This document supports the version of each product listed and
supports all subsequent versions until the document is replaced
by a new edition. To check for more recent editions of this
document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
EN-000469-01
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:
http://www.vmware.com/support/
The VMware Web site also provides the latest product updates.
If you have comments about this documentation, submit your feedback to:
VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks
and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
VMware, Inc.
3401 Hillview Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
www.vmware.com
2 VMware, Inc.
Contents
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator7
Updated Information9
Introduction to VMware vCenter Orchestrator11
1
Key Features of the Orchestrator Platform 11
Orchestrator User Types and Related Responsibilities 12
Orchestrator Architecture 13
Orchestrator System Requirements15
2
Hardware Requirements for Orchestrator 15
Operating Systems Supported by Orchestrator 15
Supported Directory Services 15
Browsers Supported by Orchestrator 16
Orchestrator Database Requirements 16
Level of Internationalization Support 16
Orchestrator Components Setup19
3
Orchestrator Configuration Maximums 19
vCenter Server Setup 19
Directory Services Setup 20
Orchestrator Database Setup 20
Installing and Upgrading Orchestrator21
4
Download the vCenter Server Installer 21
Install vCenter Server and Orchestrator 22
Install Orchestrator Standalone 24
Install the Orchestrator Client on a 32-Bit Machine 25
Upgrade vCenter Server 4.1 and Orchestrator 25
Upgrade Orchestrator 4.1.x Standalone 28
Upgrading Orchestrator 4.0.x Running on a 64-Bit Machine 29
Export the Orchestrator Configuration 29
Uninstall Orchestrator 30
Install Orchestrator Standalone 30
Import the Orchestrator Configuration 31
Upgrading Orchestrator 4.0.x and Migrating the Configuration Data 31
Back Up the Orchestrator Configuration Data 32
Back Up Modified and Custom Orchestrator Elements 33
Install Orchestrator with vCenter Server on a 64-Bit Machine and Import the Configuration
Data 34
Uninstall Orchestrator 36
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3
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
Initial Configuration of the Orchestrator Server37
5
Start the Orchestrator Configuration Service 37
Log In to the Orchestrator Configuration Interface 38
Change the Default Password 39
Configure the Orchestrator Configuration Interface for Remote Connection 39
Configure the Network Connection 40
Orchestrator Network Ports 40
Import the vCenter Server SSL Certificate 42
Configuring LDAP Settings 42
Generate the LDAP Connection URL 43
Import the LDAP Server SSL Certificate 44
Specify the Browsing Credentials 45
Define the LDAP User and Group Lookup Paths 46
Define the LDAP Search Options 47
Common Active Directory LDAP Errors 47
Configuring the Orchestrator Database Connection 48
Configure SQL Server Express to Use with Orchestrator 48
Configure the Database Connection 49
Database Connection Parameters 50
Server Certificate 51
Create a Self-Signed Server Certificate 51
Obtain a Server Certificate Signed by a Certificate Authority 52
Import a Server Certificate 52
Export a Server Certificate 53
Changing a Self-Signed Server Certificate 53
Configure the Default Plug-Ins 54
Define the Default SMTP Connection 55
Configure the SSH Plug-In 55
Configure the vCenter Server 4.1 Plug-In 56
Installing a New Plug-In 57
Import the vCenter Server License 58
Access Rights to Orchestrator Server 59
Start the Orchestrator Server 59
Further Configuration Options61
6
Revert to the Default Password for Orchestrator Configuration 61
Password Encryption and Hashing Mechanism 62
Change the Default Configuration Ports on the Orchestrator Client Side 62
Uninstall a Plug-In 63
Activate the Service Watchdog Utility 63
Unwanted Server Restarts 64
Export the Orchestrator Configuration 64
Orchestrator Configuration Files 65
Import the Orchestrator Configuration 66
Configure the Maximum Number of Events and Runs 66
Import the Plug-In Licenses 67
4 VMware, Inc.
Changing SSL Certificates 67
Install a Certificate from a Certificate Authority 67
Change the Web Views SSL Certificate 68
Change the SSL Certificate for the Orchestrator Client 69
Define the Server Log Level 69
Contents
Where to Go From Here71
7
Index73
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Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
6 VMware, Inc.
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter
Orchestrator
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator provides information and instructions about installing,
upgrading and configuring VMware® vCenter Orchestrator.
