Install vCenter Server 8 in VMware Workstation! Step-by-step process and error workaround

[@Webcatman]

This trick is awesome, I spent also two night installed vCenter8 in VMware Workstation and keep failed, after your youtube video I success install it. Once again! Thanks a lot!

[@Dechkaon]

I usually dont post comments but I really had to stop and say a huge thanks to you. I was dealing with 2nd stage deployment issues with Vcenter 7 deployment. Doesnt matter what i tried it didnt work. Then i came across this video and it actually worked perfectly for both vcenter 7 and 8. You rock man. Thanks again

[@budgiekiller2]

Works well. I had put off doing this in my home lab for months. Neat hint: add an empty cluster object in the vCenter datacenter. With CEIP enabled, use the Life-cycle Manager to import the latest ESXi8 image, then export it to disk... a latest version ESXiv8u3 ISO to install hosts with.

[@jeanburgos3416]

Brandon, This is brilliant. I struggled for two days trying to set up VSCA from my desktop pushing it to ESXi running on Workstation 16. I finally got it to work. But I much rather use this method you described here.

[@VirtualizationHowto]

Jean, thanks for the comment! So glad this was helpful!

[@zuhirelgmati9632]

Thank you very much, you made my day !! after 4 days of struggling and searching for a fix to the STAGE2 error, nothing works for me, but your step works perfectly for me. By the way, I used your method to deploy VCSA 7, so it works in both VCSA 7&8

[@teedarling6934]

I followed your steps and set up vCenter Server 8 on VMware Workstation 17 Pro. Perfect! Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@VirtualizationHowto]

Awesome!

[@seths1997]

this is cool...will have to play with it in my infinite spare time. been using vmware workstation since version 6 in 2008 and is a great platform for testing and learning

[@VirtualizationHowto]

Seth, thanks for the comment, and definitely keep us posted on your progress!

[@TheRightBet]

Thank you for such detailed instructions!

[@sHrEsThOo]

how do i add dns entry prior to the installation vcenter?

[@fbifido2]

- Can this be done also in ESXi v5/6/7/8 ? because vCenter should be deployed inside of esxi, not outside of it. but i did not know there was a manual way to deploy vCenter v8, so thanks. I just hope no one doing HomeLab's take this as a learning step and try to do it in production.

[@minmaijl]

Absolutely

[@VirtualizationHowto]

Fbi fido, yes good points. This is totally meant to be used for home lab learning and not production environments.

[@richardborovansky]

Good afternoon Brandon, please I would need an advice : is it possible to upgrade VCSA 7.0 ( installed in VMWare Workstation v17 ) to VCSA 8.0 ( and keep it in the same Workstation instance ) ?

[@poettone]

Very good content! Thank you for this as I struggled with a 2 host environment trying to setup HA was a pain point so needed to set this up on my workstation. Cheers!

[@l.n.batista3405]

Thanks for the video! It works at Workstation 17 Pro? I tried to install the vCenter but, in the page Stage 1, the loading bar stops at 77%

[@adsingh1644]

Hello, I have installed and configured vcsa successfully. But so far I am not able to access VCSA using the browser. I have tried on the domain-joined machine, and I have updated the "hosts" file in the system as well. Still, I am not able to access it. Please if you can guide me on this issue.

[@oliveroctoso9900]

Hi im having this type or error while mapping ovftool : The term 'ovftool' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. Check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.

[@edfocusnik4855]

i have vCenter 8 in format iso. how i can convert iso to ovf or install vCenter in format iso to VMware workstation 1?

[@arjanv]

thanks. great video. i'm getting this error. Will try to fix this, but can i restart the config or do i need to delete the whole and start over? Error The supplied System Name vc02.vsphere.local is not valid. Resolution If the supplied system name is a FQDN, then make sure the DNS forward lookup results in at least one valid IP address in the system. If the supplied system name is an IP address, then it should be one of the valid IP address(es) in the system.

[@amitchettri_ac]

Hello Brandon, Do you have a Playlist for end to end full homelab setup vmware cluster with storage may be with iscsi storage or free nas. As actual nas/San device all may not have at home. Any lead is highly appreciated

[@derppcannon]

how did you determine the values for the network configuration part?

[@VirtualizationHowto]

S1Ke, you will need to enter the network values for your network where you will be deploying. However, you can use the static and IPv4 values, as shown in the video. Hopefully this helps!

