Before installing a Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2008 R2 agent locally on a host, review the prerequisite software and hardware for installation. For more information, see System Requirements: Virtual Machine Hosts.

For a host that is on a perimeter network, you must install a VMM agent locally on the host before you can add it to VMM. Optionally, you can install a VMM agent locally on a host in a domain before adding the host through the VMM Administrator Console.

After you have installed an agent locally on the host, you use the security file to add the host to VMM by using the Add Host Wizard. For more information, see How to Add Hosts in an Active Directory Domain (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=145073).

Use the following procedure to install a VMM agent. To perform this procedure, you must have administrator privileges on the computer.

1. On the product media or network share, right-click setup.exe, and then click Run as administrator.

   Important
   If you set up a network share to install the VMM agent locally, you should apply the appropriate security to the share to ensure that unauthorized or unauthenticated users cannot access or alter the contents of the share.

2. On the Setup menu, click Local Agent.

3. On the Destination Folder page, do one of the following:

   • Click Next to accept the default installation folder for the program files.
     
     
   • Click Change to specify a different location, and then click Next.
     
     

4. On the Configuration Settings page, do one of the following:

   • Click Next to accept the default port settings.
     
     
   • Type different ports, and then click Next.
     
     

   Important
   The port settings that you assign for the agent must identically match the port settings that you assigned for communicating with agents during the installation of the VMM server. For more information about assigning ports, see VMM Ports and Protocols (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=128912).

5. On the Security File Folder page, select the This host is on a perimeter network check box, and then do the following:

   • In the Security file encryption key box, enter an encryption key, and then enter it again in the Confirm encryption key box.
     
     

     Important
     Make note of the encryption key that you use to create the security file. You must enter this same key again when you are adding the host in the VMM Administrator Console.

   • To use a certificate to encrypt communications between the VMM server and this host, select the Use a CA signed certificate for encrypting communications with this host check box, and then in the Thumbprint of the certificate box, enter the certificate’s thumbprint.
     
     
   • To change the default location where the encrypted security file will be stored, click Change, and then specify a different location to store the encrypted security file.
     
     
   • To create and store the encrypted security file in the specified location, click Next.
     
     

6. On the Host Network Name page, do one of the following:

   • To have the VMM server contact the host by using its computer name, click Next.
     
     
   • To have the VMM server contact the host by using its IP address, click Use IP address, type or select an IP address in the list, and then click Next.
     
     

     Important
     Make note of the computer name or IP address of the host. You must enter this same information again when you are adding the host in the VMM Administrator Console.

7. On the Ready to install page, click Install.

8. Navigate to the folder where the security file is stored. The default location is %SystemRoot%\Program Files\Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008. The name of this file is SecurityFile.txt.

9. Transfer the security file to a folder that is accessible to the computer on which a VMM Administrator Console is installed.

1. On the product media or network share, double-click setup.exe.

   Important
   If you set up a network share to install the VMM agent locally, you should apply the appropriate security to the share to ensure that unauthorized or unauthenticated users cannot access or alter the contents of the share.

2. On the Setup menu, click Local Agent.

3. On the Destination Folder page, do one of the following:

   • Click Next to accept the default installation folder for the program files.
     
     
   • Click Change to specify a different location, and then click Next.
     
     

4. On the Configuration Settings page, do one of the following:

   • Click Next to accept the default port settings.
     
     
   • Type different ports, and then click Next.
     
     

   Important
   The port settings that you assign for the agent must identically match the port settings that you assigned for communicating with agents during the installation of the VMM server. For more information about assigning ports, see VMM Ports and Protocols (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=128912).

5. On the Security File Folder page, click Next.

6. On the Ready to install page, click Install.

See Also