Methods for installing vCenter Server 5.1

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides high-level information that may be useful when installing vCenter Server 5.1.

Notes:

This article assumes that you have read the documentation for the update you are applying. For more information, see the vSphere Installation and Setup Guide. The documentation contains definitive information. If there is a discrepancy between the guide and this article, assume that the guide is correct.
Review the VMware vSphere 5.1 Release Notes for known issues or special installation notes.
For more information about upgrading to vCenter Server 5.1, see Installing vCenter Server 5.1 best practices (2021202).

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 5.1.x

Resolution

Before installing vCenter Server 5.1, vSphere 5.1 requires you to install vCenter Single Sign On and install the Inventory Service.

You can install vCenter Single Sign On, Inventory Service, and vCenter Server all on a single host machine using the vCenter Server Simple Install option. This option is appropriate for small deployments.

Alternatively, you can install vCenter Single Sign On, vCenter Inventory Service, and vCenter Server separately to customize the location and configuration of the components. For more information, see Install vCenter Single Sign On, vCenter Inventory Service, and vCenter Server Separately.

For more information on vCenter Single Sign On affects on the vCenter Server installation, see:

The How vCenter Single Sign On Affects vCenter Server Installation and Upgrades section of the vSphere Installation and Setup Guide.
Comparing behaviour of vCenter Single Sign On with earlier versions of vCenter Server (2032135).

Prerequisite

Before installing vCenter Server 5.1, you must create a vCenter Single Sign On database, unless you plan to install the bundled database.

For information about vCenter Server 5.1 supported database versions, see the VMware Product Interoperability Matrix.
If you are using an existing database for vCenter Single Sign On:
- You have the option of specifying a database user (RSA_USER) and database administrator (RSA_DBA) to use for Single Sign On database installation and setup. For more information, see the Required vCenter Single Sign On Database Users section of the vSphere Installation and Setup Guide.
  - If you choose this option, create these users before you run the installer. For a list of required permissions, see the Required vCenter Single Sign On Database Users section of the vSphere Installation and Setup Guide.
  - If you do not choose this option, the installer creates these users for you using the credentials of a database administrator you specify during the installation process. Verify that the database user you specify has the required permissions. For more information, see the Permissions Required by vCenter Single Sign On for Database Administrators section of the vSphere Installation and Setup Guide.
- Ensure that the tablespaces are named RSA_DATA and RSA_INDEX. Any other table space names cause the vCenter Single Sign On installation to fail.
- Ensure that the table space is created for the database and run the script:
  rsaIMSLiteDBNameSetupTablespaces.sql
  
  This script is included in the vCenter Server installer download package (vCenter Server Installation directory\Single Sign On\DBScripts\SSOServer\Schema\your_existing_database ). You can run this script before the installation or during the installation of Single Sign On, when prompted by the installer. You can leave the installer to run the script, and resume the installer after you run the script.
- If you do not choose this option, the installer creates these users for you using the credentials of a database administrator you specify during the installation process. Verify that the database user you specify has the required permissions. See Permissions Required by vCenter Single Sign On for Database Administrators in the vSphere Installation and Setup Guide.

Note: For information on vCenter Single Sign On, vCenter Inventory Service, and vCenter Server install prerequisites, hardware and software requirements, see Installing vCenter Server 5.1 best practices (2021202)

Installing vCenter Single Sign On, vCenter Inventory Service, and vCenter Server using Simple Install

This procedure provides instructions to install vCenter Single Sign On, Inventory Service, and vCenter Server on a single host machine using the vCenter Server Simple Install option.

Note: If vCenter Inventory Service and vCenter Server are installed on the computer, this procedure upgrades vCenter Inventory Service and vCenter Server.

Install vCenter Single Sign On as a part of a vCenter Server Simple Install.
Create the only node in a basic vCenter Single Sign On installation or the first node in a high availability or multisite installation.
Install vCenter Inventory Service as a part of vCenter Server Simple Install.
You can install vCenter Single Sign On, vCenter Inventory Service, and vCenter Server on a single host machine using the vCenter Server Simple Install option. This option is appropriate for small deployments.
Install vCenter Server as a part of Simple Install.
You can install vCenter Single Sign On, vCenter Inventory Service, and vCenter Server on a single host machine using the vCenter Server Simple Install option. This option is appropriate for small deployments.

For more information, see the vSphere Installation and Setup Guide.

Installing vCenter Single Sign On, vCenter Inventory Service, and vCenter Server separately

This procedure provides instructions to install vCenter Single Sign On, vCenter Inventory Service, and vCenter Server separately to customize the location and configuration of the components.

Note: Steps 1 and 2 are mutually exclusive. Perform one of these steps.

Perform a fresh installation of vCenter Single Sign On and create the only node in a basic vCenter Single Sign On installation or the first node in a high availability or multisite installation.
Install an additional vCenter Single Sign On node for an existing high availability or multisite vCenter Single Sign On installation
Install vCenter Single Sign On, vCenter Inventory Service, and vCenter Server separately. This allows you to customize the location and configuration of the components.
Install vCenter Server separately from vCenter Single Sign On and vCenter Inventory Service. This allows you to customize the location and configuration of the components.

For more information, see vSphere Installation and Setup Guide.

Additional Information

Methods of upgrading to vCenter Server 5.1
Installing vCenter Server 5.1 best practices
Comparing the behavior of vCenter Single Sign On with different versions of vCenter Server
Configuring CA signed certificates for vCenter Server 5.1
vCenter Server 5.1 のインストール方法
安装 vCenter Server 5.1 的方法