[@blinkybill4062]

So am I correct in assuming that you do not need to have an ESXI server running before you run the vCenter Server 8 setup? If so how does it sort out what host to run on?

[@VirtualizationHowto]

Blinky Bill, thanks for the comment. That is correct, with this type of installation (not supported) you can install vCenter Server directly in VMware Workstation without first having an ESXi server or vCenter Server to target. Using the process in the video, you are deploying the appliance files directly into VMware Workstation which bypasses the deployment targeting ESXi.

[@blinkybill4062]

@@VirtualizationHowto So where does the AD and SSO come from then

[@FTLN]

Hiya, followed your guide after downloading vsphere trial, but on first boot in vmware workstation I get "Failed to start Rotate log files"....

[@rakeshrai8154]

I get the same error

[@brandonbarr2784]

Do a video on installing 3 ESXi into workstation then install VCF. Using Nvem as RAM

[@levskilevov4888]

Thanks for good tutorial, but this doesn't work on Fedora Workstation 36 with latest VMware workstation Pro. After modified file with text editor "false" and "true" and save, after this is not posible to open with VMware Workstation pro. File .ovf is 777 permision.

[@VK-qf4qi]

Run VMware workstation on windows otherwise solve the specific issue on a linux forum

[@TekhneWithHomayoon]

thank you. this way is very good. very well.

[@ricobelgin5986]

What do you use for licensing? Do you have a bundle purchase?

[@VirtualizationHowto]

Rico, I pay for a VMUG Advantage subscription which gets you VMware Workstation and the entire catalog of VMware enterprise solutions. Best deal out there!

[@tamildesan837]

@@VirtualizationHowto Hi, I checked my vMug account, I can’t find vSphere 8 option till yesterday. Is there a special request I have to make it to visible to me for download?

[@sshiva2003]

I followed your instruction and all ok, i get login prompt but i can see the page to add hosts and other esxi, can you advise ?

[@VirtualizationHowto]

@sshiva2003 Thank you for the comment! Sign up for the forums and let's discuss it further there: www.virtualizationhowto.com/community

[@roeeben9411]

edit youer host etc\host file ther is no dns to tell him thet youer fqdn need to be routh to thet ip you give him you cun all so you cun try to acss from a VM thet run in the same lan the center is runing

[@albertzhou7453]

Hi Brandon, I am considering building a home lab with an ESXi 8 host on a physical box and a vCenter server 8 deployed in VMWorkstation 16 pro. Is such a configuration gonna work?

[@VirtualizationHowto]

Albert, sure thing. It won't really matter where vCenter is running as long as it has network connectivity to the ESXi hosts and the hosts can communicate with vCenter. Of course VMware only supports running it on top of ESXi. However, for labs, Workstation is a viable option as shown in the video.

[@VK-qf4qi]

For the moment i thought hat you mean 8 ESXi hosts and run the vcenter on VMw workstation! 🤪 Then realised that you mean one ESXi version 8. You also can run vcenter server as a vm inside your physical esxi 8 and set esxi to autostart vcenter vm at each reboot.

[@dedisen]

Sir..windows powershell?

[@blackphoenix546]

First installed work for 7.0.3 but now it stays on rpm installation in 84%

[@vinodkatla5492]

can anyone help to share link to donwload VMware vCenter Server Appliance 8.x OVF file trail version

[@aviraj3559]

google drive link to download vcenter8.0 ?

[@riccardofinotti1019]

the Tiny Size requires 14GB of RAM, is it possible to reduce that?

[@masoudfasihi4342]

After vcenter boots up shut it down and reduce it

[@lashlarue59]

I'm assuming you're doing this under Windows 11 and VMware Workstation Pro 16, is that correct? The reason I ask is Windows 11 isn't officially supported for Workstation 16 Pro and ESXi 8 isn't supported under Workstation 16 Pro either.

[@skiptdouglas]

16.2 now supports windows 11.

[@lashlarue59]

@@skiptdouglas By supports do you mean 16.2.4 supports Windows 11 VM's? Because I don't see a selection for it Windows 11. Or do you mean 16.2.4 supports being installed on Windows 11?

[@VK-qf4qi]

Guys there is workstation 17 now, so heads up

[@stablegenious]

you rock man