About VMware vCenter Server Integration

 

Cloud Automation Platform integrates with VMware vCenter Server to provide several features. Primarily, a ESX and ESXi virtualization host can be registered with both Cloud Automation Platform and VMware vCenter. Additionally, Cloud Automation Platform can import VMware vCenter Server virtual machine templates into the Cloud Automation Platform environment, and export Cloud Automation Platform server configurations into vCenter as templates.

 

Important Considerations:

 

• The ESX and ESXi hosts that will be used in both Cloud Automation Platform and vCenter environments must:
  • Be version ESX or ESXi
  • Have all storage locations defined before the host is registered with Cloud Automation Platform.
  • Be registered first with vCenter, and then with Cloud Automation Platform. If this is not done, issues such as renamed data stores can occur.
  • Be managed by the Cloud Automation Platform Remote Server Manager
  • Have the vCenter Administrative Lockout option disabled
  • Not be placed in vCenter Host Maintenance Mode (alternatively, use Maintenance Windows)
  • Not use the vCenter Update Manager to update images in the system library.

 

• The VMs that are used in both Cloud Automation Platform and vCenter environments:
• Cannot have had the vCenter "Convert to Template" option applied
• Cannot use the legacy single-file format (i.e., do not use any version earlier than ESX 3.5)
• Cannot use vMotion on any VMs pooled and used by Cloud Automation Platform: policy is automatically modified to disable vMotion
• Cannot be placed in VMware Resource Pools. (i.e., VMs managed by Cloud Automation Platform may only be put into Cloud Automation Platform resource pools)
• Cannot be placed in VMware folders (although hosts can be)
• Can be spread across multiple VMware data centers.

 

Notes:

• Refer to the Installation and Administration Guide for details about supported versions of ESX.
• Quest Software recommends that you use the Surgient_Image_Tool.iso to prepare VMware vCenter Server virtual machine templates before importing them into the Cloud Automation Platform environment.

 

For more information about how Cloud Automation Platform integrates with VMware vCenter Server, see:

 

• About Partner Extensions
• Importing a vCenter Template as a Server Configuration
• Exporting a Server Configuration as a vCenter Template
• Installation and Administration Guide

 

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