How to Install a Highly Available SCVMM 2012 Beta Management Server Step by Step

Uncategorized 8 Minutes

In this post we will go through the required steps to install highly available VMM 2012 Beta Management Server using Windows Server 2008 R2 Failover Clustering feature.

Before you begin the installation of a highly available VMM management server, ensure the following:

·         You have installed and configured a failover cluster running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1 (SP1).  For more information about installing and configuring a failover cluster, see Overview of Failover Clusters (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=213753).

·         All computers on which you are installing the highly available VMM management server meet the minimum hardware requirements and that all prerequisite software is installed on all computers. For information about hardware and software requirements for VMM 2012, see System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2012 System Requirements and Supported Operating Systems (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=209608).

·         You have created a domain account that will be used by the Virtual Machine Manager service. You must use a domain account for a highly available VMM management server. For more information about using a domain account, see Specifying a Service Account for VMM 2012 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=212847).

·                 You are prepared to use distributed key management to store encryption keys in Active Directory Directory Services (AD DS). You must use distributed key management for a highly available VMM management server. For more information about distributed key management, see Configuring Distributed Key Management in VMM 2012 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=209609).

·                 You have a computer with a supported version of Microsoft SQL Server installed and running before you start the installation of VMM 2012. Unlike VMM 2008 R2, VMM 2012 will not automatically install an Express edition of SQL Server during the installation. For information about supported versions of SQL Server for the VMM database, see System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2012 System Requirements and Supported Operating Systems (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=209608).

 

Membership in the local Administrators group, or equivalent, on the computer that you are configuring is the minimum required to complete this procedure.

To install a highly available VMM management server on the first node of a cluster

1.       On the first node of your cluster, start the Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Setup Wizard. To start the Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Setup Wizard, on your installation media, right-click setup.exe, and then click Run as administrator.

2.       On the main setup page, click Install.

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Note

Accept the Microsoft .Net 3.5 SP1 installation when prompted.

 

3.       On the Please read this license agreement page, review the license agreement, select the I have read, understood, and agree with the terms of the license agreement check box, and then click Next.

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4.       On the Select features to install page, select the VMM Server check box.

Once VMM installation wizard detections that the server is part of Failover cluster it will prompt whether you want to make the VMM management server highly available, click Yes.

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5.       On the Select features to install page, click Next.

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6.       On the Product registration information page, provide the appropriate information, and then click Next.

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7.       On the Microsoft Update page, select whether or not you want to use Microsoft Update, and then click Next.

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8.       On the Installation location page, use the default path or type a different installation path for the VMM 2012 program files, and then click Next.

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9.       The computer on which you are installing the highly available VMM management server will be checked to ensure that the appropriate hardware and software requirements are met. If a prerequisite is not met, a page will appear with information about which prerequisite has not been met and how to resolve the issue. If all prerequisites have been met, the Database configuration page will appear.

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For information about hardware and software requirements for VMM 2012, see System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2012 System Requirements and Supported Operating Systems (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=209608).

 

10.   On the Database configuration page, do the following:

·         Specify the name of the computer that is running Microsoft SQL Server. If you are installing the highly available VMM management server on the same computer that is running SQL Server (which is not recommended), in the Server name box, either type the name of the computer (for example, vmmserver01) or type localhost.

·         Specify the port to use for communication with the computer that is running SQL Server, if all of the following conditions are true:

·         SQL Server is running on a remote computer.

·         The SQL Server Browser service is not started on that remote computer.

·         SQL Server is not using the default port of 1433.

Otherwise, leave the Port box empty as in our Lab environment.

·         Select or type the name of the instance of SQL Server to use.

·         Specify whether to create a new database or to use an existing database. If the account with which you are installing the VMM management server does not have the appropriate permissions to create a new SQL Server database, select the Use the following credentials check box and provide the user name and password of an account that does have the appropriate permissions.

After you have configured the database to be used by the highly available VMM management server, click Next.

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11.   On the Cluster configuration page, do the following:

·         In the Name box, type the name you want to give to this highly available VMM management server implementation. For example, type vmmmgmt01. Do not enter the name of the failover cluster or the name of the computer on which the highly available VMM management server is installed.

You will use this clustered service name “vmmmgmt01” when you connect to this highly available VMM management server implementation by using the VMM console. Because there will be multiple nodes on the failover cluster that have the VMM management server feature installed, you need a single name to use when you connect to your VMM 2012 environment by using the VMM console.

