As we are all aware vCenter is at the heart of our vSphere environments. Whether deploying a lab or a net new datacenter with vSAN/VxRail, you will require a new vCenter.
Before I begin, embedded vs external Platform Services Controller (PSC). I say treat any net new install as embedded PSC only. VMware is in the process of eliminating the external PSC and sometime in the future you won’t be able to deploy an external. The process of taking an external and moving it ino a VCSA is a lot of work you can avoid by simply deploying an embedded PSC now.
https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2018/11/external-platform-services-controller-a-thing-of-the-past.html
Getting started:
Go to your myvmware page and to downloads and download the latest vCenter ISO file. You are going to want to mount the ISO file onto your windows server. This is as smple as finding the ISO and right clicking and selecting Mount.
Next you will choose which folder you want the vCenter to live in and which ESXi host you want it to live on.
Next you will choose which data store you want the vCenter to live on.
Finally, you will put in the necessary network information for your vCenter:
- Network: network you want new vCenter to live on
- System name: name of your vCenter
- IP: the static IP you want to assign your vCenter
- Subnet mask:
- Default gateway:
- DNS server:
Congratulations. You now have a new vCenter server deployed into your environment. My next blog will be on upgrading your existing vCenter server. I hope everyone found this useful.