VMware vCenter plugin
Monitor key metrics and states from your VMWare vCenter environment.
Note: This plugin is an on-premises plugin.

An on-premises plugin connects a service running in your internal network to SquaredUp. They require an agent installed on a machine that has access to your internal network.
Prerequisites
Windows Server 2016
How to add the VMware vCenter plugin
Configure and deploy an agent
If you have already created an agent in SquaredUp that you can use for this plugin, you can skip this step and choose the agent group you want to use while adding the plugin.

Create a unique API key for your agent and add the agent to an agent group in SquaredUp.
You create an API key by creating an agent in SquaredUp:
Go to Settings > Relay and add an Agent.
Give the new agent a name and a description that helps you identify where the agent is installed. For example:
Name: server1.domain.localDescription: Test server in production domain
Choose the Agent Group for this agent:
If you already have agent groups, assign it to an existing group and click create.
If you don't have any agent groups yet or want to assign the new agent to a new group, leave the Agent Groups field empty and click create. Then create the agent group by clicking on Add Agent Group and select the new agent in the Agents field for the new group.
After you created the agent, the API key for this agent will be shown to you. Copy the key and store it until you inserted the key into the configuration of the agent you want to deploy on your machine.
The API key will only be displayed to you once. If you lose this API key, you need to generate a new one (by creating a new agent) and any references to the old API key in the configuration of the agent you deployed on your machine will need to be updated.
- The Agent status will show as gray until the next stage of configuring the service is completed successfully.
Deploy the agent on a machine that has access to the service the plugin connects to.
Download the latest release of the SquaredUp Agent zip file, by clicking the download icon under Options next to the Agent you have just added.
Prerequisites for Agents
The Agent needs to run on a Windows machine that has access to the data source for the on-premises plugin
Make sure the Agent is able to make outbound connections on port 443 (no inbound required) to SquaredUp and Microsoft APIs (Azure Relay).
Optional DNS-based restrictions: *.servicebus.windows.net
On a Windows machine, with access to the data source your plugin needs to use, extract the downloaded zip file.
In the directory of the extracted zip file, open PowerShell as an administrator and run the following command:
Copy./Install-SQUPAgent.ps1 -ApiKey "key" -AsService -ServiceSuffix "name" -ServiceAccount domain\username
Parameters to replace:
-ApiKey "key"
Mandatory Replace key
with the API key you created for the Agent in SquaredUp-AsService
Recommended Run the Agent as a service on the machine -ServiceSuffix "name"
Optional To change the default service name of squpagent replace name
with your new service name.-ServiceAccount domain\username
Optional To run the Agent as a domain service account (for example, for the SCOM plugin), provide the username as domain\username
and it will prompt for the password when it sets up the serviceConfigure a domain service account using the installation script, for example:
./Install-SQUPAgent.ps1 -ApiKey "key" -AsService -ServiceAccount domain\username
where
key
is the API key, anddomain\username
is the domain service accountAlternatively, in Services > SquaredUp Cloud Agent > Properties select the account on the Log On tab.
Use a dedicated user account for the agent's service identity. Create a special service account for this domain service account, do not use an existing user account.
The account (typically a service account) needs to have the log on as a service permission.
Adjust any permissions for the service and start the service.
How to start the Agent service
You can start the agent service from Services > SquaredUp Cloud Agent, or using PowerShell using either:
Start-Service -Name <ServiceName>
Where
<ServiceName>
should be replaced with the service name shown in brackets in the upgrade script output (or Properties of the service).For example:
Start-Service -Name squpagent
or
Start-Service -DisplayName <DisplayName>
Where
<DisplayName>
should be replaced with the service name shown before the brackets in the upgrade script output (or Properties of the service).How to find the Agent folder location or Service name in Properties
Look at the Properties of the SquaredUp Cloud Agent service:
On the server running the Agent, open Services
Scroll down to the SquaredUp Cloud Agent in the list
Right-click on the SquaredUp Cloud Agent service and then Properties
Here you can see the Service name, Display name and Path to the Agent folder.
You can also start or stop the service from here.
- Check the Agent status in SquaredUp Settings > Relay
Running the Agent as a domain service account
By default, the SquaredUp agent service uses the local system identity, but this can be changed to a domain service account if required, for example for the SCOM plugin.
Add the VMware vCenter plugin to SquaredUp
In SquaredUp browse to Settings > Plugins > Add plugin and search for the plugin.
Enter the Server URL of your VMware vCenter server.
Enter your VMware vCenter username and password. You can use either UPN or domain\user formats, as they are both fully supported by VMware.
Select the Agent Group from the list.
Leave the checkbox for Automatically create a workspace ticked, this will create a new workspace for this plugin containing out of the box dashboards and scopes.
Optionally, select whether you would like to restrict access to this plugin instance. By default, restricted access is set to off.
Restrict access to this workspace?
The term plugin here really means plugin instance. For example, a user may configure two instances of the AWS plugin, one for their development environment and one for production. In that case, each plugin instance has its own access control settings.
By default, Restrict access to this plugin? is set to off. The plugin can be viewed, edited and administered by anyone. If you would like to control who has access to this plugin, switch Restrict access to this plugin? to on.
Use the Restrict access to this plugin? dropdown to control who has access to the workspace:
By default, the user setting the permissions for the plugin will be given Full Control and the Everyone group will be given Link to workspace permissions.
Tailor access to the plugin, as required, by selecting individual users or user groups from the dropdown and giving them Link to workspace or Full Control permissions.
If the user is not available from the dropdown, you are able to invite them to the plugin by typing in their email address and then clicking Add. The new user will then receive an email inviting them to create an account on SquaredUp Cloud. Once the account has been created, they will gain access to the tenant.
At least one user or group must be given Full Control.
Admin users can edit the configuration, modify the Access Control List (ACL) and delete the plugin, regardless of the ACL chosen.
Plugin access levels
Access Level:
Link to workspace
- User can link the plugin to any workspace they have at least Editor permissions for.
- Data from the plugin can then be viewed by anyone with any access to the workspace.
User can share the plugin data with anyone they want.
User cannot configure the plugin in any way, or delete it.
Full Control - User can change the plugin configuration, ACL, and delete the plugin.
See Access control for more information.
Click Save.
Run the VMware vCenter prerequisites script on the agent server
The prerequisites script performs the following tasks:
Installs the VMware PowerCLI PowerShell module. See VMware: PowerCLI Reference
Sets a number of configuration options for the PowerCLI module:
Sets single server mode
Disables participation in the customer experience program
Allows ignoring untrusted SSL certificates
Supresses module warnings
Allows use of any configured system proxies
Sets module timeout limit
The VMware vCenter prerequisites script is added to the following folder by the plugin package:
…\Agent\transient\plugins\VMware vCenter\{plugin-version}\
Open PowerShell as an administrator in the above folder location.
Run the script:
.\VMware-Prereqs.ps1
The script may take a few minutes to run.
Troubleshooting
The module 'VMware.VimAutomation.Sdk' cannot be installed or updated because the authenticode signature of the file 'VMware.VimAutomation.Sdk.cat' is not valid.
If you see the error message above when installing the module, then run the following script:
Install-Module -Name VMware.PowerCLI -Force -SkipPublisherCheck -AllowClobber
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