Intended Audience
This information is intended for advanced vSphere administrators and experienced system administrators
who are familiar with virtual machine technology and datacenter operations.
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Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
8 VMware, Inc.
Updated Information
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator is updated with each release of the product or when
necessary.
This table provides the update history of Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator.
RevisionDescription
EN-000469-01 Updated topics “Operating Systems Supported by Orchestrator,” on page 15 and “Orchestrator Database
Requirements,” on page 16 with the correct references to the compatibility guides.
EN-000469-00 Initial release.
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Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
10 VMware, Inc.
Introduction to VMware vCenter
Orchestrator1
VMware vCenter Orchestrator is a development- and process-automation platform that provides a library of
extensible workflows to allow you to create and run automated, configurable processes to manage the VMware
vSphere infrastructure as well as other VMware and third-party technologies.
Orchestrator exposes every operation in the vCenter Server API, allowing you to integrate all of these
operations into your automated processes. Orchestrator also allows you to integrate with other management
and administration solutions through its open plug-in architecture.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
“Key Features of the Orchestrator Platform,” on page 11
n
“Orchestrator User Types and Related Responsibilities,” on page 12
n
“Orchestrator Architecture,” on page 13
Key Features of the Orchestrator Platform
Orchestrator is composed of three distinct layers: an orchestration platform that provides the common features
required for an orchestration tool, a plug-in architecture to integrate control of subsystems, and a library of
workflows. Orchestrator is an open platform that can be extended with new plug-ins and libraries, and can be
integrated into larger architectures through a SOAP API.
The following list presents the key Orchestrator features.
Persistence
Central management
Check-pointing
Versioning
VMware, Inc. 11
Production grade external databases are used to store relevant information,
such as processes, workflow states, and configuration information.
Orchestrator provides a central way to manage your processes. The application
server-based platform, with full version history, allows you to have scripts and
process-related primitives in one place. This way, you can avoid scripts without
versioning and proper change control spread on your servers.
Every step of a workflow is saved in the database, which allows you to restart
the server without losing state and context. This feature is especially useful for
long-running processes.
All Orchestrator Platform objects have an associated version history. This
feature allows basic change management when distributing processes to
different project stages or locations.
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
Scripting engine
Workflow engine
Policy engine
Web 2.0 front end
The Mozilla Rhino JavaScript engine provides a way to create new building
blocks for Orchestrator Platform. The scripting engine is enhanced with basic
version control, variable type checking, name space management and
exception handling. It can be used in the following building blocks:
n
Actions
n
Workflows
n
Policies
The workflow engine allows you to capture business processes. It uses the
following objects to create a step-by-step process automation in workflows:
n
Workflows and actions that Orchestrator provides.
n
Custom building blocks created by the customer
n
Objects that plug-ins add to Orchestrator
Users, other workflows, a schedule, or a policy can start workflows.
The policy engine allows monitoring and event generation to react to changing
conditions in the Orchestrator server or plugged-in technology. Policies can
aggregate events from the platform or any of the plug-ins, which allows you
to handle changing conditions on any of the integrated technologies.
The Web 2.0 front end allows you to integrate Orchestrator functions into Webbased interfaces, using Web views. For example, you can create Web views that
add buttons to start workflows from a page in your company's Intranet. It
provides a library of user customizable components to access vCO orchestrated
objects and uses Ajax technology to dynamically update content without
reloading complete pages.
Security
Orchestrator provides the following advanced security functions:
n
Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) to sign and encrypt content imported and
exported between servers
n
Digital Rights Management (DRM) to control how exported content might
be viewed, edited and redistributed
n
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encrypted communications between the
desktop client and the server and HTTPS access to the Web front end.
n
Advanced access rights management to provide control over access to
processes and the objects manipulated by these processes.