·         If you are using static IPv4 addresses, you must specify the IP address to assign to the clustered service name. The clustered service name and its assigned IP address will be registered in DNS. If you are using IPv6 addresses or you are using DHCP, no additional configuration is needed.

After you have configured the cluster settings, click Next.

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12.   On the Account configuration page, do the following:

·         Under Service Account, provide the name and password of the domain account that will be used by the Virtual Machine Manager service. You must use a domain account for a highly available VMM management server. For more information about using a domain account, see Specifying a Service Account for VMM 2012 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=212847).

·         Under Distributed Key Management, specify the location in Active Directory to store encryption keys. For example, type CN=users,DC=server,DC=Local.

You must use distributed key management to store the encryption keys in Active Directory for a highly available VMM management server. For more information about distributed key management, see Configuring Distributed Key Management in VMM 2012 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=209609).

After you have specified the necessary information on the Account configuration page, click Next.

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13.   On the Port configuration page, provide unique port numbers for each feature and that are appropriate for your environment, and then click Next.

Important

The ports that you assign during the VMM management server installation cannot be changed without uninstalling and reinstalling the VMM management server.

 

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14.   On the Library configuration page, click Next.

Note

You cannot configure a library share during the installation of a highly available VMM management server. After the highly available VMM management server is installed, you must configure library shares by using the VMM console or by using the VMM command shell. We recommend that you use a highly available file server for hosting your library shares.

 

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15.   On the Installation summary page, review your selections and do one of the following:

·         Click Previous to change any selections.

·         Click Install to install the highly available VMM management server.

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16.   After you click Install, the Installing features page appears and installation progress is displayed.

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17.   On the Setup completed successfully page, do one of the following:

·         To open the VMM console when you close the setup wizard, ensure that the Open the Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 console when this wizard closes check box is selected.

·         Click Close.

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For information about connecting to a highly available VMM management server by using the VMM console, see How to Connect to a Highly Available VMM Management Server by Using the VMM Console.

 

18.   Verify the SCVMM cluster configured properly by opening the Failover Cluster console and Expand SCVMMMGTM01 group to check the created resources.

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To install a highly available VMM management server on an additional node of a cluster

1.       On an additional node of your cluster, start the Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Setup Wizard. To start the Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Setup Wizard, on your installation media, right-click setup.exe, and then click Run as administrator.

Note

Before beginning the installation of VMM 2012, close any open programs and ensure that there are no pending restarts on the computer. For example, if you have installed a server role by using Server Manager or have applied a security update, you may need to restart the computer and then log on to the computer with the same user account to finish the installation of the server role or the security update.

2.       On the main setup page, click Install.

3.       On the Please read this license agreement page, review the license agreement, select the I have read, understood, and agree with the terms of the license agreement check box, and then click Next.

4.       On the Select features to install page, select the VMM Server check box. When you are prompted whether you want to add this VMM management server to the existing highly VMM management server installation, click Yes.

Note

The VMM console is automatically installed when you install a VMM management server. You cannot clear the VMM Administrator Console check box because if you are installing a VMM management server, you must also install the VMM console on the computer.

For this Beta, do not select the VMM Self-Service Portal check box.

 

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5.       On the Select features to install page, click Next.

6.       On the Product registration information page, provide the appropriate information, and then click Next.

7.       On the Microsoft Update page, select whether or not you want to use Microsoft Update, and then click Next.

8.       On the Installation location page, use the default path or type a different installation path for the VMM 2012 program files, and then click Next.

9.       The computer on which you are installing the highly available VMM management server will be checked to ensure that the appropriate hardware and software requirements are met. If a prerequisite is not met, a page will appear with information about which prerequisite has not been met and how to resolve the issue. If all prerequisites have been met, the Database configuration page will appear.

For information about hardware and software requirements for VMM 2012, see System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2012 System Requirements and Supported Operating Systems (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=209608).

10.   On the Database configuration page, click Next.

11.   On the Account configuration page, provide the password of the domain account that will be used by the Virtual Machine Manager service.

12.   On the Port configuration page, click Next.

13.   On the Library configuration page, click Next.

14.   On the Installation summary page, review your selections and do one of the following:

·         Click Previous to change any selections.

·         Click Install to install the highly available VMM management server.

15.   After you click Install, the Installing features page appears and installation progress is displayed.

16.   On the Setup completed successfully page, do one of the following:

·         To open the VMM console when you close the setup wizard, ensure that the Open the Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 console when this wizard closes check box is selected.

·         Click Close.

For information about connecting to a highly available VMM management server by using the VMM console, see How to Connect to a Highly Available VMM Management Server by Using the VMM Console.

 

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