LDAP Identity source and vCenter

Whenever we installed a new vCenter the activity always included integration with Active Directory and normally IWA (Integrated Windows Authentication) was used.
Since vSphere 7.0 version this possibility has been deprecated
so it is good to start with the integration of the vCenter with Active Directory via LDAP.
In our case, we will use LDAPS which uses a certificate

For first the step we need to create the certificate:

  • Use SSH to vCenter connection

On shell use this command

openssl s_client -connect <DC FQDN>:636 -showcerts

Copy the certificate output with  —–BEGIN CERTIFICATE—– and —–END CERTIFICATE—–

Past on Notepad and save with .crt extension

Now we will go to configure the Identity Sources on vCenter:

  • Login as Single Sign-On Administrator to vCenter
  • Navigate to Menu > Administration > Single Sign-On Configuration
  • In the Identity Provider tab, open Identity Sources
  • Click ADD
  • Select Active Directory over LDAP or OpenLDAP, depending on your directory type.

Fill out the remaining fields as follows:
Identity Source Name: Label
Base DN for users: The Distinguished Name (DN) of the starting point for directory server searches. Example: “DC=pollaio,DC=lan”.
Base DN for groups: The Distinguished Name (DN) of the starting point for directory server searches.
Domain name: Your domain name. Example: “pollaio.lan”
Domain alias: Your NetBIOS name. Example: “pollaio.lan”
Username: Domain user with at least browse privileges. Example: “pollaio\administrator”.
Connect to:  “ldaps://<DC FQDN>”.

  • Click Browse next to SSL Certificate
  • Select the .cer file created in before step
Now we are ready to login to the vCenter with domain user (remember to assign the correct permission to domain group or user group)

If you want check the correct use of SSL certificate on the authentication to Active Directory with LDAP connection check the websso.log:

LDAP Identity source and vCenter

VMware Skyline Advisor

 

VMware has had a product for a while now called VMware Skyline that provides proactive monitoring, analysis, and support for your VMware environment. It monitors your VMware installation and will notify you when issues arise.

Skyline Advisor will be available to customers and partners with active Production and Premier Support, VMware Success 360 and vRealize Cloud Universal subscriptions at no additional cost.

Create a Cloud Services Organization

Login with My VMware account associate to Production and Premier Support on the site:

https://console.cloud.vmware.com/
  •  After clicking Get Started, a new web browser page, or tab, will open. You will be asked to sign-in

with your VMware account. If you have an existing My VMware account, you can use those same

account details (email address/password) to sign in to Cloud Services.

  •  If you are existing VMware Cloud Services customer, you can choose an existing Cloud Services

Organization for Skyline. If you have never used VMware Cloud Services, click Create New

Organization.

  •  Enter a Organization Name.

Name your Organization something meaningful, that can be easily

referenced by both you, and VMware. For example, name your Organization after you Company, or

Business name. You can also append a line-of-business, division, or team, to the end of your

Company or Business name.

The following are example Organization Names:

The company, LOB, Company LOB, Company-vSphere, Company-Desktop

  • Enter an Address for your Organization.

Click Add Address. You can also choose an existing

address if one was found for your account. If you choose an existing address, skip to substep f.

During the creation of your Cloud Services Organization, your country currency, and Tax ID, may be

displayed. The displaying of this information is a construct of Cloud Services. Skyline is available at

no additional cost, and you will not be required to enter any payment details while adopting Skyline.

  • Select a Country from the drop-down menu.
  •  Enter your street address on Address Line 1, and Address Line 2 (optional).
  • Enter your City.
  • Enter your State/Province.
  • Enter your Zip/Postal Code.
  • Review the Cloud Services Terms of Service. Click the checkbox to agree to the Terms of Service.
  • Click Continue.

