2 Node ROBO vSAN Install (When to install vCenter?)

[Dcslickest]

Hello,

We need to install a new 2 node ROBO vSAN in China from the US.  Currently we do not have a vCenter server in China.  What is the process to install the 2 node vSAN and a vCenter?  Do I bring up one host to install the vCenter on then after it is installed bring up the 2nd host and then configure vSAN from there or what should be my process to get a vCenter server installed for the new vSAN environment?  We are good with installing a vSAN we just have not done so before with a vCenter not already in place.  

TIA!  

[TheBobkin]

@Dcslickest, So, get the ESXi hosts installed and then during vCenter installation you can actually bootstrap it to a single-node vSAN cluster and then complete the rest of the vSAN cluster configuration after:

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/7.0/com.vmware.vsphere.vsan-planning.doc/GUID-88B7E093-988...

There are of course ways to do this manually but require far more steps, e.g.: install 1 ESXi, make a VMFS datastore using a single disk, install the vCenter VM on that, configure the vSAN cluster with all nodes, create Disk-Groups (minus the one disk used for VMFS), SvMotion the vCenter from the VMFS datastore to vsanDatastore, delete the VMFS datastore and add that disk to the Disk-Group.

[Dcslickest]

Thank you, TheBobkin!  We will look into the process but it is what we have found to do as well.  

Thanks again!!