You are here: Installation > Hypervisor configuration > VMware configuration

Configuring VMware for Pexip Infinity

This section describes the VMware configuration required in order to support deployments of the Pexip Infinity platform before you install the Management Node or automatically deploy / manually install a Conferencing Node.

Prerequisites

It is assumed that you have a VMware environment already installed.

For details on the versions and editions of VMware that are supported by Pexip Infinity, see VMware vSphere ESXi.

For more details on VMware and information on advanced VMware ESXi administration, see Advanced VMware ESXi administration.

If an ESXi host is being managed by vCenter Server, all administration must be performed via vCenter Server. Do not log in directly to the ESXi host; configuration changes made in this way may be lost. To ensure that ESXi hosts being managed by vCenter Server are accessible via vCenter Server only and are not directly accessible, you should put them in Lockdown mode. Lockdown mode forces all operations to be performed through vCenter Server.

Synchronizing time

All host servers must be synchronized with accurate time before you install the Pexip Infinity Management Node or Conferencing Nodes on them.

NTP must be enabled on the Management Node before you deploy any Conferencing Nodes.
We strongly recommend that you configure at least three distinct NTP servers or NTP server pools on all your host servers and the Management Node itself. This will ensure that log entries from all nodes are properly synchronized.

Using the desktop client

To synchronize time on the host server using the vSphere desktop client:

Log in to the VM manager (vCenter Server or the ESXi host).
From the left-hand panel, select the host server on which the software image is to be installed.
Select the Configuration tab.
From the Software pane on the left-hand side, select Time Configuration.
On the top right of the page, select Properties. The Time Configuration dialog box appears.
In the NTP Configuration section, select NTP Client Enabled.
Select Options.
The NTP Daemon (ntpd) Options dialog box appears.
From the left-hand panel, select General. Under Startup Policy, select Start and stop with host.
Select OK.
Select Options again.
The NTP Daemon (ntpd) Options dialog box appears.
From the left-hand panel, select NTP Settings. Under NTP Servers, we strongly recommend that you configure at least 3 distinct NTP servers or NTP server pools to ensure that log entries from all nodes are properly synchronized.
Select Restart NTP service to apply changes, and then select OK.

Using the web client

To synchronize time on the host server using the vSphere web client:

Log in to the VM manager (vCenter Server).
From the left-hand panel, select vCenter > Hosts and Clusters and go to the host server on which the software image is to be installed.
Select the Manage tab.
From the pane on the left-hand side, select Time Configuration.
On the top right of the page, select Edit. The Edit Time Configuration dialog box appears.
Select Use Network Time Protocol (Enable NTP client).
From the NTP Service Startup Policy drop-down menu, select Start and stop with host.
In the NTP Servers field, we strongly recommend that you enter at least 3 distinct NTP servers or NTP server pools to ensure that log entries from all nodes are properly synchronized.
Select OK.

To verify that NTP has been enabled correctly:

Select the Configuration tab.
From the Software pane on the left-hand side, select Time Configuration.
Ensure that value in the Date & Time field is correct.

Using a static MAC address for the Management Node

We recommend using a static MAC address for the virtual machine hosting your Management Node. This will ensure that the licenses on your Management Node do not become invalid if, for example, the node reboots and comes up on a different physical blade.

Enabling automatic startup

After deploying a new Management Node or Conferencing Node from VMware, you must enable automatic startup of that virtual machine (VM). In VMware, automatic startup is disabled by default for every new VM. This means that if the host server is powered down for any reason, when it restarts the VM will not restart and must be started manually.

You can only enable automatic startup after the Management Node or Conferencing Node has been deployed.

Using the web client

To enable automatic startup using the vSphere web client:

Log in to the VM manager (vCenter Server).
From the left-hand panel, select vCenter > Hosts and Clusters and go to the host server on which the node's VM is installed.
Select the Manage tab.
From the pane on the left-hand side, select VM Startup/Shutdown.
At the top right of the page, select Edit.
Select the relevant node's VM and use the up arrow to move it to the Automatic Startup section.
Select OK.

Using the desktop client

To enable automatic startup using the vSphere desktop client:

Log in to the VM manager (vCenter Server or the ESXi host).
From the left-hand panel, select the host server on which the node's VM is installed.
Select the Configuration tab.
From the Software pane on the left-hand side, select Virtual Machine Startup/Shutdown.
At the top right of the page, select Properties.
Select the relevant VM and use the Move Up button to move it to the Automatic Startup section.
Select OK.

Disabling EVC

We strongly recommend that you disable EVC (Enhanced vMotion Compatibility) for any ESXi clusters hosting Conferencing Nodes that include a mix of old and new CPUs. If EVC is enabled on such clusters, the Pexip Infinity platform will run more slowly because the Conferencing Nodes will assume they are running on older hardware.

For more information, see Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC).

To disable EVC:

Log in to vCenter Server using either the vSphere desktop or web client.
Display the cluster in the inventory.
Right-click the cluster and select Edit Settings.
In the left panel, select VMware EVC.

The dialog box displays the current EVC settings.
Select Change EVC Settings.
Select Disable EVC.