How Vcenter Single Sign-On Affects Vcenter Server Installation - VMware VS4-ENT-PL-A - vSphere Enterprise Plus Setup Manual

Database Prerequisites
Verify that your vCenter Server database meets the database requirements. See
n
Database Configuration Notes,"
Create a vCenter Server database, unless you plan to install the bundled database.
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How vCenter Single Sign-On Affects vCenter Server Installation

Starting with version 5.1, vSphere includes a vCenter Single Sign-On component as part of the
vCenter Server management infrastructure. This change affects vCenter Server installation.
Authentication by vCenter Single Sign-On makes the VMware cloud infrastructure platform more secure by
allowing the vSphere software components to communicate with each other through a secure token
exchange mechanism.
For information about configuring vCenter Single Sign-On, see vSphere Security. For more information about
vCenter Single Sign-On deployment modes, see
page 52.
For the first installation of vCenter Server, you must install all components. In subsequent installations in
the same environment, or if you add services, you do not have to install vCenter Single Sign-On. One
vCenter Single Sign-On server can serve your entire vSphere environment. After you install vCenter Single
Sign-On once, you can connect all new vCenter Server instances to the same vCenter Single Sign-On service.
You must install an Inventory Service instance for each vCenter Server instance.
Simple Install
The Simple Install option installs vCenter Single Sign-On, the vSphere Web Client, vCenter Inventory
Service, and vCenter Server on the same host or virtual machine. Simple Install is appropriate for most
deployments.
Custom Install
If you want to customize the location and setup of each component, you can install the components
separately by performing a custom install and selecting the individual installation options, in the following
order:
1 vCenter Single Sign-On
2 vSphere Web Client
3 vCenter Inventory Service
4 vCenter Server
You can install each component on a different host or virtual machine.
If you decide on installing multiple vCenter Server systems, you can point to the same vCenter Single Sign-
On service for each vCenter Server.
Installing in Multiple Locations
Unlike vCenter Single Sign-On version 5.1, vCenter Single Sign-On 5.5 synchronizes authentication data
across locations.
If you install vCenter Server systems in multiple locations, you can install a vCenter Single Sign-On server
in each location. When you install the second and subsequent instances of vCenter Single Sign-On, you can
point it to the first vCenter Single Sign-On instance during installation. The two instances synchronize their
VMware Directory Service instances. Changes to one instance are propagated to the other instance.
VMware, Inc.
on page 30 and "Preparing vCenter Server Databases,"
"vCenter Single Sign-On Deployment Modes,"
Chapter 3 Before You Install vCenter Server
"vCenter Server
on page 30.
on
51