Tag: vRA

vRA 6.2 Distributed IaaS deployment

I needed to deploy a distributed vRA 6.2 IaaS in the lab and didn’t find too many resources on the web so here are some of my notes! I hope to revisit this soon to do a full distributed HA deployment including NSX load balancers. For now here is a standard distributed deployment

Pre-Reqs/Assumptions

  • AD installed & available
  • vCenter/SSO installed & available
  • SQL Server installed and available and IaaS SQL pre reqs run for MSDTC
  • vRA 6.2 appliance deployed and integrated with SSO
  • AD CA configured (Will try to cover this in another post)
  • 5 Windows 2012 R2 VMs. 1 for each of the following roles – Web Server, Manager Server, DEM Orchestrator, DEM Worker, IaaS Agent
  • All windows VMs joined the AD domain
  • Run Brian Graf’s IaaS pre req script on all VMs (Pretty sure its only required on the Web & manager server but didnt take any chances!)

Here are the steps

  • Download the IaaS installer from the vRA appliance @ https://vra-FQDN:5480/i
  • First we need to install the database component. From any VM run the IaaS installer
  • Accept the ELUA and click Next
  • Enter the root credentials for the vRA appliance and select Accept Certificate and click Next
  • Choose Custom Install > IaaS Server

Installation Type

  • Select Database from the features list and enter the database instance and database name and click Next (I’m using SQL Express in the lab)

2.install DB

  • If you have run the required pre req scripts you should get all green on the pre req checker. Click Next (My firewall is disabled hence the warning. Click Bypass if you see this)

3.DB Pre Reqs

  • Click Install on the Ready to Install Screen and Next and Finish once the Database install completes
  • Next you need to install the Website feature
  • Before installing the website component it is recommended to generate a CA signed cert for the server FQDN.
  • To do this open IIS on the Web server, select your server name and select Server Certificates
  • In the right hand pane select Create Domain Certificate

Generate Certificate

  • Enter the certificate distinguished name for the web server and click Next

Certificate Request

 

  • Click Select to choose your CA and assign a friendly name (user the web server FQDN)
  • Once complete run the IaaS installer and again choose Custom install > IaaS Server
  • This time choose Website from the feature list.
  • Choose the Default Web Site and the default port of 443
  • Under Available certificates choose the CA signed certificate you created earlier and enter the web server FQDN for the IaaS Server

web server setup

  • Because the IaaS Model Manager Data is required for the Website component to run you must also select the ModelManagerData feature
  • Enter the vCAC/vRA appliance FQDN & SSO details and also the IaaS Web Server FQDN and click Next

9. ModelManagerData

 

  • If you have run the required pre req scripts you should get all green on the pre req checker. Click Next (My firewall is disabled hence the warning. Click Bypass if you see this)

10. ModelManagerPreReqs

  • On the Server and Account Settings screen enter the password for the service account being used and a passphrase for the database and click Next and click Finish once the install completes

11. ModelManagerData Account settings

  • Next up is the Manager Service
  • On the VM you designated for the Manager Service follow the steps outlined earlier to generate a CA signed certificate
  • Once complete run the IaaS installer and again choose Custom install > IaaS Server
  • This time choose Manager Service from the feature list.
  • Enter the FQDN of the Web Server and select the certificate you created in the previous steps and click Next and click Finish

managerService Install

 

  • Next up is the DEM Orchestrator
  • On the VM you designated for the DEMO Orchestrator run the IaaS installer, choose custom > Distributed Execution Managers and click Next
  • If you have run the required pre req scripts you should get all green on the pre req checker. Click Next
  • Enter the password for the service account that you are installing under and click Next
  • On the Install Distributed Execution Manager Screen do the following
    • From the DEM role drop down choose Orchestrator
    • Enter a name
    • Enter a description
    • Enter the FQDN of the Manager Server and click Test
    • Enter the FQDN of the web server and click Test
    • Click Add and click Next and click Install and then click Finish

DEM Orchestratot Config

 

  • Repeat the above steps on the DEM Worker VM choosing the DEM Worker Role
  • Finally we will install a Proxy Agent that will be used to communicate with vRA endpoints
  • On the VM you designated for the IaaS Agent run the IaaS installer, choose custom > Proxy Agents and click Next
  • Enter the password for the service account that you are installing under and click Next
  • On the Install Proxy Agent Screen do the following
    • From the Agent Type drop down choose vSphere
    • Enter a name
    • Enter the FQDN of the Manager Server and click Test
    • Enter the FQDN of the web server and click Test
    • Enter the vCenter Endpoint FQDN
    • Click Add and click Next and click Install and then click Finish

Proxy Agent Install

  • If everything went according to plan you should now be able to log into vRA and configure tenants and resources and start using your distributed IaaS installation.

Hopefully if you’ve read this far you found this useful. I hope to post the distributed HA procedure soon once i get some free lab time!