Orchestrator User Types and Related Responsibilities
Orchestrator provides different tools and interfaces based on the specific responsibilities of the two global user
roles: Administrators and End Users. Orchestrator developers also have administrative rights and are
responsible for creating workflows and additional applications.
Users with Full Rights
Administrators
This role has full access to all of the Orchestrator platform capabilities. Basic
administrative responsibilities include the following items:
n
Installing and configuring Orchestrator
n
Managing access rights for Orchestrator and applications
12 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 1 Introduction to VMware vCenter Orchestrator
n
Importing and exporting packages
n
Enabling and disabling Web views
n
Running workflows and scheduling tasks
n
Managing version control of imported elements
n
Creating new workflows and plug-ins
Developers
This user type has full access to all of the Orchestrator platform capabilities.
Developers are granted access to the Orchestrator client interface and have the
following responsibilities:
n
n
n
Users with Limited Rights
End Users
This role has access to only the Web front end. End users can run and schedule
workflows and policies that the administrators or developers make available
in a browser by using Web views.
Orchestrator Architecture
Orchestrator contains a workflow library and a workflow engine to allow you to create and run workflows
that automate orchestration processes. You run workflows on the objects of different technologies that
Orchestrator accesses through a series of plug-ins.
Orchestrator provides a standard set of plug-ins, including a plug-in for vCenter Server, to allow you to
orchestrate tasks in the different environments that the plug-ins expose.
Creating applications to extend the Orchestrator platform functionality
Automating processes by customizing existing workflows and creating
new workflows and plug-ins
Customizing Web front ends for automated processes, using Web 2.0 tools.
Orchestrator also presents an open architecture to allow you to plug in external third-party applications to the
orchestration platform. You can run workflows on the objects of the plugged-in technologies that you define
yourself. Orchestrator connects to a directory services server to manage user accounts, and to a database to
store information from the workflows that it runs. You can access Orchestrator, the Orchestrator workflows,
and the objects it exposes through the Orchestrator client interface, through a Web browser, or through Web
services.
VMware, Inc. 13
Orchestrator
database
workflow library
vCenter
Server
XMLSSHJDBC SMTP
3rd-party
plug-in
directory
services
workflow engine
web
service
browser
access
vCenter
Orchestrator
Client application
vCenter
Server
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
Your system must meet the technical requirements that are necessary to install and configure Orchestrator.
For a list of the supported versions of vCenter Server, see VMware Product Interoperability Matrix.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
“Hardware Requirements for Orchestrator,” on page 15
n
“Operating Systems Supported by Orchestrator,” on page 15
n
“Supported Directory Services,” on page 15
n
“Browsers Supported by Orchestrator,” on page 16
n
“Orchestrator Database Requirements,” on page 16
n
“Level of Internationalization Support,” on page 16
Hardware Requirements for Orchestrator
Verify that your system meets the minimum hardware requirements before you install Orchestrator.
n
2.0GHz or faster Intel or AMD x86 processor. At least two CPUs are recommended. Processor requirements
might differ if your database runs on the same hardware.
n
4GB RAM. You might need more RAM if your database runs on the same hardware.
n
2GB disk space. You might need more storage if your database runs on the same hardware.
n
A free static IP address.
Operating Systems Supported by Orchestrator
You can install the Orchestrator 4.2 server only on 64-bit operating systems.
For a list of the operating systems supported by Orchestrator, see the VMware Compatibility Guide at
Orchestrator supports these directory service types.
n
Windows Server 2003 Active Directory
n
Windows Server 2008 Active Directory
n
Novell eDirectory Server 8.8.3
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15
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
n
Sun Java System Directory Server 6.3
Browsers Supported by Orchestrator
The Orchestrator configuration interface and Web views require a Web browser.
