged on to the

Mode computer where it resides. It must have network access to all the hosts it manages.

vCenter Server is deployed as a preconfigured virtual machine optimized for running vCenter
 Configuring Customer
Server and the vCenter Server components. You can deploy vCenter Server on ESXi hosts 6.5 or
Experience Improvement
later.
Program
All prerequisite services for running vCenter Server and the vCenter Server components are
 Organizing Your bundled in the vCenter Server installation. All vCenter Server services run as child processes of
Inventory the VMware Service Library Lifecycle Manager service. See the vCenter Server Installation and
Setup documentation for details about setting up this configuration.
 vSphere Tags and
Attributes vCenter Single Sign-On

 Working with Tasks A service that is part of the vCenter Server management infrastructure. The vCenter Single Sign-
On authentication service makes the VMware cloud infrastructure platform more secure by
 Configuring Hosts in
allowing the various vSphere software components to communicate with each other. The vCenter
vCenter Server
Single Sign-On authentication service uses a secure token exchange mechanism instead of

 Managing Hosts with requiring each component to authenticate a user separately with a directory service like Active
Directory.
vCenter Server
When you install vCenter Single Sign-On, the following components are deployed.
 License and
Subscription STS (Security Token Service)

STS certificates enable a user who has logged on through vCenter Single Sign-On to authenticate
to any vCenter service that vCenter Single Sign-On supports. The STS service issues Security
Assertion Markup Language (SAML) tokens. These security tokens represent the identity of a user
in each of the vCenter Single Sign-On identity sources.

Administration server
Cookie Settings

The administration server allows users with vCenter Single Sign-On administrator privileges to
configure the vCenter Single Sign-On service and manage users and groups from the vSphere
Client. Initially, only the user [email protected] has these privileges.

vCenter Lookup Service

vCenter Lookup Service contains topology information about the vSphere infrastructure, enabling
vSphere components to connect to each other securely. Unless you are using Simple Install, you
are prompted for the Lookup Service URL when you install other vSphere components. For

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example, the Inventory Service and the vCenter Server installers ask for the Lookup Service URL
and then contact the Lookup Service to find vCenter Single Sign-On. After installation, the
Inventory Service and vCenter Server system are registered with the vCenter Lookup Service so
other vSphere components, like the vSphere Client, can find them. Documentation
VMware vSphere Product Technical Articles

VMware Directory Service

 Expand All In this article 
Directory service associated with the vsphere.local domain. This service is a multi-tenanted, peer-
vSphere
Physical Topology of replicating directory service that makes an LDAP directory available on port 389. In multisite
Software
mode, an update of VMware Directory Service content in one VMware Directory ServiceComponents
instance
vSphere Data Center
results in the automatic update of the VMware Directory Service instances associated with all
other vCenter Single Sign-On nodes. Send Feedback
vSphere
Software Product
vCenter Server plug-ins Download
Components
Applications that provide additional features and functionality to vCenter Server. Typically, plug-
 vSphere Cluster
ins consist of a server component and a client component. After the plug-in server is installed, it is
Services registered with vCenter Server and the plug-in client is available to the vSphere Client for
download. After a plug-in is installed on the vSphere Client, it might alter the interface by adding
Client Interfaces for
views, tabs, toolbar buttons, or menu items related to the added functionality.
vSphere
Plug-ins leverage core vCenter Server capabilities, such as authentication and permission
vSphere Managed
management, but can have their own types of events, tasks, metadata, and privileges.
Inventory Objects
Some vCenter Server features are implemented as plug-ins, and can be managed using the
Optional vCenter vSphere Client Plug-in Manager. These features include vCenter Storage Monitoring, vCenter
Server Components Hardware Status, and vCenter Service Status.

vCenter Server Plug- vCenter Server database

Ins
Persistent storage for maintaining the status of each virtual machine, host, and user managed in
the vCenter Server environment. The vCenter Server database can be remote or local to the
 Using the vSphere
vCenter Server system.
Client
The database is installed and configured during vCenter Server installation.
Submit Suggestions for
If you are accessing your ESXi host directly through the VMware Host Client, and not through a
New Features and
vCenter Server system and associated vSphere Client, you do not use a vCenter Server database.
Feature Requests
Through the vSphere tcServer
Ideas Portal
Many vCenter Server functions are implemented as web services that require the tcServer. The
Using Enhanced Linked tcServer is installed on the vCenter Server machine as part of the vCenter Server installation.
Mode Features that require the tcServer to be running include: lCIM/Hardware Status tab, Performance
charts, WebAccess, Storage Policy-Based services, and vCenter Service status.
 Configuring Customer
Experience Improvement vCenter Server agent
Program
On each managed host, the software that collects, communicates, and runs the actions received
 Organizing Your from vCenter Server. The vCenter Server agent is installed the first time any host is added to the
Inventory vCenter Server inventory.

 vSphere Tags and Host agent

Attributes
On each managed host, the software that collects, communicates, and runs the actions received
 Working with Tasks through the vSphere Client. It is installed as part of the ESXi installation.
Parent topic: vSphere Concepts and Features
 Configuring Hosts in
vCenter Server
 Previous Page Next Page 

 Managing Hosts with

vCenter Server

 License and
Subscription

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vSphere Managed
Inventory Objects

Optional vCenter
Server Components

vCenter Server Plug-

Ins

 Using the vSphere

Client

Submit Suggestions for

New Features and
Feature Requests
Through the vSphere
Ideas Portal

Using Enhanced Linked

Mode

 Configuring Customer
Experience Improvement
Program

 Organizing Your
Inventory

 vSphere Tags and

Attributes

 Working with Tasks

 Configuring Hosts in
vCenter Server

 Managing Hosts with

vCenter Server

 License and
Subscription

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