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Creating a VMware Connector in Certero: Prerequisites and Steps

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Creating a VMware Connector

In order to create a VMware Virtualization connector within in Certero, there are several pre-requisites you will need to compete this.

Types of Connector

  • For VMware vCenter

  • For Individual ESX host

Prerequisites

  • (vCenter) hypervisor name and IP address.

  • (ESX host) server name and IP address.

  • Open port 443 between the Application Server and VMware hypervisors.

  • Provide an Active Directory User account with authentication to vCenter.

  • Username and password of an account with at minimum the Viewer role.

  • (ESX host) A connector will be configured for these ESX servers. Please provide the local ESX root account for those servers.

  • Enable the ‘VMware connector’ feature on the appropriate endpoint server.

Recommendations

  • Where possible, please use the same Active Directory user account for authentication with vCenter.

  • Run the inventory schedule daily, out of hours, when no server maintenance will be scheduled.

  • Run the mapping schedule every 2 or 4 hours, as this inventory is a very light and typically only takes a few seconds to complete.

Verifications

  • The individual(s) responsible for networks to confirm the port(s) and firewall(s) have been opened

  • (vCenter) Confirm how the credential was created and that it has been used and verified as operational and will persist (for example, password won’t expire after first use).  The account should have the Read Only Role and the Global.Licensing privilege within VMware vCenter.

  • (ESX host) Confirm this is the root account for this ESX server, verified as operational and will persist (for example, password won’t expire after first use).

Outcomes:

  • (ESX host) A VMware connector will import VMware ESXi host servers and their virtual machines and templates.  

  • (vCenter) A VMware connector will import all host servers and their virtual machines and templates, and will match the relationships to VMware clusters.

  • (vCenter) A VMware connector will provide granular detail for virtual machines on days and time spent on previous hosts and when they moved.

  • (vCenter) A VMware connector will provide detail for enterprise options that are enabled (DRS/VMotion/HA/DPM)

Creating the VMware Connector in Certero

  • Navigate to Connectors > VMware

  • Click the New button

  • On the Details tab enter the server name/IP

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  • Select an Endpoint Server that will be able to connect to your VMware system

  • Enter the username and password that can authenticate with VMware on this server

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On the Inventory Schedule tab set how often you want the connector to run. The recommendation is daily, out of hours, when no server maintenance will be scheduled.

On the Mapping Schedule tab set how often you want to separately schedule the host<>guest relationship mapping discovery. The recommendation is every 2 or 4 hours, as this inventory is a very light and typically only takes a few seconds to complete.

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  • Click Save. 

  • To confirm operability right click the VMware Connector you have created, select Actions > Run Now

  • Once run, you can check the Results tab to see if it has completed successfully.

You will be able to see the populated VMware Data within Virtualization > VMware Hosts and Virtualization > VMware Virtual Machines.