You must have one of the following browsers to connect to the Orchestrator configuration interface and Web
views.
n
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0
n
Mozilla Firefox 3.0 (build 3.0.6 or later)
n
Mozilla Firefox 3.5
Orchestrator Database Requirements
Orchestrator requires a database that is separate from the standard vCenter Server database. For small-scale
deployments, you can use the SQL Server Express database that is bundled with vCenter Server.
NOTE To ensure efficient CPU and memory usage, you should consider hosting the Orchestrator database
and the Orchestrator server on different machines. Verify that at least 1GB of free disk space is available on
each machine.
For a list of the databases supported by Orchestrator, see the VMware Product Interoperability Matrixes at
Although Orchestrator is not localized, it can run on a non-English operating system and handle non-English
text.
Table 2-1. Non-ASCII Character Support in Orchestrator GUI
Support for Non-ASCII Characters
Item
ActionYesNoNoNo
FolderYesYes--
Configuration elementYesYes-No
PackageYesYes--
PolicyYesYes--
Policy templateYesYes--
Resource elementYesYes--
Web viewYesYes-No
WorkflowYesYesNoNo
Workflow
presentation display
group and input step
Description FieldName Field
YesYes--
Input and Output
ParametersAttributes
16 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 2 Orchestrator System Requirements
Non-ASCII Character Support for Oracle Databases
To store characters in the correct format in an Oracle database, set the NLS_CHARACTER_SET parameter to
AL32UTF8 before configuring the database connection and building the table structure for Orchestrator. This
setting is crucial for an internationalized environment.
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Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
18 VMware, Inc.
Orchestrator Components Setup3
To enhance the availability and scalability of your Orchestrator setup, install Orchestrator on a computer
different from the computer on which vCenter Server runs. With such separation, you can adjust the operating
system to meet the specific recommendations for each service.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
“Orchestrator Configuration Maximums,” on page 19
n
“vCenter Server Setup,” on page 19
n
“Directory Services Setup,” on page 20
n
“Orchestrator Database Setup,” on page 20
Orchestrator Configuration Maximums
When you configure Orchestrator, verify that you stay at or below the supported maximums.
Table 3-1. Orchestrator Configuration Maximums
ItemMaximum
Connected vCenter Server systems10
Connected ESX/ESXi servers300
Connected virtual machines spread over vCenter Server systems15000
Concurrent running workflows150
vCenter Server Setup
Increasing the number of vCenter Server instances in your Orchestrator setup causes Orchestrator to manage
more sessions. Each active session results in activity on the corresponding vCenter Server, and too many active
sessions can cause Orchestrator to experience timeouts when more than 10 vCenter Server connections occur.
For a list of the supported versions of vCenter Server, see VMware Product Interoperability Matrix.
NOTE You can run multiple vCenter Server instances on different virtual machines in your Orchestrator setup
if your network has sufficient bandwidth and latency. If you are using LAN to improve the communication
between Orchestrator and vCenter Server, a 100Mb line is mandatory.
VMware, Inc.
19
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
Directory Services Setup
Orchestrator requires a connection to an LDAP server.
Orchestrator supports the following directory service types: Active Directory, eDirectory, and Sun Java System
Directory Server.
Connect your system to the LDAP server that is physically closest to your Orchestrator server, and avoid
connections to remote LDAP servers. Long response times for LDAP queries can lead to slower performance
of the whole system.
To improve the performance of the LDAP queries, keep the user and group lookup base as narrow as possible.
Limit the users to targeted groups that need access, rather than to whole organizations with many users who
do not need access. Depending on the combination of database and directory service you choose, the resources
you need can vary. For recommendations, see the documentation for your LDAP server.
Orchestrator Database Setup
Orchestrator requires a database to store workflows and actions.
Orchestrator server supports Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server databases. Orchestrator can work with
Microsoft SQL Server Express in small-scale environments consisting of up to 5 hosts and 50 virtual machines.
For details about using SQL Server Express with Orchestrator, see “Configure SQL Server Express to Use with
Orchestrator,” on page 48.