Now on service, we have Skyline Advisor, click on this service

Link the Entitlement

Now, after clicking on LINK, we have the correct status LINKED

 
Deploy Skyline Collector and configure the connection to Cloud Services
 
Now we download the Skyline collector
https://vmware.com/go/skyline-collector-download
 
Download VMware Skyline Collector 
Select Version: 
•roduct Downloads 
Product 
VMware Skyline is an innovative proactive support offering that brings high-performing technology and tools to the workbench to 
radically transform customer support 
Automatically and securely collect product usage data with VMware Skyline Collector. Environment-specific analytics based on 
configuration, feature, and performance data are executed against this data. The resulting information may radically improve 
Read More 
Product Resources 
View My Download History 
Product Info 
Documentation 
Community 
Drivers & Tools 
Open Source 
Custom ISOS 
VMware Skyline Collector 28.0 
OEM Addons 
Release Date 
2021-07-15 
GO TO DOWNLOADS
 
To deploying the Skyline Collector Virtual appliance on our vSphere infrastructure we have need:
 
Resource Requirements 
vCPU 
RAM 
Disk Space 
87Ga (1.1 thin- 
provisioned)
 
And these are the Network Requirements
 
External Network Requirements 
Connection From 
Skyline Collector 
Skyline Collector 
Connection To 
vcsa_vmwarecom 
vapp-updates_vmwarecom 
Type 
H TTPS 
H TTPS 
Protocol 
T CP/1p 
T CP/1p 
Protocol 
TCP/Ip 
TCP/Ip 
TCP/Ip 
TCP/Ip 
TCP/Ip 
TCP/Ip 
TCP/Ip 
TCP/Ip 
TCP/Ip 
TCP/Ip 
443 
443 
Internal Network Requirements 
Connection From 
Skyline Collector 
Skyline Collector 
Skyline Collector 
Skyline Collector 
Skyline Collector 
Skyline Collector 
Skyline Collector 
Skyline Collector 
Skyline Collector 
Web Browser 
Connection To 
vCenter Server 
ESXi Hypervisor Hosts 
5.5 psc/sso Provider 
6.0 and above psc/sso 
Provider 
NSX-V Manager 
NSX-T Manager nodes cluster 
virtual P address (VIP) 
Horizon Connection Server 
vRedlize Operations Manager 
SDDC Manager 
Skyline Collector 
Type 
443 
443 
443 
443 
443 
443 
443 
443 
443
 
 
 
 
Account permission for vCenter, we need to create a Domain Account to use to permit access to vCenter from skyline.
 
• vCenter Server Read-Only role 
• GlobalDiagnostics 
• Globalkealth 
• GlobalLicenses 
• GlobalSettings 
• Host profile.View
Let’go we are starting with the OVF Deploy
Deploy OVF Template 
1 Select an OVF template 
2 Select a name and folder 
3 Select a compute resource 
4 Review details 
5 Select storage 
6 Ready to complete 
Select an OVF template 
Select an OVF template trom remote URL or local file system 
Enter a URL to download and install the OVF package trom the Inn 
location accessible trom your computer, such as a local hard drive. 
CD/DVD drive. 
O URL 
@ Local file 
Scegli i file
 
 
 
 
Deploy OVF Template 
1 Select an OVF template 
2 Select a name and folder 
3 Select a compute resource 
4 Review details 
5 Select storage 
6 Ready to complete 
Select a compute resource 
Select the destination compute resource for 
v VDICEDB 
v VDlRPLcluster 
Phesx07.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Deploy OVF Template 
1 Select an OVF template 
2 Select a name and folder 
3 Select a compute resource 
4 Review details 
5 License agreements 
6 Select storage 
7 Select networks 
8 Customize template 
9 Ready to complete 
Template name 
Download size 
Size on disk 
Folder 
Resource 
Storage mapping 
All disks 
Network mapping 
Network I 
IP allocation settings 
IP protocol 
IP allocation 
Properties 
557.6 MB 
87.0 Ga 
austerVSAN 
Policy: Stretched Mirror - No space reservation No Local Protection; Datastore: vsanDatastore; Format: A 
s defined in the VM storage policy 
DPG-IT 
1 pv4 
Static - Manual 
Default Gateway = 
Domain Name = VISKYOI 
Domain Search Path 
Domain Name servers = 172 16 
Network 1 P Address = 172 16 20.33 
Network 1 Netmask = 255 
CANCEL 
BACK 
FINISH
 
 
 
 
You must change your password on first login. 
Old Password 
New Password 
Repeat New Password 
CHANGE 
@ Your password was changed successfully! 
LOGIN AGAIN 
Password Requirements 
• Minimum length: 8 characters 
• One uppercase letter. 
• One special case letter 
• One digit. 
• One lowercase letter.
 
