Deploying Agent for VMware (Virtual Appliance)

If your host contains a big number of virtual machines, you may want to deploy one or more agents in addition to the automatically deployed one. The instructions below will also help you deploy the agent to a stand-alone ESX(i) host that is not managed by vCenter Server.

To deploy an additional virtual appliance

1. Connect the management console to the management server.
2. In the Navigation tree, right click the group that has the same name as the vCenter Server. When deploying an agent to a stand-alone host, right click Virtual machines.
3. Click Deploy Agent for VMware.
4. Select the hosts or clusters to which you want to deploy the agent, or check the Select all check box. When deploying an agent to a stand-alone host, enter the host name or IP address and administrator credentials.
5. [Optional] If necessary, modify the VA name, Datastore and Network interface settings suggested for each agent by default.

   [Optional] You may also want to modify the credentials that the agent will use to access the vCenter Server or ESX(i). Keep in mind that centralized backup and recovery tasks will run under this account by default. This means that the account must have the necessary privileges on the vCenter Server. Otherwise, you will need to specify credentials for the account with the necessary privileges in every centralized backup plan or recovery task.

   [Optional] You may want to manually set the agent network settings, including the IP address. To do so, click Network configuration. By default, the agent obtains the network settings from the DHCP server, provided that this server is present in your network.

   Tip: You will be able to change the network settings after the agent is deployed. To do so, select the virtual appliance in VMware vSphere inventory and go to the virtual appliance console. Under Agent options, click the Change link next to the name of the network interface, such as eth0.

6. Click Deploy Agent for VMware.

Result: Once a new agent is deployed, the management server redistributes the virtual machines among the agents.