Caution: Articles written for technical not grammatical accuracy, If poor grammar offends you proceed with caution ;-)
Before starting the installation you should login to the server using the account that you have setup with permissions to your SQL database server. If you are using a local SQL Express instance you can login with an account that has permission to the local SQL Express. The account should be a domain account in the domain that you joined the server to. If you intend to use the same account as the service account for the installation make sure the account has the “Run as Service” privilege on the local server. If you haven’t already done so you should read “VMware Cloud Automation Center – What to know before you install.“
Installation Overview
The vCAC 5.1 Manager Installation includes a few components you should be familiar with. The components are:
- The Model Manager – This is what manages vCAC’s Data Repository. The Model Manager is also responsible for vCAC’s RESTful API.
- The Manager Service – This is being phased out by the Model Manager. The Manager Service is utilized by “Proxy Agents” that are part of vCAC and utilized to communicate with services such as vCenter, Hyper-V, XenServer, XenDesktop, and other infrastructure elements.
- WebSite – The Web based UI that is shipped with vCAC. The Web Portal is used by administrators and users of the system. This is not to be confused with the self-service portal that ships with the vCAC CDK.
- Database – Installs the data model into the database.
It’s important to point out that although in my below installation instructions all the services are being installed on one server they can each be installed on a separate server. You may choose to install the components on separate servers for high availability or scalability. I will be covering this more in the near future.
Starting the Installer
1. Locate the “DCAC-Manager-Setup” file, “right click” and select “Run as administrator”
Installing vCAC 5.1
2. Click “Next”
Accept the Terms
3. Accept the term and click “Next”
Add License File
4. Select your license file and click “Next“. (If you do not have a license file visit http://www.vmware.com for a trial license file.)
Selecting the DataBase
5. Make sure you Select to install the “Database” and then Click “Next“. (Optionally you can also change the installation location if you choose.)
Select Web Application
6. Select the “Web Application” you want to install vCAC under. If you did not configure any additional “Web Appliations” choose “Default Web Site“. If you “are not” doing an “HTTPS” installation select “HTTP and click “Next“” (Performing an “HTTPS” configuration as well as “Web Farm Support” will be covered in a separate posting.)
Configure DataBase
7. Ensure “Use Windows Authentication” is selected and then enter the “Fully Qualified Domain Name” of your “SQL Server“. If you are using a “local SQL Express” installation you can enter “localhost“. Click “Next“.
DataBase Name
8. Provide a name for you database and click “Test Connection”
Test DataBase Connection
9. A dialog box will pop up stating “Successfully Connected“. Click “Ok” and then click “Next“.
Note: If the dialog box comes back with a “failed connection” and you are using a “local SQL Express” instance go back a step and try the following format “localhost\SQLExpress” for the server name.
Configure Authorization Store
10. Choose where you would like your “AzMan Athorization Store“. “File based” is sufficient for this installation especially if you are using SQL Express. “MSSQL Server” and “Active Directory” are used when you want redundancy for the store such as in an HA scenario. Click “Next” to continue.
Configure Mail Settings
11. Determine if your mail server requires authentication. If it does un-check “Use Anonymous SMTP“. Next input the name of your vCAC Server. “localhost” is fine for this installation. Next input the “FQDN” of your “SMTP server” and the “email address” you would like messages to appear “from“. Optionally input your “SMTP Server” “Username” and “Password” and then click “Next“.
Configure vCAC Service Account
12. Next we need to input the “Username” and “Password” for the “vCAC Service Account“. Click “Next“.
Configure Model Manager Service
13. Next we need to input the “Hostname“, “Username“, and”Password” for the “vCAC Model Manager Service Account“. Click “Next“.
Starting the Installer
14. Next we need to input the “Hostname“, “Username“, and”Password” for the “vCAC Web Portal Service Account“. Click “Next“.
Install
15. Click “Install” The installation can take up to 10 minutes to complete.
Installation Finished
20. Click “Finish” to close the installer.
Load Web Portal
21. Open the web browser on your server and go to http://localhost/dcac. You should see the “vCAC Web Portal“. At the top of the screen you will see two warnings regarding the “DEM’s”. You can disregard the warning as we will be installing them next. This concludes the “Manager Service Installation“.
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