The common workflow for setting up the Orchestrator database is the following:
1Create a new database. For more information about creating a new database, refer to the documentation
of your database provider (Microsoft or Oracle).
2Enable the database for remote connection. For an example of how to do that, see “Configure SQL Server
Express to Use with Orchestrator,” on page 48.
3Configure the database connection parameters. For more information, see “Configure the Database
Connection,” on page 49.
The way in which your database is set up can affect Orchestrator performance. Install the database on a machine
other than the one on which the Orchestrator server is installed. This method avoids the JVM and DB server
having to share CPU, RAM, and I/Os.
Storing your database plug-ins in a database separate from the one that Orchestrator uses results in more
modularity when upgrading the system. A dedicated database instance allows you to perform upgrades and
maintenance without impacting other products.
The location of the database is important because almost every activity on the Orchestrator server triggers
operations on the database. To avoid latency in the database connection, connect to the database server that is
closest to your Orchestrator server and that is on the network with the highest bandwidth.
The size of the Orchestrator database varies depending on the setup and how workflow tokens are handled.
Allow for approximately 50KB per vCenter Server object and 4KB per workflow run.
CAUTION Verify that at least 1GB of free disk space is available on the machine where the Orchestrator database
is installed and on the machine where the Orchestrator server is installed.
Insufficient disk storage space might result in unwanted behavior of the Orchestrator server and client.
20 VMware, Inc.
Installing and Upgrading Orchestrator4
Orchestrator consists of a server component and a client component. You can install the Orchestrator
components on the machine on which vCenter Server is installed or on a separate machine. To improve
performance, install the Orchestrator server component on a separate machine.
IMPORTANT You can install the Orchestrator configuration server on 64-bit Windows machines only. The
Orchestrator client can run on both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows machines.
To install Orchestrator, you must be either a local Administrator or a domain user that is a member of the
Administrators group.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n
“Download the vCenter Server Installer,” on page 21
n
“Install vCenter Server and Orchestrator,” on page 22
n
“Install Orchestrator Standalone,” on page 24
n
“Install the Orchestrator Client on a 32-Bit Machine,” on page 25
n
“Upgrade vCenter Server 4.1 and Orchestrator,” on page 25
n
“Upgrade Orchestrator 4.1.x Standalone,” on page 28
n
“Upgrading Orchestrator 4.0.x Running on a 64-Bit Machine,” on page 29
n
“Upgrading Orchestrator 4.0.x and Migrating the Configuration Data,” on page 31
n
“Uninstall Orchestrator,” on page 36
Download the vCenter Server Installer
You must download the installer for vCenter Server, the vSphere Client, and associated vCenter components
and support tools.
Procedure
1Download the zip file for vCenter Server from the VMware downloads page at
http://www.vmware.com/support/.
2Extract the files from the zip archive.
VMware, Inc.
21
Installing and Configuring VMware vCenter Orchestrator
Install vCenter Server and Orchestrator
When you install vCenter Server 5.0, Orchestrator 4.2 is silently installed on your system as an additional
component.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that the machine on which you are installing vCenter Server 5.0 is a 64-bit operating system
platform.
n
Verify that you have the Microsoft .NET 3.5 SP1 Framework installed. If your system does not have it
installed, the vCenter Server installer installs it. The .NET 3.5 SP1 installation might require Internet
connectivity to download additional files.
n
For a list of required ports, see the vSphere Installation and Setup documentation.
n
Make sure that your system meets the vCenter Server installation requirements. For more information
about the vCenter Server installation prerequisites, see the vSphere Installation and Setup documentation.
n
Download the vCenter Server 5.0 installer from the VMware Web site.
Procedure
1Start the vCenter Server installer.
In the software installer directory, for example, C:\
install_directory
\, double-click the autorun.exe file.
2Select vCenter Server™ and click Install.
3Follow the prompts in the installation wizard to choose the installer language, agree to the end user patent
and license agreements, enter your user name, organization name, and license key.
If you omit the license key, vCenter Server will be in evaluation mode, which allows you to use the full
feature set for a 60-day evaluation period. After installation, you can enter the license key to convert
vCenter Server to licensed mode.
