Part 3: vRealize Automation (vRA) 7.5 Installation and IIS server Configuration

In this post we will do the initial configuration of vRA which is very crucial. Pre-requisites are given below. Please make sure you have the pre-reqs before starting configuration as this is one time task and it needs to be done in one go.

Please refer to part 9 if you face any errors or issues during this post or the series. I had covered some steps to fix the issues in part9.

Please find the links for all the posts in this series below.

1. Introduction and Design : Installing and Configuring vRealize Automation (vRA) 7.5
2. Part 1: Deploying vRealize Automation (vRA) 7.5 Appliance
3. Part 2: Installing SQL for vRealize Automation (vRA) 7.5
4. Part 3: vRealize Automation (vRA) 7.5 Installation and IIS server Configuration
5. Part 4: vRA 7.5 Initial Configuration of Default tenant and AD Directory Sync
6. Part 5: vRA 7.5 Sub tenant Creation and Branding
7. Part 6: vRA 7.5 Custom Groups, End points and Reservation Configuration
8. Part 7: vRA 7.5 Infrastructure and XaaS Blue Prints Creation
9. Part 8: vRA 7.5 Approvals, Catalog Management and Testing Blue Prints
10. Part 9: vRA 7.5 fixing installation errors and configuration issues

Pre-requisites

• Make sure vRA appliance is deployed. (part1)
• SQL DB is installed and configured, vra ad account given permissions to create DB in SQL server. (better sysadmin during this config)
• SQL server DNS records are created.
• Forward and reverse lookup DNS records for vra.sslab.com and vra-iis server are created.
• Working NTP server IP. same NTP to be used for windows IaaS server ( means AD) and vra appliance.
• windows server 2012 R2 or 2016 IIS server , joined to domain and patched. ( vra will install IIS and its components automatically)
• vra license key

Tip: if any of the steps while configuring below gives error don’t be panic, click previous and then next or use retry or fix if given. it will fix most of the issues on its own. Refer to part 9 of this series as well if you face any issues during installation and configuration of VRA.

vRA 7.5 Initial configuration

login to https://vra-fqdn:5480 as root user created while deploying applance.

our case https://vra.sslab.com:5480 , login as root and password

Click next

Accept and next

Select minimal deployment and install IaaS – next

Click on the Link or Copy the vCAC Iaas agent url. download it in windows Iaas server. provide NTP server IP

Agent installation on Iaas

Login to IaaS windows server and install the agent downloaded in previous step.

accept – next

next

Provide below info

• vRA appliance : https://vra.sslab.com:5480
• Root: root
• password: xxxxxx

Click on Load and confirm the certificate thumbprint – Next

Provide ad service account details – next

Install

vRA Initial Config

Now back to the browser and we can see the vra-iis server is showing below. make sure time offset is 0.

Click on run to check the pre-requisites on vra-iaas server.

After it check – Click on Fix – it will install all pre-reqs automatically.

Fix takes 20-40 mins depends on your environment and resources. it might take one hour also. after fixing click run to check

now all -prereqs are installed automatically by the vra appliance.

Select resolve automatically and it should get the DNS record from reverse lookup in DNS.

Provide administrator for tenant password. this is the password used to login to vra portal.

review password and click next.

provide iaas server details as below.

• IaaS server : vra-iaas.sslab.com ( windows server)
• username: sslab\vraadmin (service account )
• DB security: provide passphrase.

Provide the SQL DB server details, in my case i had installed SQL on same IaaS server, but you might have it installed on separate server.

Provide DNS of SQL server and DB name, click on windows authentication and it will use the vraadmin account.

Review the details and next

Review the details and Next

Note: endpoint Name : vCenter , this is very important as we need to use exactly same name while adding vCenter to vRA in later posts.

In certificate – select generate certificate and provide details. you can use the third party san certificate also which should be issued to vra and vra-iaas url’s.

Click on keep existing in next step and continue

Click on validate

Now validation is successful.

Take snapshots of vRA iaas server and vra appliance. this is save lots of efforts.

Click on istall

Now vra installed everything  – next

Note: it might take 30-40 mins to install everything, don’t be panic if its taking time. some times it takes hours depends on given resources.

note: if anything failed click on retry failed and it will fix it.

Paste the license key and submit

the license features are shown below.

join CEIP is you like and next

Click on configure initial content and next

provide config admin password, this will the local vra admin account – click create

Once it is successful move to next.

Note: if initial content is not successful dont be panic, you can create this account manually.

Now its completed successfully.

Testing vRA initial configuration

Login to https://url:5480 as root and check you can login to appliance. then logoff.

Now open https://vra.sslab.com in browser and click on automation console

login as administrator and password given in SSO screen

Walla your vra initial config is successful. From now on its cake walk only.

With this part 3 is completed. Follow the next posts to complete the config, don’t miss any step.

Another thing don’t just follow the steps, try to understand the sequence as it will help in your operations and trouble shooting.

Please find the links for all the posts in this series below. Click on the link below for the next post in this series.

1. Introduction and Design : Installing and Configuring vRealize Automation (vRA) 7.5
2. Part 1: Deploying vRealize Automation (vRA) 7.5 Appliance
3. Part 2: Installing SQL for vRealize Automation (vRA) 7.5
4. Part 3: vRealize Automation (vRA) 7.5 Installation and IIS server Configuration
5. Part 4: vRA 7.5 Initial Configuration of Default tenant and AD Directory Sync
6. Part 5: vRA 7.5 Sub tenant Creation and Branding
7. Part 6: vRA 7.5 Custom Groups, End points and Reservation Configuration
8. Part 7: vRA 7.5 Infrastructure and XaaS Blue Prints Creation
9. Part 8: vRA 7.5 Approvals, Catalog Management and Testing Blue Prints
10. Part 9: vRA 7.5 fixing installation errors and configuration issues

Hope this post is useful, please leave your comments below.