VMware vSphere* 4.1 Installation Guide for ESX*
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vCenter Server* Installation
Install vCenter Server* to manage multiple hosts. To get started with vCenter Server quickly and to manage
the host, install vCenter Server on a desktop or laptop. vCenter Server must be installed on a Windows*
machine that has network access to the ESX* host. For production use, VMware* recommends installing
vCenter Server on a dedicated server system.
Before installing vCenter Server, make sure the system meets the minimum hardware and software
requirements. vCenter Server requires a database. vCenter Server uses Microsoft SQL Server* 2005 Express
for small deployments with up to 5 hosts and 50 virtual machines. For larger deployments, VMware supports
several Oracle* and Microsoft SQL Server databases. Refer to the vSphere Compatibility Matrixes for the list
of supported databases.
vCenter Server* and the vSphere* Client Hardware Requirements
The vCenter* Server system is a physical machine or virtual machine with access to a supported database.
The vCenter Server system must meet specific requirements. Also ensure the vSphere* Client machines
meet the hardware requirements.
Minimum Requirements for vCenter Server*
If loading vCenter Server*, the following requirements are required to install the software:
CPU: Two 64-bit CPUs or one 64-bit dual core processor.
Processor: Intel® Xeon® processor, 2.0Ghz or faster. Processor requirements might be greater if the
database runs on the same machine.
Memory: 3 GB RAM. Memory requirements may be greater if the database runs on the same machine.
vCenter Server* includes a service named VMware VirtualCenter Management Webservices. This service
requires 512 MB to 4.4 GB of additional memory. The maximum WebServices JVM memory can be
specified during the installation depending on the inventory size.
Disk storage: 3 GB. Disk requirements might be higher if the database runs on the same machine.
Microsoft* SQL Server* 2005 Express disk requirements: Up to 2 GB free disk space to decompress
the installation archive. Approximately 1.5 GB of these files is deleted after the installation is complete.
Networking: Gigabit connection recommended.
See database documentation for the hardware requirements of the database. The database requirements
are in addition to the vCenter Server requirements if the database and vCenter Server run on the same
machine.
vCenter Server* Software Requirements
Ensure the operating system supports vCenter Server*. A 64-bit operating system and 64-bit system DSN is
required for vCenter to connect to its database. See the Compatibility Matrixes on the VMware vSphere*
documentation website.
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