Certain prerequisites must be followed before deploying a VxRail cluster into an existing customer-supplied vCenter Server. Be sure to complete each task to ensure successful preparation.

Confirm the customer-supplied vCenter version

• Identify the VxRail version planned for deployment.
• Use the VxRail and external vCenter interoperability matrix to locate the supported vCenter version that matches with the planned VxRail version.

Confirm the customer-supplied vCenter license

The type of license that can be set on the vCenter instance depends on the type of VxRail cluster being deployed. Follow the guidance in the VMware vSphere Compute Virtualization Licensing Guide to ensure the license edition that is selected for the customer-supplied vCenter meets the VxRail cluster requirements.

Confirm that the vCenter deployment model is supported

• VxRail clusters running version 7.x require a vCenter instance running 7.x.

• If the customer-supplied vCenter instance has both a vCenter virtual appliance and a PSC, the external PSC is deprecated in version 7.x.
• If the customer-supplied vCenter instance is hosted on a Windows system, this deployment option is deprecated in version 7.x.

• The customer-supplied vCenter can be in ELM, so long as it is linked with other customer-supplied vCenter instances.

Check the VxRail Release Notes

• Check the VxRail Release Notes for details on supported components, features, and product fixes.

• VxRail 4.5.x and vSphere 6.5—VxRail Release Notes version 4.5.x
• VxRail 4.7.x and vSphere 6.7—VxRail Release Notes version 4.7.x
• VxRail 7.x and vSphere 7.0—VxRail Release Notes version 7.0.x

Prepare vCenter for VxRail cluster deployment

• Record the customer-supplied vCenter Server FQDN.
• If the customer-supplied vCenter Server has an external PSC, record the PSC FQDN.
• Have access to vCenter credentials with administrator privileges.
• Record the Existing Single Sign-On domain (SSO). For example vsphere.local.
• Create a VxRail management user and password for this VxRail cluster on the customer-supplied vCenter Server. This user must be:

• Created with no permissions
• Created with no roles assigned to it

Note: If a previous VxRail cluster was deployed on the customer-supplied vCenter Server, the same VxRail Management user can be reused for additional VxRail clusters that the same vCenter Server manages.

• Create or select a data center on the customer-supplied vCenter Server for the VxRail cluster to join.
• Specify the name of the cluster that VxRail creates in the selected data center when the cluster is built. This name must be unique and not used anywhere in the data center on the customer-supplied vCenter Server.
• (Optional) Create a VxRail nonadmin user and password for VxRail on the customer-supplied vCenter Server. Your Dell representative performs the following tasks:

• Create two new roles, named VxRail Initial Global and VxRail Data Center Global.
• Assign each of these roles to the new VxRail admin user.