Create a VMware vSphere 6.7 infrastructure by installing vCenter Server with an external database (SQL Server)

4. Installing VMware vCenter Server 6.7 with an external database

4.1. Microsoft SQL Server 2016 download

To download Microsoft SQL Server 2016 or other recent versions of this database server, go to the "SQL Server 2016 SP2 - Microsoft Evaluation Center" page.

From this page, you can download a small executable which will allow you:

• Basic: install only the Microsoft SQL Server 2016 database engine trial by downloading the required files from the Internet and use the default configuration
• Custom: same as the previous option, except that you can configure the installation of Microsoft SQL Server 2016 as you wish.
• Download Media: download Microsoft SQL Server 2016 iso file from Microsoft server

If you are looking for the direct and official download link from Microsoft for Microsoft SQL Server 2016 in English, here it is: SQLServer2016SP2-FullSlipstream-x64-ENU.iso.

4.2. Install Microsoft SQL Server 2016

In our case, we have downloaded the ISO file and we will launch the installation of Microsoft SQL Server 2016 from it.
Note that since Windows Server 2012, you can automatically mount ISO files in a virtual CD/DVD drive by right-clicking "Mount" or double-clicking them.

The installer starts.

WARNING : if you try to install a non-English version of SQL Server (as is the case here), you will probably see the error below appear.
If this is the case, refer to our tutorial: Install SQL Server 2016 in French on Windows Server 2016.

Plain Text

This SQL Server setup media does not support the language of the OS, or does not have the SQL Server English-language version installation files. ...

If the error does not appear in your case, you will see the SQL Server Installation Center appear.
Here, click the link: New SQL Server stand-alone installation or add features to an existing installation.

This message appears again: Please wait while Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Setup processes the current operation.

Then, the SQL Server 2016 installer appears.
By default, SQL Server 2016 will be installed as a trial version.

Accept the Microsoft SQL Server 2016 license terms.

SQL Server 2016 Setup performs some global checks on your server.

Next, the installer will ask you if you want to use Microsoft Update to check for updates for SQL Server 2016.
For this tutorial, we unchecked this box to make it faster. But, in production, it is obviously advisable to download and install the security updates provided by Microsoft.

The program performs some additional checks for the SQL Server 2016 installation.
Among the installation rules, you may have a warning for the one concerning Windows Firewall.

If you click on the "Warning" link shown next to it, you will see that it simply tells you that Windows Firewall is enabled and you may need to open the appropriate ports to allow access remotely to your SQL server.
What you will see a little later in this tutorial.

For now, click Next.

For SQL Server 2016 features, the only one required for the proper functioning of VMware vCenter Server is: Database Engine Services.

However, if you wish, you can also install SQL Server Integration Services which can be used by other programs.

For the instance name, you can leave the default one and click Next.

For service accounts, there is nothing to modify.
Just click Next.

For authentication, select "Mixed Mode (SQL Server authentication and Windows authentication)".
This aims to simplify the connection to the SQL Server server thanks to Windows authentication, but also to allow the management of SQL Server via a local account (named "sa") in the event that you have a problem one day with the Windows authentication.

In our case, we are currently logged in with the Domain Administrator account, so we add it to SQL Server Administrators by clicking: Add Current User.

Our Windows account appears.

A summary of the SQL Server 2016 installation configuration appears.
Click Install.

Wait while Microsoft SQL Server 2016 installs.

The list of installed components appears.
Click Close.