Configure the VMware Appliance and Register the vSphere Plugin

User Guides for VMware Solutions

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Content Type

User Guides

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Documentation

vSphere Permissions Required when Registering/Unregistering the vSphere Remote Plugin Extensions with the vCenter Server:

With the local plugin and first testing with the remote plugin, a vSphere administrator was needed when registering the plugin. Additionally, in testing with vSphere 7.0 U1 and higher, this has proven this is not the case.

Here are all of the Required Privileges for a vSphere user to fully register or unregister the vSphere Remote Plugin Extensions with the vCenter Server:

Extension
- Register extension
- Unregister extension
Sessions
- Validate session
Here are all of the permissions that the vSphere user that registers the plugin extensions with wants:
Extension
- Register extension
- Unregister extension
Sessions
- Validate session
Permissions
- Modify privilege
Folder
- Create folder

If the permissions are not allowed for the vSphere user that is used to register the extensions access to Permissions (modify privilege) or Folder (create folder), this doesn't prevent the plugin extensions from being successfully registered. When a vSphere user that does have those privileges logs into the vSphere Client, that user will then run those tasks of creating the needed folders and privileges when attempting to run through a workflow with the plugin. This is why those privilages are recommended by the extension registration process but are not required.

Here is a demo of creating a vSphere user with the minimum privileges and then using that user to register the remote plugin with the vCenter server:

Perform these steps after the OVA has been installed in a vCenter:

Remember: You are required to change the password for the pureuser account when you first log in. Be sure to note your new password. If pureuser cannot log in, you will have to redeploy the OVA to gain access.

Open an SSH connection to the appliance using the OVA VM's DNS name or IP address displayed in vCenter.
In the Pure VMware Appliance shell:
1. On first login, you are prompted to change the pureuser password.
2. Log back in to the appliance with the new password for the pureuser account.
Running the following command will confirm that the appliance is using the correct domain and DNS servers. Both are required to be set for the plugin to function correctly.
```
$ puredns list
```
If any DNS changes are required, run the following command:
```
$ puredns setattr --search <Domain Name> --nameserver <DNS Server(s)>
```
Once the appliance has been deployed and configured, then the vSphere Remote Plugin can be configured.

Use the pureplugin register command and positional argument to register the remote plugin's extensions with the vCenter server.
```
$ pureplugin register --host <IP_or_FQDN_of_vCenter> --user <vSphere Account>
```
Optionally, the --plugin-fqdn <IP address or FQDN> argument can be appended to the above command line for instances where the appliance has a DNS entry and hostname with the DNS server.

For the username provided you will want to provide the username in the "username"@"domain" format. For example, if the vSphere SSO is vsphere@local, then the username provided would be "username@vsphere.local". Or if there is an AD domain configured with the vCenter and that AD domain is "solutions.purestorage.com" than the username provided would be "username@solutions.purestorage.com"

Note:
A remote plugin OVA instance may be registered against a single vCenter instance or a set of vCenters that are in linked-mode. For the linked-mode scenario, the plugin must be registered against every vCenter instance that is linked. Non-linked vCenter instances each require their own Everpure VMware appliance.

A successful registration will appear within vCenter soon after.

Make sure that the Pure VMware appliance OVA remains powered on after the plugin has been registered to vCenter as it actively communicates with vCenter and stores relevant configuration information.

For environments where there are vCenter instances in linked-mode, repeat the pureplugin registration process for each unique vCenter IP address or FQDN.

Below is an example of two vCenter instances in linked-mode that have each been registered with the pureplugin command with their IP addresses:
```
$ pureplugin status
Plugin   Status   Version  Registrations
vSphere  running  5.0.0    10.21.143.120
                           10.21.143.150
```
It is important to note that multiple vCenter registrations agains the same appliance instance are only applicable to vCenters in linked-mode. Non-linked vCenter instances will each require their own separate VMware appliance instance to be registered against.