Creating Vcenter Server Linked Mode Groups; Linked Mode Prerequisites - VMware ESX 4.0 - INSTALLATION GUIDE UPDATE 1 Installation Manual

Creating vCenter Server Linked Mode
Groups
A Linked Mode group allows you to log in to any single instance of vCenter Server and view and manage the
inventories of all the vCenter Server systems in the group.
You can join multiple vCenter Server systems to form a Linked Mode group. You can configure a Linked Mode
group during vCenter Server installation or after vCenter Server is installed.
To join a vCenter Server group, you enter the fully qualified domain name (or IP address) of a remote machine
on which vCenter Server 4.0 is running. The remote machine can be any vCenter Server 4.0 instance that is or
will become a member of the Linked Mode group.
You must also provide the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) port number of the remote vCenter
Server instance.
vCenter Server instances in a group replicate shared global data to the LDAP directory. The global data includes
the following information for each vCenter Server instance:
Connection information (IP and ports)
n
Certificates
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Licensing information
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User roles
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This chapter includes the following topics:

"Linked Mode Prerequisites,"

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"Linked Mode Considerations,"
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"Configure the URLs on a Linked Mode vCenter Server System,"
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"Joining to a Linked Mode Group During and After Installation,"
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"Join a Linked Mode Group After Installation,"
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"Isolate a vCenter Server Instance from a Linked Mode Group,"
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"Linked Mode Troubleshooting,"
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Linked Mode Prerequisites
Prepare the system for joining a Linked Mode group.
All the requirements for standalone vCenter Server systems apply to Linked Mode systems. See
"vCenter Server Prerequisites,"
VMware, Inc.
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