Understanding (VCF) Installer

The VMware Cloud Foundation Installer is a single virtual appliance (similar to Cloud Builder) that deploys and configures all the required VMware Cloud Foundation and VMware vSphere Foundation components.

Uses of VCF Installer:

• With the VCF Installer, you can download and manage the binaries required to deploy VCF or VMware vSphere Foundation.

• Deploy and configure a new VCF or VMware vSphere Foundation platform. The installation process automates the deployment and configuration of the components in each solution. You can use existing VMware Cloud Foundation Operations and VMware Cloud Foundation Automation instances or deploy new ones.

• Use existing vSphere infrastructure to create a VCF or VMware vSphere Foundation

  platform.

VCF Installer Deployment Scope per Platform:

Component	Appliances	VCF Simple	VCF HA	VVF
vCenter	vCenter	Yes	Yes	Yes
VCF Operations	operations (primary)	Yes	Yes	Yes
	operations (replica node)	No	Yes	No
	operations (data node)	No	Yes	No
	operations-collector (cloud proxy)	Yes	Yes	No
	fleet management	Yes	Yes	No
VMware NSX	NSX (node 1)	Yes	Yes	No
	NSX (node 2)	No	Yes	No
	NSX (node 3)	No	Yes	No
VCF Automation	automation	Yes	Yes	No
	automation	No	Yes	No
	automation	No	Yes	No
SDDC Manager	SDDC Manager	Yes	Yes	No

The VCF Installer can either deploy the required components or use existing components to create your VCF or VMware vSphere Foundation platform.

Note: Depending on where you deploy it, the same VCF Installer appliance can deploy multiple VCF platforms. Suppose you deploy the appliance inside the management infrastructure (on one of the hosts that will form the management domain). In that case, the appliance switches into SDDC Manager mode and can no longer be used in installer mode.