Running vCenter Server in a virtual machine

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

VMware supports running vCenter Server in a virtual machine. In virtual machines, vCenter Server behaves as if it were installed on a physical server.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x

Resolution

You can install vCenter Server in a Microsoft Windows virtual machine that runs on an ESXi/ESX host.

Note: While running vCenter Server in a virtual machine under Workstation, Player, or Fusion is possible, VMware does not support this configuration.

Deploying vCenter Server in a virtual machine has these advantages:

• Rather than dedicating a physical server to the vCenter Server application, you can install vCenter Server in a virtual machine registered to an ESXi/ESX host in the environment.
• You can provide high availability for the vCenter Server system by using VMware HA.
• You can migrate the virtual machine containing the vCenter Server system from one host to another, enabling maintenance and other activities.
• Provides the ability to use snapshots for virtual machine-level backup utilities (such as VMware Data Recovery) and for restore points before installing update packages.

To install vCenter Server in a virtual machine:

1. In a standalone server, install ESXi/ESX.
2. On any machine that has network access to your ESXi/ESX host, install the vSphere Client.
3. Using the vSphere Client, access the ESXi/ESX host directly to create the virtual machine for hosting vCenter Server.
4. In the virtual machine, install vCenter Server.

For more information, see the ESXi/ESX and vCenter Server Setup Guide.

For more information on the advantages of deploying the vCenter Server system in a virtual machine, see the Install vCenter Server in a Virtual Machine section of the VMware ESXi/ESX and vCenter Server Installation Guide.

Download vCenter Server at VMware Downloads.

Additional Information

For translated versions of this article, see:

• Español: Ejecutar vCenter Server en una máquina virtual (2034913)
  
• Português: Como executar vCenter Server em uma máquina virtual (2036611)
  
• 日本語: 仮想マシンでの vCenter Server の実行 (2078486)
  
• 简体中文: 在虚拟机中运行 vCenter Server (2074917)