Dell VxRail Deployment Planning Guide

Configure the VMware vCenter Server

The unified resources of your VxRail provide the virtual infrastructure for the VMware vSphere cluster. Each VMware vSphere cluster is defined and managed under a VMware vCenter Server.

During VxRail deployment, select the type of VMware vCenter Server to use for VxRail. The VMware vCenter Server that is supplied with VxRail is the VxRail-managed VMware vCenter Server and is hosted on the VxRail cluster. A VMware vCenter Server that you supply is the as customer-managed and is hosted outside of the VxRail cluster.

A VxRail-managed VMware vCenter Server can manage the cluster on which it is hosted in addition to other VxRail clusters. You cannot manage multiple clusters using VxRail versions earlier than 7.0.130.

Verify that the customer-managed VMware vCenter Server exists and is compatible with the planned VxRail version before you deploy VxRail.

Consider the following when you select your VMware vCenter Server deployment:

• Licensing: For the VxRail-managed VMware vCenter Server, the license is included. This license applies to this VMware vCenter Server instance and cannot be transferred to a customer-managed VMware vCenter Server. If you have purchased subscription licensing and are using a VxRail-managed VMware vCenter Server, you must unassign the license that was included from the VMware vCenter Server and assign the subscription license.
• Lifecycle management processes and version control:
  • VxRail updates the VxRail-managed VMware vCenter Server software.
  • You are responsible for the customer-managed VMware vCenter Server updates.
• DNS configuration
• Virtual switch configuration

For more information about the VxRail-managed VMware vCenter Server deployment, see the following:

• VxRail and external VMware vCenter Server Interoperability Matrix
• VxRail Network Planning Guide
• VxRail Architecture Overview