HOW TO: Deploy and Install the VMWARE vCenter Server Appliance 6.0 (VCSA 6.0)

In my previous Experts Exchange Articles, most have featured Basic and Intermediate VMware and Virtualisation Topics. 

If you would like to read my Basic VMware articles, they are listed at the end of this article for your convenience.

This article will show you HOW TO: Deploy and Install the VMWARE vCenter Server Appliance 6.0, also known as the vCenter Linux Appliance, or VCSA 6.0.

You cannot trial the VMWARE vCenter Server Appliance 6.0, you must have a license for VMware vSphere vCenter Server 6.0 to download the appliance from VMware. Previous versions of the  VMWARE vCenter Server Appliance were supplied as a ready made OVF for download, this procedure has now changed in version 6.0, and a ISO (DVD image) now has to be downloaded.

Download the VMware-VCSA-all-x.y.z-abcdefg.iso (DVD image) from VMware. The filename used in this tutorial is called VMware-VCSA-all-6.0.0-2175370.iso, the build number and filename are likely to change when generally available.

Burn or Mount the VMware-VCSA-all-6.0.0-2175370.iso (DVD image) on your Administration workstation.

In the VCSA folder on the DVD, install the VMware-ClientIntegrationPlugin-6.0.0.exe before you begin. (You will need to close your browser).
 

1. Install the VMware-ClientIntegrationPlugin-6.0.0.exe application

Double click the VMware-ClientIntegrationPlugin-6.0.0.exe application.

Click Next to start the installation.
Accept the End User License Agreement, and Click Next to continue.

You can change the program location if required, click Next to continue.

Click Install to start the installation


Click Finish to complete the installation.

 

2. Installing the VMWARE vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.

Double Click the index.html file in the root of the DVD.

Ensure pop up blockers to no block the Client Integration Plugin.

Select Allow, so the VMware Client Integration Plug-In can access the operating system.

Select and Click Install


Accept the End User License Agreement, and Click Next to continue.

Enter the FQDN or IP Address of an VMware vSphere ESXi Host Server.

Click OK, if a certificate warning is displayed. (this is likely if your certificate does not match your FQDN).

Enter the name for the VMWARE vCenter Server Appliance 6.0 or accept the defaults. Enter and remember the password for the appliance.

Select and use an Embedded Platform Services Controller. Click Next to continue.

Setup and Configure Single-Sign-On. (Remember the password!). Enter a password, for Single Sign-On, Domain Name, and Site Name, I would recommend, using vsphere.local for the domain name, and remembering the password! Click Next to continue.

Select the appliance size.
 

• Embedded-Tiny (up to 20 hosts, 400 VMs) - 2 vCPU and 8GB of memory
• Embedded-Small (up to 150 hosts, 3,000 VMs) - 4 vCPU and 16GB of memory

• Embedded-Medium (up to 300 hosts, 6,000 VMs) - 8 vCPU and 24GB of memory

• Embedded-Large (up to 1000 hosts, 10,000 VMs) - 16 vCPU and 32GB of memory

In this tutorial, we are going to deploy a tiny appliance, but make sure you have 2 vCPU and 8GB of memory in the ESXi host server.


Select a datastore to install the appliance, and select Next to continue.

It will check the datastore for storage space

Select and use an Embedded vPostgres database

Enter network settings for the appliance, we have specified a static IP Address, and a FQDN of vcsa6.cyrus-consultants.co.uk.  We also selected an external NTP server for time synchronisation, and enabled SSH.


Review the settings, and click Finish to start the installation and deployment of VMWARE vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.

The appliance is deployed

Packages are deployed

the appliance is configured

Starting Services

Installation Completed. Click the link provided to connect to vCenter Server Appliance via your browser.

Enter your Administrator@vsphere.local username and password.

You are connected to vCenter Server

Congratulations you have successfully deployed and installed the VMWARE vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.

Basic VMware Articles Series: 

During this series of articles VMware released VMware vSphere 5.5 and VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 5.5. These articles are also applicable to VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 5.0 and 5.5. For consistency, I have used VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 5.1 throughout this series.
 

• Part 1: HOW TO: Install and Configure VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1)

 

• Part 2: HOW TO: Connect to the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) using the vSphere Client

 

• Part 3: HOW TO: Create an ISO CD-ROM/DVD-ROM image (*.iso), and MD5 checksum signature, for use with VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1)

 

• Part 4: HOW TO: Upload an ISO CD-ROM/DVD-ROM image to a VMware datastore for use with VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) using the vSphere Client, and checking its MD5 checksum signature is correct.

 

• Part 5: HOW TO: Enable SSH Remote Access on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1)

 

• Part 6: HOW TO: Create your first Linux Virtual Machine on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server

 

• Part 7: HOW TO: Create your first Windows Virtual Machine on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server

 

• Part 8: HOW TO: Install VMware Tools for Windows on a VMware Windows virtual machine on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server

 

• Part 9: HOW TO: Install VMware Tools for Linux on a VMware Linux virtual machine on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server

 

• Part 10: HOW TO: Backup (Export) and Restore (Import) virtual machines to VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 for FREE

 

• Part 11: HOW TO: Suppress Configuration Issues System logs on host are stored on non-persistent storage

 

• Part 12: HOW TO: Configure and Replace the SSL Certificate on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server

 

• ​Part 13: HOW TO: Configure basic networking on a VMware vSphere Hypervisor 5.1 (ESXi 5.1) Host Server

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