Data Connector ESXi OVA Deployment Using vCenter

If you are using your system’s default docker0 interface as the Ethernet bridge, ensure that you enter the bridge’s IP address and netmask in the Docker daemon configuration section when you deploy on-prem hosts using the OVA template. Note that the 172.17.0.0/24 network is assigned to docker0 by default.

To deploy on-prem hosts in VMware vCenter, complete the following:

1. In the Cloud Services Portal, go to Administration ->  Downloads.
2. On the Downloads page, click Download Package for VM, and then save the OVA file on your system.
3. Launch vCenter on your Linux or Windows server.
4. Navigate to File -> Deploy OVF Template to start the Deploy OVF Template wizard.
5. In the Select template section, complete the following:
   • Deploy from a file or URL: Enter the path of the OVA file for the on-prem host, and then click Next.
6. In the Select name and location section, complete the following:
   • Name: Enter a unique name for the Data Connector VM. This name must be unique within the location you select.
   • Inventory Location: Select the location in the inventory folder in which the Data Connector will reside.
7. In the Select a resource section, select the host or cluster on which you want to deploy the OVF template.
   • In the Specify a Specific Host section, select a specific host within the cluster, and then click Next.
8. In the Review details section, verify the OVF template details, and then click Next.
9. In the Select storage section, complete the following:
   • VM Storage Profile: Select the VM datastore you want to store the Data Connector application. Ensure that you select a datastore that is large enough to accommodate the VM and all of its virtual disk files.
   • Drive Type: Select the disk format type. Thick Provisioned = Allocate all storage immediately. Thin Provisioned = Allocate the storage on demand as data is written to the virtual disks.
10. In the Customize template section, complete the following:
    • Expand Cloud Credentials and complete the following:
      • Join Token: This is the join token that you created and copied from the Cloud Services Portal. You must log in to the Cloud Services Portal to create the join token. In the Cloud Services Portal, go to Manage -> On-Prem Host -> Join Tokens. After you create a new join token, you will see the token string in the Copy Token dialog. Copy the token string and enter it here (note that the token appears only once. If you already have an existing join token you want to use for this deployment, enter the token string here.
    • Expand DNS resolver and NTP configuration and complete the following:
      • NameServers: Enter the IP addresses of the DNS resolvers here.
    • Expand Docker daemon configuration and complete the following:
      • Bridge IP address and netmask: Specify the IP address and netmask for the docker0 interface. You can use the standard CIDR notation if desired.
    • Expand IPv4 Network Settings and complete the following:
      • IPv4 Network address (required): Enter the IPv4 address, netmask, and gateway for the network to which the Data Connector connects.
    • Optionally, expand IPv6 Network Settings and complete the following:
      • IPv6 Network address: Optionally, you can enter the IPv6 address, CIDR, gateway, and the nameserver for the network to which the Data Connector connects.
11. In the Ready to complete screen, review and verify the configuration, and then click Finish.
12. You have now successfully deployed the Data Connector as an on-prem host. It might take a few minutes for the Data Connector and the Cloud Services Portal to connect.
13. For DNS to function properly in OVA deployments on ESXi servers, ensure that you enable the Synchronize guest time with host option during the deployment and that your ESXi host is synchronized with the NTP server. If you do not select the Synchronize guest time with host option (or if this option is disabled), the on-prem host synchronizes with the Ubuntu NTP servers: ntp.ubuntu.com and ubuntu.pool.ntp.org. When you disable this option, ensure that you open the UDP 123 port for time synchronization with the Ubuntu NTP servers. For more information, see /wiki/spaces/BloxOne/pages/9080626.
14. To check the current status of the on-prem host, you can go to Manage -> On-Prem Hosts in the Cloud Services Portal. For more information about the host status, see Managing Data Connectors.