You can now Install vRealize Suite hybrid cloud in VMware Cloud on AWS, and have all vRealize Suite on-prem functionality in VMware Cloud on AWS. vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager can provide same user experience and ease of use during the deployment and lifecycle management of vRealize Suite in VMware Cloud on AWS. vRealize Suite includes vRealize Automation, vRealize Operations, vRealize Log Insight, vRealize Orchestrator, vRealize Business for Cloud, and vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager. The recommended best practice is to install vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager first to deploy the rest of the vRealize Suite. In addition, vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager can also help deploy and manage lifecycle of vRealize Network Insight and Workspace One Access 3.x formerly known as VMware Identity Manager. vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager is a centralized admin portal built for vRealize Admins to perform lifecycle management of their installed vRealize Suite.
vRealize Suite Easy Installer is a bundle, consist of vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager, VMware Identity Manager and vRealize Automation ova. Deployment of vRealize Suite in VMware Cloud in AWS with Easy Installer is not allowed due to cloud admin privilege restrictions. However, you can manually deploy vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager first to deploy rest of the vRealize suite in VMware Cloud on AWS by following these steps:
Step 1. Install vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager in VMware Cloud on AWS
- Download vra-lcm-installer-xxxxxxxx.iso
- Extract three ova files, VMware vLCM Appliance, vIDM and vRA
- Login with cloudadmin privilege to your VMware Cloud on AWS and install VMware vLCM Appliance ova and remember the password
Step 2. Power-on and prepare vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager
- Power-on vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager, it may take few minutes to start all services. Login to https://FQDN/vrlcm and update default vmware password for admin@local
- Extend vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager storage from 20 GB to 40 GB so you can add additional vRealize product Binaries. To extend the storage, go to Lifecycle Operations> Settings> System Details > Extend Storage
- During storage extension, you need to add VMC vCenter FQDN and cloudadmin credentials
vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager let you create virtual Datacenter where you can add single or multiple vCenter. This virtual Datacenter is a vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager construct. For example, you can give datacenter name based on the physical location of your vCenter. If your VMware Cloud on AWS is hosted in US-West, you can create a datacenter named US-West and add your all US-West vCenters to the US-West datacenter.
- Add Datacenter and add VMware Cloud on AWS vCenter into the Datacenter
- Add existing certificate or generate a new certificate in Locker for vIDM and vRealize Suite deployment
- You can either add license keys manually or download all vRealize Suite licenses automatically by adding myvmware credentials
- Add NTP and DNS servers by going into Lifecycle Operations and the Settings
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Step 3. Copy vIDM and vRA ova to vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager and map the binaries
- Once storage capacity is added from step two, copy vIDM ova and vRA ova to vRSLCM_FQDN:/data/binaries, use root credentials from step one
- Next map binaries and add binaries so vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager can use them during deployment
Step 4. Deploy vIDM in Global Environment and check if deployment is healthy
- Create the first environment called Global Environment for vIDM deployment. Create new user configadmin during the environment creation
- Select VMware Identity Manager from product selection window, set the installation type to “New Install”, and click next
- Follow the install workflow, select previously configured certificate, configadmin credentials, and the vCenter as deployment endpoints with the correct network settings
- During the pre-check validation, all pre-check should be green except warning about admin role privilege. You can ignore this warning and proceed with deployment
- Once vIDM is deployed, open a browser, use FQDN and configadmin credentials to check successful login
Step 5. Deploy vRealize Automation in a new environment
- Create new environment to deploy the vRealize Automation and remaining vRealize Suite
- Select vRA from product selection page, set the installation type to “New Install”, and follow the deployment workflow
- On license window, select a vRA license that you want to use and validate association
- On product detail tab, select user, certificate, vCenter/cluster and correct network for the deployment
- During the pre-check validation, all pre-check should be green except warning about admin role privilege. You can ignore this warning and proceed with deployment
Step 6. Deploy remaining vRealize Suite
- Download vROPS, vRNI and vRLI binaries from myvmware portal or manually copy and add them to Binary mapping
- Follow the same steps from step five to deploy additional vRealize products such as vROPS, vRLI and vRNI in same environment
You can now install vRealize Suite in VMware Cloud on AWS and enjoy the same experience and functionality provided by vRealize Suite in your datacenter. I like to give special thanks to Brian LaRose from VMware, Robbie J Hancock from partner DXC Technology and vRSLCM engineering team for validating this deployment workaround of vRealize Suite in VMware Cloud on AWS. If you have any questions about vRealize Suite Lifecycle Manager, or about this deployment workaround please reach out to me via email and I will be glad to help.
