Chapter 3.  The Management Layer – VMware vCenter

VMware vCenter Server is the management layer that helps manage hundreds of ESXi hosts under a single management plane. It helps cluster ESXi hosts and enable features such as vSphere HA and vSphere DRS which otherwise would not be possible.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

• VMware vCenter Server concepts
• Laying the foundation for a vCenter installation or deployment
• Installing vCenter on a Windows platform
• Deploying the appliance based vCenter and its components
• Configuring identity sources on the Single Sign-On server.
• Configuring licensing for the vSphere infrastructure
• Adding ESXi to the vCenter
• Enhanced Linked Mode