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erdii/install_vcenter_vcsa.md

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Install vCenter Server Appliance 6.5 without hash mismatch error!
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install_vcenter_vcsa.md

Install VCSA 6.5 without hash mismatch error!

requirements

  • esxi host
  • dns or ip for both - esx and vcenter
  • correct time settings (ntp automates this, can be enabled on the esx-host)
  • use vcsa-cli installer (the iso contains vcsa-cli for win/lin/mac os)
  • "skipManifestCheck": "true" because of reasons (the installer repeatedly failed to verify integrity hashes of the created vm)
  • "os.password" and "sso.password" HAVE to pass vmware's pw rules PLUS their dictionary! (verification will pass with a pw in their dictionary but setup will not be able to complete! - we stumbled across this by pure chance after trying for 2 whole days!)

manual

  1. download vcenter vcsa iso - i used this file: VMware-VCSA-all-6.5.0-7515524.iso

  2. mount iso (or burn it to a dvd)

  3. create a file called vcsa.json and fill out the <PLACEHOLDERS>:

{
	"__version": "2.3.0",
	"__comments": "Sample template to deploy a vCenter Server Appliance with an embedded Platform Services Controller on an ESXi host.",
	"new.vcsa": {
		"esxi": {
			"hostname": "<YOUR-ESX-HOSTNAME-OR-IP>",
			"username": "root",
			"password": "<YOUR-ESX-ROOT-PASSWORD>",
			"deployment.network": "<NETWORK-NAME-PROPABLY: VM Network>",
			"datastore": "<DATASTORE-NAME-PROPABLY: datastore1>"
		},
		"appliance": {
			"thin.disk.mode": true,
			"deployment.option": "tiny",
			"name": "Embedded-vCenter-Server-Appliance-6.5-2"
		},
		"network": {
			"ip.family": "ipv4",
			"mode": "static",
			"ip": "<YOUR-WANTED-VCENTER-IP>",
			"dns.servers": [
				"<YOUR-DNS-SERVER>"
			],
			"prefix": "<YOUR-NETWORK-PREFIX-LENGTH-PROPABLY: 24>",
			"gateway": "<YOUR-NETWORK-GATEWAY>",
			"system.name": "<YOUR-VCENTER-DNS-FQDN>"
		},
		"os": {
			"password": "<YOUR-VCENTER-PASSWORD-MUST-PASS-PW-RULES-AND-DICTIONARY-EG: c0mpl3x!$$>",
			"ntp.servers": [
				"pool.ntp.org"
			],
			"ssh.enable": true
		},
		"sso": {
			"password": "<YOUR-VCENTER-PASSWORD-MUST-PASS-PW-RULES-AND-DICTIONARY-EG: c0mpl3x!$$>",
			"domain-name": "vsphere.local",
			"site-name": "my-test-site"
		},
		"ovftool.arguments" : {
			"prop:guestinfo.cis.appliance.root.shell" : "/bin/bash",
			"skipManifestCheck": "true"
		}
	},
	"ceip": {
		"settings": {
			"ceip.enabled": false
		}
	}
}

  1. start the deployment (use a command prompt with vcsa.json in your current directory:

    • Mac OS: run /Volumes/CDROM/vcsa-cli-installer/mac/vcsa-deploy install --accept-eula --no-esx-ssl-verify vcsa.json

    • Windows: run X:\vcsa-cli-installer/mac/vcsa-deploy install --accept-eula --no-esx-ssl-verify vcsa.json (substitute X with your CD drive letter)

    • Linux: run /run/media/cdrom/vcsa-cli-installer/mac/vcsa-deploy install --accept-eula --no-esx-ssl-verify vcsa.json (substitute /run/media/cdrom with your CD mount path)

      vcsa-start-screenshot

  2. now wait about 20 minutes and it should look like this:

    deployment success screenshot

other links that we visited on the journey

@erdii
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erdii commented Jul 6, 2018

./vcsa-start.png:
vcsa-start

./vcsa-success.png:
vcsa-success

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