Summary: How to install vmware VirtualCenter.
Date: Around 2008
Refactor: 29 April 2025: Checked links and formatting.

This is the installation of VMware VirtualCenter on Windows Server 2008 Standard SP2 64 bits. Installed like Windows Server 2008.

cscript c:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs -skms kms.company.local:1688 cscript c:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs -ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX cscript c:\Windows\System32\slmgr.vbs -ato

I want the event viewer to forward all event viewer events to syslog:

C:\Users\administrator>cd c:\windows\system32

c:\Windows\System32>evtsys -i -h <ipaddress-syslogserver>
Checking ignore file...
May  7 16:41:06 Error opening file: evtsys.cfg: The system cannot find the file
specified.

May  7 16:41:06 Creating file with filename: evtsys.cfg
Command completed successfully

Now, go into your services.msc and start the service.

Windows Server 2008 comes by default without a telnet client which is a no go in my opinion.

I used these steps to add the telnet client to Windows Server 2008 active features:

1. Open Server Manager by clicking Start → 'Server Manager'
2. Click on 'features' from the left panel in Server Manager
3. Click on 'Add Features'
4. From the available list of features select 'Telnet Client' and click 'Next'
5. Click on 'Install'
6. Click 'Close'

I disabled the Windows Firewall and disabled Internet Explorer Enhanced Security.

I added the server to the domain.

These are taken from the ESX and vCenter Installation Guide 4.1.

• CPU: minimal 2 logical 64 bits CPUs 0f 2 GHz
• Memory: 3 GB RAM
• Disk Storage: 3 GB
• OS only Windows 64 bits editions:
  • Win XP Pro SP2
  • Win Server 2003 SP1
  • Win Server 2008
• Database
  • MSSQL 2005 Express (Up to 5 hosts and 50 VMs)
  • MSSQL 2005 and 2008
  • Oracle 10g and 11g
  • IBM DB2 9.5
• Gigabit Network Connection

• 1 CPU, 500 Mhz (1 Ghz recommended)
• 1 GB RAM
• 1,5 GB Storage
• Gigabit networking recommended

• Up to 50 hosts and 500 VMs
  • 2 cores, 4 GB RAM, 5 GB Disk
• Up to 300 hosts and 3000 VMs
  • 4 cores, 8 GB RAM, 10 GB Disk
• Up to 1000 hosts and 10000 Vms
  • 8 cores, 16 GB RAM, 10 GB Disk
  • vSphere Client: 2 cores

Media: VMware-VIMSetup-all-4.1.0-259021

• Right click autorun.exe and select 'Run as administrator'
• Select vCenter Server
• Follow the prompts, and note that you need a license key which can be obtained from www.vmware.com/accounts
• Install a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express instance (for small scale deployments)
  • Use SYSTEM Account
• Create a standalone VMware vCenter Server instance
• For all other options, keep the default.

The rest of the configuration is done in the vSphere Client. Start the client and point it to the vCenter Server you've just installed.

After logging in you'll see a screen like this:

• Click 'Create a datacenter' and give it a name in the inventory on the left.

After creating a datacenter, you can start with adding hosts, unless the hosts are still ESX version 3. If that's the case you'll first have to configure the License Server (see below with other configuration).

• Click 'Add a host'
  • In the wizard you'll need the IP-address of the host and login credentials
  • If the host already had previously defined VMs and other configuration you get to review all this information.
• Repeat this step for all the hosts in the datacenter you created.

When all hosts are added, select the datacenter and click 'Create a cluster'

• Give it a name and select:
  • Turn On VMware HA
  • Turn on VMware DRS
• Automation level: Fully Automated
• Power Management: Off
• Enable Host Monitoring: On
• Admission Control: Disable: Power on VMs that violate availability constraints
• Cluster Default Settings:
  • VM restart priority: Medium
  • Host Isolation response: Leave powered on
• VM Monitoring: Disabled
• Enable EVC (Enhanced vMotion Compatibility)
  • Intel Xeon 45nm Core2
• Swapfile policy: Store the swapfile with the VM

When the cluster is created you can 'drag and drop' the hosts into the cluster. Be sure to select the option to create a new resource pool, which will be grafted from the host. This way you won't loose the created resource pool hierarchy.

If there are still ESX 3 hosts you'll need a license server. Ours is “10.10.10.10”. To configure this go within the vSphere Client to Administration → vCenter Server Settings → Licensing and enter the license server in the “License Server” field.

Fill in the SMTP server address and the sender address (vcenter-noreply@getshifting.local)

• Select the vCenter Server in the inventory on the left, right-click and select 'Add Permission'
• Click 'Add' under 'Users and Groups'
• Select the correct Domain, select the administrator group (IT-STAFF), click 'Add' and click 'OK'
• Now set the assigned role to 'Administrator' and click 'OK' (be sure to keep the 'Propagate to Child Objects' button checked.

You can view the assigned permissions on the 'Permissions tab'

Because this is a secured system we use the Message of the Day to show a warning about the system:

• Go to Administration → 'Edit Message of the Day'

NOTICE TO USERS
This computer system is the private property of COMPANY. It is for authorized use only. Users (authorized or unauthorized) have no explicit or implicit expectation of privacy.
Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to your employer, to authorized site, government, and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of government agencies, both domestic and foreign.
By using this system, the user consents to such interception, monitoring, recording, copying, auditing, inspection, and disclosure at the discretion of such personnel or officials. Unauthorized or improper use of this system may result in civil and criminal penalties and administrative or disciplinary action, as appropriate. By continuing to
use this system you indicate your awareness of and consent to these terms and conditions of use. LOG OFF IMMEDIATELY if you do not agree to these conditions.

I had to perform an upgrade from a vCenter installation in a somewhat larger environment than I was used to before, and they even have the database on a SQL server, although still on the same box. I thought I might as well document it.
I used this media which will update vCenter to version 4.1 update 1 (released February 2011): VMware-VIMSetup-all-4.1.0-345042.iso

After mounting the iso and starting the installer the installation programs recognizes there is a previous version of vCenter installed and announces it will perform an upgrade:

After agreeing to the license agreements you can choose that you already have a database, that you use Windows Authentication for it and do NOT want to overwrite it but want to keep it:

This is a screenshot from the test environment, normally you should select the SYSTEM account or a specially created service account:

Keep the ports as default:

The environment only has about 40 hosts so I still choose the small environment:

After checking the summary, starting the installation and finishing the installation the vCenter upgrade was finished:

The section about Update Manager became too big and is replaced by a separate page.

Troubleshooting VMware HA