Deploying vMA: A Step-by-Step Guide
In this blog post, we will explore how to deploy vMA (Virtual Appliance Management) using method 2 – Direct Deployment. vMA is a virtual appliance that enables command line based management of your ESX/ESXi systems, and it can be downloaded directly from vmware.com.
Method 1: Download the .OVF file to your local machine and upload it to your ESX/ESXi host. This method is useful if you have already downloaded the vMA appliance and plan on deploying it to several hosts/clusters.
Method 2: Deploy the .OVF file directly from vmware.com, via the vSphere Client, to your host. In this post, we will focus on method 2.
Step 1: Start your vSphere Client and connect to your host or vCenter. Navigate to “File”, find and select the “Deploy OVF template” option.
Step 2: In the “Deploy from a file or URL” text box, enter the following URL: http://download3.vmware.com/software/vma/vMA-4.1.0.0-268837.ovf and click on “Next”. Note: This URL is valid at the point of writing, but might change at a later date when a new version is released by VMware.
Step 3: The URL is now validated, and you are presented with the OVF Template Details window, where you can review the settings defined in the OVF file. Click “Next” to view and accept the VMware EULA. After reading it thoroughly, click on “Accept” and then on “Next” again to continue.
Step 4: In the “Name and Location” screen, customize the name of your vMA instance. If you are deploying several vMA instances to the same host/vCenter, you will need to change this to prevent naming conflicts.
Step 5: After naming your vMA, click on “Next” again, and you’ll get presented with the “Disk Format” screen. Here, select between thin provisioned or thick provisioned disks. For this installation, I chose to change it to thin provisioned, but the default is thick provisioned disks.
Step 6: Review the summary screen to make sure you have selected the right options and click on “Finish” to finally start the download and deployment of your vMA. The download starts, and a nice little progress window shows you how far along you are. Of course, the time it takes to deploy vMA this way is highly dependent on available bandwidth and download speeds.
Tip: If you want to deploy vMA in this manner, to several hosts, you can place the downloadable vMA .OVF file on an accessible file share or HTTP server and serve your local path or URL to your host via the vCenter Client as well. This is particularly useful in scenarios where your vCenter Client doesn’t have internet access or if you want to speed up deployment by downloading it only once, but without scripting it.
Once the vMA has finished downloading and installing, it will pop up inside your vSphere Client on the host you deployed it to. The first time you start vMA, it fires a configuration wizard to help you configure it. The wizard guides you through the network setup and setting the vi-admin user password.
And there it is! Now you can use your favorite SSH client (Putty) to connect to the vMA, or by using the console in the vSphere Client. For details on using vMA and vCLI, see the vSphere Management Assistant (vMA) site. You can even add ESX/ESXi and vMA to your Active Directory and use that as an authentication source, but we’ll leave that for another post on another day.
In conclusion, deploying vMA using method 2 – Direct Deployment is a straightforward process that can be completed in a few easy steps. With this guide, you should now be able to deploy vMA on your ESX/ESXi hosts and enjoy the benefits of command line based management. Happy vMA-ing!