Today we will witness vCenter 6.5 installation from scratch. However we would download the ISO from my VMware portal.The GA has already been released and is currently available in my Vmware portal.
https://my.vmware.com/group/vmware/details?downloadGroup=VC650&productId=614&rPId=13348
Once you download and open the iso you would have below image being available.
There are three ways on how you could proceed with the installation.
- OVA Deployement
- Deployement via cli
- Deployement via UI
In this article we would proceed with deploying it via UI.
Since we are deploying it from a windows machine we would proceed with win32. These options are chosen based the OS flavour you chose as a source to deploy.
Click on installer.
You will have below mentioned options available in order to proceed with 6.5 installation .We will currently be going ahead with installing it from scratch.
Hence click install.
Click next.
Accept the end user agreement. Click next.
Select the type of deployment needed .In the current scenario we would proceed with deploying it with embedded PSC. Hence choose the first option. If you planning to have an external PSC then deploy a PSC first and later during VC installation point it towards same PSC.
Click next.
Below details is in context to ESXI host where you would be deploying the vCenter.Provide the ESXI details and proceed further.
Accept the certificates and click next
Provide the name of the appliance and set the root password. This credentials would ideally be the root credentials and would be used while attempting an SSH to the appliance
Click next.
Provide the inventory size based on your environment.
Click Next.
Make a note that vCenter 6.5 has a minimum requirement of 250 GB storage. Currently I have proceeded with thin provision disk. You can choose this option based on your environment and choose appropriate datastore.
Here comes the networking part. One of the main point to be considered. Ensure you provide a system FQDN which has a resolvable IP else the deployment would fail during the process stating hostname does not have a resolvable IP.
Fill in all the network related details below and click Next.
Review if all the information is intact and right. Click finish.
Deployment has begun.
Deployment has been completed which in turn has completed Stage 1.
Now we would proceed with stage 2 which configures SSO or so called platform services controller.
Click Next.
Below image would provide you two ways of synchronizing time of the underlying vCenter.Either sync with the host where it is currently registered else use a external NTP server.
Based on your environment you can choose one of these options and enable SSH to take shell session of the vCenter appliance whenever needed.
Click Next
Provide SSO domain information along with the site name and set the SSO credentials
Click next.
Click Next.
Review if all the information is intact and proceed further to click on finish.
Click OK.
Setup is currently in progress.
Appliance has been successfully deployed.
Below image of the web client interface is for your reference.
In the upcoming articles we would discuss procedures on upgrading and migrating the earlier version of vCenter.
Hope this article was helpful.