Skyline Collector 
admin 
For Active Directory login username format must be "user@domain" 
LOG IN
 
 
 
After deployed the Connector virtual appliance we need to configure the Skyline Collector for communicating with Cloud Services
 
 
After you have finished Linking Entitlement Accounts to your Cloud Services Organization, click Skyline Collector Setup. 
O COLLECTOR SETUP
 
 
Initial Configuration 
1 Network Configuration 
CELP Terms and Conditions 
Collector Registration 
Continue Configuration 
Collector Name 
6 Auto-upgrade 
Configure vCenter Server 
8 Configure NSX-V (optional) 
Configure NSX-T (optional) 
10 Configure Harizor View (op-.iona , 
Configure *'Realize Operations 
Network Configuration 
Hostname Verification 
By enabling Hostname Verification you add an additional check 
This will ensure the client is connecting to the appropriate server 
"subjectAItName" fields against the host in the URL of the conne 
NOTE: Enabling this option will likely break any traffic intercept 
generating certificates correctly. 
Hostname Verification 
Proxying 
Proxy 
TEST & SAVE 
C) Enabled 
Disabled
 
Test the network configuration
@ Successfully set Network Configuration!
 
Initial Configuration 
1 Network Configuration 
2 CEIP Terms and Conditions 
Collector Registration 
Cortinue Configuration 
Collector Name 
6 Auto-upgrade 
Configure vCenter Server 
8 Configure NSX-V (optional) 
Configure NSX-T (optional) 
10 Configure Harizor View (optional 
Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) 
As part of the Enhanced Customer Experience Improvement Program ("CEIP"), VMware Skyline collects 
certain technical data and product logs about your organization's use of VMware products and services 
on a regular basis. The data collected may include device identifiers and information that identifies your 
users. This data is collected to enable VMware to diagnose and improve its products and services, fix 
product issues, provide proactive technical support and to advise you on how best to deploy and use 
our products 
For additional information regarding the CEIP, please see the Trust & Assurance Center at 
https://wwwvmware.com/solutions/trustvmware/ceip_ 
By configuring your VMware products to participate in the Skyline service, each product will be enabled 
to send product usage data to the Skyline services as part of the Enhanced Customer Experience 
Improvement Program. You may add, remove or modify your product configurations at any time. For 
detailed instructions see our Skyline Collector User Guide 
To disable participation in the Customer Experience Improvement Program, you must Deregister this 
Skyline Collector. For instructions how to Deregister a Skyline Collector, see VMware Knowledge Base 
Article 74677.
 
And now we have to insert the token create on Cloud Service
 
Initial Configuration 
2 
3 
6 
8 
Network Configuration 
CEP Terms and Conditions 
Collector Registration 
Continue Configuration 
Collector Name 
Auto-upgrade 
Configure vCenter Server 
Configure NSX-V (optional) 
Configure NSX-T (optional) 
Collector Registration 
VMware Skyline is now part of VMware Cloud Services. VMware Cloud Services uses the concept of 
"Organizations" to provide controlled access to one or more services. 
You can create an "0rganization" on the VMware Cloud Services Platform by following the steps 
described in the link below: 
You can generate a token on VMware Cloud Services Platform and enter it below in order to associate 
your Skyline Collector to the Organization. 
Collector Registration Token 
Paste Collector Registration Token Here
 
Get Token from Vmware Cloud Services Platform

VMware Cloud Services

I have already configured my organization

Copy and paste the token on Skyline Connect and register it.

Add source Data to Skyline Advisor

After complete the step 5 and 6 (I suggest to enable the auto-upgrade), we can access to skyline collector to configure the connection to vCenter (or multiple vCenter)

Go to https://<mySkylineCollectorFQDN/

Select Add a vCenter  Server

Use the Account AD to whom assign the correct permission on vCenter

We are able to see the vSphere infrastructures if we access on Skyline Advisor Service on Cloud Service Link

https://console.cloud.vmware.com/

Now we will be waiting….. for data populate (72 hours for Findings)

After 72 hours we are able to see all info   (wow I see six Critical alerts :-))

VMware Skyline Frequently Asked Questions (55928)

Skyline Collector User Accounts and Permissions (vmware.com)

VMware Skyline Advisor

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