In order to deploy a new workload domain on VMFS on FC (SDC) using the SDDC Manager, there are three prerequisites:
- There is only a single vSwitch; that network is used by SDC.
- A dedicated storage networking IP pool must be created for the vMotion traffic.
- A maximum of three prepared and commissioned ESXi hosts are available in inventory.
The steps must be completed in this order as the SDDC Manager requests the storage pool during the commissioning of the hosts.
vMotion network pool
To create a network pool for vMotion, in SDDC Manager:
- Go to Administration > Network Settings. Under the Network Pool tab, select +CREATE NETWORK POOL as in Figure 27.
Figure 27. Network pool creation – Step 1
- In the dialog box shown in Figure 28, the vMotion box is checked automatically and is required as part of the pool configuration. Do not check any other box.
- Enter in a network pool name and the IP information for vMotion. The IPs in this example are on the public network for VCF. Select SAVE to complete the wizard.
Figure 28. Network pool creation – Step 2
The final result is shown in Figure 29. As there are no hosts that are commissioned, the value for Hosts Per Pool is zero.
Figure 29. Network pool creation – Result
Commission hosts
Commissioning hosts essentially means adding them to the SDDC Manager inventory so they are available for use in the new workload domain. Hosts must be prepared for commissioning in the same way they were for the VCF base installation. Following the BOM, install the correct version of ESXi and configure hostname and networking. Once complete, in SDDC Manager complete the following steps:
- Go to Inventory > Hosts and select COMMISSION HOSTS in the right-corner as in Figure 30.
Figure 30. Commission hosts – Step 1
- The first screen that appears is a checklist that the user is required to validate before proceeding. Although VMware calls it a checklist, it is merely a list of prerequisites. This list is not as extensive as the list for VCF but is nevertheless important to validate. Be sure that all items are complete before selecting the PROCEED button as in Figure 31.
Figure 31. Commission hosts – Step 2
- In the next step, add each host that is to be part of the workload domain on VMFS on FC.
- In Figure 32, several steps are consolidated for brevity. They are:
- Each host gets added as shown in the top half of the image.
- Select the VMFS on FC radio button, enter the hostname, select the previously created network pool, and add the username and password.
- As each host is added, the fingerprint must be confirmed and then the host validated. In the example below both hosts are added with the fingerprint confirmed and the prerequisites validated.
- Select NEXT to move to review.
Figure 32. Commission hosts – Step 3
- Before selecting the COMMISSION button in Figure 33, review the validated hosts. Despite the hosts passing validation in the previous step, there is still a chance that a host fails to commission. To that end, VMware offers a toggle at the top which lets the wizard skip failed hosts. Though unlikely, for example a network failure before commission, it is best to leave it set on. A failed host can be repaired and then commissioned again afterwards. The commissioning process does take some time to complete. The SDDC Manager displays the status as the hosts are added.
Figure 33. Commission hosts – Step 4
Upon completion, the new hosts display as unassigned in the Hosts panel in Figure 34, and can now be used for the workload domain. This example shows the result from adding the first host only.
Figure 34. Unassigned hosts