vRA 7 Enterprise Deployment – Part 4 – vRealize Automation IaaS Management Agent Installation

Following on from the vRA 7 Enterprise Deployment Part 3, this blog continues the series with the installation of the vRealize Automation IaaS management agent on the IaaS nodes.

Since vRA 7.0 release, the vRA deployment wizard was introduced to complete the pre-requisite configuration and automated deployment of the vRA IaaS components. This is a massive improvement over the vRA 6.x procedure and more reliable. Before proceeding with the vRA Deployment Wizard, each vRA IaaS node requires the vRA Management Agent to be installed. Once installed, the host is registered with the primary vRA appliance.

Exception:  Java 64-bit is required on the IaaS Web servers and cannot be pushed by the deployment wizard. You must install a supported 64-bit version of Java and add the “JAVA_HOME” system variable on each IaaS Web server you plan to use prior to commencing with the vRA Deployment Wizard.

Further information can be found in the VMware documentation here: IaaS Web Service and Model Manager Server Requirements

As per the vRealize Automation Reference Architecture document, vRealize Automation 7 Reference Architecture, as per the Enterprise (previously known as Large) deployment model, you need to prepare 8 Windows Server VMs ensuring you meet the prerequisites for the vRA deployment wizard. This deployment guide assumes you have a Microsoft SQL Server already deployed which can be used to host the vRA IaaS database.

Ensure you adhere to the vRealize Automation Support Matrix and the Interoperability Guides.

Once you have prepared the following, you can continue with the vRealize Automation installation:

• 8 x Windows Server VMs
• Installed a supported version of JRE x64
• Configure the JAVA_HOME system variable
• Ensure you have a supported Load Balancer configured with only the primary nodes enabled in the LB pools
• Created and validated DNS Alias addressed to use for the vRA installation

vRealize Automation Load Balancing

vRealize Automation IaaS Management Agent Installation

Download and Install IaaS Management Agents on the First IaaS Web Server host

Log in to the first IaaS Web Server host with the domain service account that will be used to perform the installation and will also run the Windows service for the vCAC Management Agent.

Note: Ensure the accounts have been setup as per Part 1 of this series.

Example first Web Server: vratestlab03.testlab.com

Example Domain Service Account: (testlab\svc_vra_iaas01) ensure member of local admins and remote desktop users

Go to the first deployed vRealize Automation appliance management console by opening a connection using its FQDN:

https://vratestlab01.testlab.com:5480/

Note: You need to perform these steps on the first Windows Server you will use as the primary IaaS Web Server host, ensuring that the server has full network access to all vRealize Automation and IaaS Web, Manager, DEM, and Proxy Agent servers to perform the Management Agent installation.

Click I Understand the Risks, and click Add Exception to accept the certificate.

Click Confirm Security Exception.

Log in using the user name root and the password you specified when you deployed the vRealize Automation appliance.

Click Login.

On the Welcome to the vRealize Automation Wizard page.

Click Next to continue.

On the End User License Agreement page, click I accept the terms of this agreement.

Click Next to continue.

On the Deployment Type page, select the Enterprise deployment option.

Click Next to continue.

Ensure Install Infrastructure as a Service is selected

On the Installation Prerequisites page:

Click on the vCAC-IaaSManagmentAgent-Setup.msi hyperlink to begin the download the Management Agent installer.

Click Save File to save the installer to a local folder on the primary IaaS Web Server host where you are performing the Management Agent installation from.

 

Browse to the local directory where you saved the installer, on the primary IaaS Web Server host.

Right click on the vCAC-IaaSManagementAgent-Setup.msi file and select Install.

When the setup wizard opens, click Next.

On the End-User License Agreement screen of the Management Agent Setup Wizard, check the box I accept the terms of this agreement.

Click Next.

On the Destination Folder screen, select a destination folder by clicking Change, or accept the default installation path.

Click Next.

On the Management Site Service screen:

In the vRA appliance load balancer address text box, specify the vRealize Automation appliance URL, for example: <https://vra-portal.testlab.com:5480>

In the Root username text box, enter the vRealize Automation appliance username <root>.

In the Password text box, enter the vRealize Automation appliance <password>.

In the Management Site Service certificate SHA1 fingerprint text box, click Load.

Select the I confirm the fingerprint matches the Management Site SSL Certificate check box.

Click Next.

Enter the AD domain service account details for the

vRA Management Agent, for example: testlab\svc_vra_mgr01

Enter the password for the AD service account

Click Next.

Click Install

Once the installation has completed successfully, click Finish to exit the Management Agent installation wizard.

Verify the VMware vRealize Automation Management Agent is running on the primary IaaS Web Server in Server Manager by going to Tools > Computer Management > Services.

Verify the Logon as Service account is configured to use the vRealize Automation Service Account, for example, testlab\svc_vra_iaas01.

Download and Install IaaS Management Agents on all remaining IaaS Web, Manager, DEM, and Agent Servers

The following table lists the host name information for the vRA IaaS nodes in my homelab, where the IaaS Management Agent for each IaaS Server component will be installed. You can use this table as a reference to complete the vRealize Automation Management Agent on all of the vRA IaaS Nodes.

IaaS Management Agent Deployment Information

 

This concludes part 4 of this vRealize Automation Enterprise installation series. I will continue with the vRA 7 deployment in part 5 of this series, where we can now start deploying vRA using the Deployment Wizard.