importing physical machine into vcenter HA cluster on Vsphere 8.0

[Somnathnandy]

Hi All,

I am a just a biginner of VMware, I am trying to setup a vCenter HA Cluster on vSphere 8.0.2. I am having 3 x Dell R6525 Server and 1 x EMC ME5012 iSCSI Storage with direct connectivity through 10G DAC cable. I have installed configured Vmware ESXi 8.0.2 mapped the volumes into these 3 servers and configured the management networks also. I have installled vCenter Server on one of the 3 Vmware servers and configured it with SSO login with ID administrator@vsphere.local. Now vCenter Management console is opening - I have created DC and tried to create HA cluster with 3 hosts. But found the wizard is creating HA cluster with 2 hosts only, 3rd host just after import getting Disconnected and removed even from inventory. When I am trying to reimport is the same is occuring again. When I checked the monitor founf error message "can not import the host as vm is running on it" but the vm is the vCenter on which I I am trying to create the HA cluster so I am unable to shutdown the VM. also the vCenter is not visible on the cluster created with remaining 2 hosts. Other than this there is no error message on the cluster or hosts inside the cluster. Please help me as it is very urgent to create the HA cluster.

Please help. 

[Alfista_PS]

When you have created the vCenter on one on teh hosts that you will later connect to it, then the vCenter will self attach it to cluster that you will create in it.

You need to check what for instance of the vCenter is running the host that isnt possible to add. If its that you use then you have two option what to do.

1. clear the vCenter and deploy it once again when all perquisites you have met (FQDN, NTP, DNS records)

2. you will remove all hosts from vCenter and you will also remove on the datastores all the files that marks that the hosts belong to this vCenter and will try to attach - connect all hosts again and create the cluster, HA, DRS and all what you need.

[Alfista_PS]

Hi @Somnathnandy,

its: Manage - System - Time and Date.

[Somnathnandy]

Hi @Alfista_PS 

Done but NTP did not start.

Regards

[Somnathnandy]

Hi @Alfista_PS 

Can we vmotion the vcenter from 1st host to 2nd which already added in the cluster? If so then I think the said host can be added in the cluster. I tried through vSphere web client but there was no option for vmotion of the guest. Is there any limitation of no of guests upto 2 for vsphere HA?

Regards

[Somnathnandy]

Hi @Alfista_PS 

I have used vsphere.local domain as there was no domain server available before cluster.

Regards

[Alfista_PS]

Sorry I forgot to write you that you need to go to Manage - Services and there to start manually the ntpd service and have you set it to start and stop with the host, that it always start as you boot the host?

[Alfista_PS]

If you have the license yes you can do it. If not then I suggest you to go to shutdown the running VM and go on ESXi UI on the second host and register there this VM. This is the manual way when you doesnt have license for vMotion. The vMotion function is possible only over vCenter. Select the VM that you will migrate then select Migrate function and there you select what you will (storage, compute or both) and if you will license for vMotion it will do it on live (running) VM if not then you get error message, that you dont have license for it.

[Alfista_PS]

This isnt a problem. This is default domain SSO which is created with vCenter. If you will you can then later add it to AD or any other domain controller.

[Somnathnandy]

Hi @Alfista_PS 

In response to your kind reply on "Sorry I forgot to write you that you need to go to Manage - Services and there to start manually the ntpd service and have you set it to start and stop with the host, that it always start as you boot the host?" - I have done all the configs as mentioned by you but it didn't start. I also could not find out any entry of NTP on the services page also.

Regards

[Somnathnandy]

Hi @Alfista_PS 

In response to your kind reply "If you have the license yes you can do it. If not then I suggest you to go to shutdown the running VM and go on ESXi UI on the second host and register there this VM. This is the manual way when you doesnt have license for vMotion........." I was using trial license which have all the features but yesterday I have received license from VMware. Manual registration I have done with other host which is in cluster, the vCenter became visible on the cluster but still I could not import the said host in the cluster and also there is no error message about it. I am confused here. Should I try with Vsphere 7.x (I am using 8.0.2) but if 7.x works, shall I be able to activate the current licenses on 7.x?

Regards

[Somnathnandy]

Hi @Alfista_PS 

OK

[Somnathnandy]

Hi @Marco_Luvisi 

Selling Installation services from VMware/Dell, sometimes becomes expensive due to very high competition between the suppliers and no one is ready to leave the competition. Please understand the situation. ADDS to be on the cluster so I thought not to deploy it before creating vsphere cluster. Now I think I have to deploy a dedicated ADDS for vsphere on a separate system before starting the vmware installation again - what you suggest.

Regards

[canberkki]

Hi,

• Log into vSphere Web Client: First, ensure you're logged into the vSphere Web Client with sufficient privileges to make changes to the host configurations.
• Select the Host: From the inventory, select the host for which you want to configure NTP.
• Navigate to Configure Tab: With the host selected, go to the "Configure" tab on the right-hand panel.
• System Settings: Look for a section called "System" or "System Settings" in the left-hand navigation pane under the Configure tab.
• Time Configuration: Under the System settings, you should find an option called "Time Configuration", "NTP Settings", or something similar. This is where you can configure NTP settings.

[Alfista_PS]

Hi @Somnathnandy 

here is the screen shot where you find it and start it:

[Alfista_PS]

Hi @Somnathnandy 

OK in trial is all enabled for 30 days. In that time period you can do all.

I dont know what all has your new license available, but you dont need to change to the version 7.x. All is possible to do in the actual. I'm running it too.

[Somnathnandy]

Hi @Alfista_PS 

There were only 3 - 4 entries but NTP was not there.

Regards

[Somnathnandy]

Hi @Alfista_PS 

I have checked, in trial all features are enabled.

Somnath

[Alfista_PS]

Hi @Somnathnandy,

Show me the screen shots the you look at it, while there must me exact the same services, while on each ESXi are the same running including NTP (ntpd).

You can access it also over vCenter - Host - Configuration - Services, but I prefer to set and run it first time on the host directly, that when I install or set vCenter that all is already running as it should.

[Alfista_PS]

You are still on trial or you have set your own license as you wrote?
In your own do you have it included or not?

[Alfista_PS]

Hi @Somnathnandy,

please exactly (maybe attach screen shots) how and where you have installed the HA, while I thing also on something others.