4Choose the type of database that you want to use.
OptionAction
Install SQL Server 2008 Express
instance (for small-scale
deployments)
Use an existing supported database
Select Install SQL Server 2008 Express instance (for small-scale
deployments) to use the bundled database.
The SQL Server Express database is suitable for deployments of up to 5 hosts
and 50 virtual machines.
Select Use an existing supported database option to use an existing
database. Select your database from the list of available DSNs. Type the user
name and password for the DSN.
If your database uses Windows NT authentication, the user name and
password fields are disabled.
NOTE A dialog box might appear, warning you that the DSN points to an older version of a repository
that must be upgraded. If you click Yes, the installer upgrades the database schema, making the database
irreversibly incompatible with previous vCenter Server versions. For more information, see the vSphereUpgrade documentation.
5Set the login information for vCenter Server.
n
If you are using a nonbundled database, specify the administrator name and password that you use
when you log in to the system on which you are installing vCenter Server.
n
If you are using the bundled SQL Server database, select Use SYSTEM Account.
You will need the user name and password entered here to log in to vCenter Server after install it.
22 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 4 Installing and Upgrading Orchestrator
The Fully Qualified Domain Name field displays the FQDN of the system on which you are installing
vCenter Server. The vCenter Server installer checks that the FQDN is resolvable. If not, a warning message
is displayed when you click Next. Change the entry to a resolvable FQDN. You must enter the FQDN, not
the IP address.
6Either accept the default destination folders or click Change to select another location, and click Next.
The installation path cannot have commas (,) or periods (.).
NOTE To install the vCenter Server on a drive other than C:, verify that the C:\WINDOWS\Installer folder
is large enough to accommodate the Microsoft Windows Installer .msi file. If the folder is not large enough,
your vCenter Server installation might fail.
7Select Create a standalone VMware vCenter Server instance or Join Group.
Join a Linked Mode group to enable the vSphere Client to view, search, and manage data across multiple
vCenter Server systems. For more information, see the vSphere Installation and Setup documentation. .
NOTE You cannot join a Linked Mode group during the installation if you are upgrading the VirtualCenter
or vCenter Server database schema. You can join a Linked Mode group after the installation is complete.
8If you join a group, enter the fully qualified domain name and LDAP port number of any remote
vCenter Server system and click Next.
In some cases, you can enter the IP address instead of the fully qualified domain name. To help ensure
connectivity, the best practice is to use the fully qualified domain name. For IPv6, unless both the local
and the remote machine are in IPv6 mode, you must enter the fully qualified domain name of the remote
machine instead of the IPv6 address. If the local machine has an IPv4 address and the remote machine has
an IPv6 address, the local machine must support IPv4 and IPv6 mixed mode. The domain name server
must be able to resolve both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses if your environment has both addressing types in a
single Linked Mode group.
9Specify the port numbers to use or accept the default port numbers and click Next.
10 Select the amount of JVM memory to allocate for vCenter Server Web services, according to the size of
your inventory.
This setting determines the JVM heap settings for Tomcat, Inventory Service, and Storage Based Policy
Management (SPS) services. You can adjust this setting after installation if the number of hosts in your
environment changes.
11 In the Ready to Install the Program window, select Select to bump up the ephemeral port value.
This option increases the number of available ephemeral ports. If your vCenter Server manages hosts on
which you will power on more than 2000 virtual machines simultaneously, this option prevents the pool
of available ephemeral ports from being exhausted.
12 Click Install.
Installation might take several minutes. Multiple progress bars appear during the installation of the
selected components.
13 Click Finish.
You completed the installation of vCenter Server. The Orchestrator client and server components are installed
on your system.
What to do next
Start the VMware vCenter Orchestrator Configuration service and log in to the Orchestrator configuration
interface at: http://localhost:8282.
Configure Orchestrator using an IPv4 operating system. Orchestrator does not support IPv6 operating systems.
VMware, Inc. 23
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