Vcenter server appliance?

Hello experts,

I was successful to setup EXSi host for my home lab and I install vsphere client on my laptop. Can I work on the EXSI host to create vm machines ?

Do I need vcenter server appliance installed I mean is it required or can I just use the vsphere client to do my lab. I am having difficulty downloading vcenter server appliance at the moment as I heard I need to buy a license and i can not install it on windows 7 - is that true?

Thanks,
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Habib ZakariaNetwork Solutions ArchitectAsked:
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MAS (MVE)EE Solution GuideCommented:
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Habib ZakariaNetwork Solutions ArchitectAuthor Commented:
I installed esxi 6.0 host and I have vsphere 6 on my client. What is the purpose.of vcenter server appliance? I could not get the idea.
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MAS (MVE)EE Solution GuideCommented:
You have to ask this in a separate question
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Zacharia KurianAdministrator- Data Center & NetworkCommented:
vSphere Host Client 6 can be used only to manage a single ESXi host , with VMs that are running hardware versions 8 to 11. Where as vSphere Web Client can manage all your ESXI hosts with all the VMs running , regardless of its hardware version.

Zac.
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Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE MVE^2)VMware and Virtualization ConsultantCommented:
You not need the vCenter Appliance.

The vCenter Server Appliance is just a management server. vCenter Server allows the management of many ESXi servers, from a single interface, and single userid and password. It also allows features such templates, migration, performance analysis, manages HA Clusters, and DRS.

Using a single ESXi server, does not really show the benefits of vCenter Server, apart from the use of templates and CLONING.

A full enterprise managed solution would use vCenter Server, more than a single ESXi server, shared storage, or local vSAN storage, vMotion, Clusters, DRS, HA, FT

Connect to the ESXi server directly, and you can manage and create VMs.

see my EE Articles

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

and finally, see this Article about vCenter Server....

http://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/18939/HOW-TO-Install-and-Configure-VMware-vSphere-vCenter-Server-5-5-for-Windows.html

If you are still unsure, please ask questions, all these articles are my own work, not cut and pasted from Google!
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Habib ZakariaNetwork Solutions ArchitectAuthor Commented:
Thank you sir
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Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert / EE MVE^2)VMware and Virtualization ConsultantCommented:
No problems.
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