In this part you add Data Services Manager, the component that turns VCF into a database platform. It is optional and useful when you want teams to request databases on demand rather than build them by hand. You deploy the DSM appliance into vSphere, let it register with vCenter, then connect it to VCF Automation so databases become a self service catalog item.

Download the OVA, deploy it with the correct vCenter thumbprint, create the admin user in the vSphere plugin, then wire it into VCF Automation. Size an address pool for the database VMs up front, because each database DSM provisions consumes one.

Prerequisites

Step 1 download the DSM OVA

Get the appliance and the vCenter thumbprint ready.

1. Sign in to the Broadcom Support Portal and download the latest DSM 9.1 OVA.
2. Collect your vCenter SHA256 thumbprint, which the OVA properties require.
3. Create forward and reverse DNS records for the DSM appliance FQDN.

Step 2 deploy the OVA

Deploy DSM through the vSphere OVF wizard.

1. In the vSphere Client, right click the target cluster and choose Deploy OVF Template.
2. Select the DSM OVA and click Next.
3. On Customize template, enter the network identity and paste the vCenter SHA256 thumbprint.
4. Set the appliance password.
5. Click Finish.

Step 3 let DSM register with vCenter

Power on and wait for the plugin to appear.

1. Power on the DSM appliance.
2. Wait about five minutes while DSM registers itself as a vCenter extension.
3. Confirm the vSphere plugin banner notification appears, then refresh the vSphere Client.

Step 4 create the DSM admin user

Set up the account used for setup and for VCF Automation.

1. In the vSphere Client, select the vCenter inventory object.
2. Open Configure, then Data Services Manager.
3. Create a local DSM admin user and password.
4. Record the credentials for the VCF Automation connection.

Step 5 connect VCF Automation to DSM

Wire DSM into self service from the provider organization.

1. Log in to VCF Automation in the Provider Management organization.
2. Open the Data Services Manager integration and click Add.
3. Enter the DSM admin user and password to establish the connection.
4. Click Save.

Step 6 set up organizations and namespaces

Prepare the tenancy so teams can request databases.

1. Create a dedicated Data Services Manager Organization for hosting data services.
2. Create Projects for different tenants or teams.
3. Create one or more Namespaces in the projects.

Step 7 provision a test database

Confirm the end to end path works.

1. From the VCF Automation catalog, request a PostgreSQL or MySQL database.
2. Confirm DSM provisions a database VM and it takes an address from the pool.
3. Confirm the database reaches a running state and connection details appear.

flowchart TD
A[Download DSM OVA and thumbprint] --> B[Deploy the OVA]
B --> C[Register with vCenter]
C --> D[Create the DSM admin user]
D --> E[Connect VCF Automation]
E --> F[Create org, projects, namespaces]
F --> G[Provision a test database]

Verify the deployment

Confirm the vSphere plugin loads under Configure, Data Services Manager, then request a small database from the VCF Automation catalog. A successful provision that reaches a running state, with a database VM taking an address from your pool, confirms the whole path works.

Size the database VM pool

The DSM appliance takes one address, but the databases it provisions each take one more, and that pool is the part people under size. Estimate how many databases teams will request, then reserve a pool with headroom, because a request that cannot get an address fails. Keep the pool on a network both DSM and the workloads can reach, and out of the ranges used by other network pools. For production databases, plan capacity on the target cluster too, since each database is a VM with its own compute and storage.

How DSM fits with VCF Automation

DSM does the database work, and VCF Automation is how tenants ask for it. The connection you built earlier lets Automation present databases as catalog items, so a developer requests a PostgreSQL instance the same way they request a virtual machine. The provider admin controls which organizations, projects and namespaces can consume data services, which keeps tenants separate. Without the Automation connection DSM still works, but every database is a manual request through the plugin rather than self service.

Notes and best practices

Size the database VM pool with real headroom, because a request that cannot get an address fails in front of the user who made it, which is the fastest way to lose trust in a new service. Keep that pool off the ranges used by other network pools to avoid conflicts, and on a network that both DSM and the consuming workloads can reach. Create the DSM admin user before you wire VCF Automation, since the integration cannot connect without it, and store the credential where your provider team can find it. Separate tenants with organizations, projects and namespaces from the start rather than retrofitting isolation later. Plan compute and storage on the target cluster for the database VMs themselves, because each database is a real VM, and a self service catalog makes it easy to provision more than the cluster can hold.

Common errors and fixes

The plugin never appears.
A wrong or missing vCenter SHA256 thumbprint stops registration. Redeploy with the correct thumbprint and confirm the appliance can reach vCenter.

VCF Automation cannot connect to DSM.
The DSM admin user is wrong or was not created. Create the local admin under Configure, Data Services Manager, then re-enter it in the integration.

Database provisioning fails on the address.
The database VM pool is empty or overlaps another range. Size a dedicated pool and confirm it does not overlap a network pool.

No catalog item for databases.
The DSM organization, projects or namespaces are missing. Create them in VCF Automation so the catalog can target them.

Common questions

Which databases does DSM support
PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB and SQL Server, provisioned and managed through the self service portal.

Does DSM need VCF Automation
For self service, yes. DSM connects to VCF Automation so tenants can request databases from the catalog.

How many addresses does it need
One for the DSM appliance, plus one for each database VM it provisions, so size a pool for demand.

How does DSM register with vCenter
It registers itself as a vCenter extension on first boot and adds a vSphere plugin under Configure.

References

• Broadcom TechDocs: VMware Data Services Manager Release Notes
• Cormac Hogan: SQL Server with VCF Automation and DSM 9.1
• Cormac Hogan: Data Services Manager with VCF and VCF Automation

About The Author

Dr. Pranay Jha

Dr. Pranay Jha is a Cloud and AI Consultant with 18+ years of experience in hybrid cloud, virtualization, and enterprise infrastructure transformation. He specializes in VMware technologies, multi-cloud strategy, and Generative AI solutions. He holds a PhD in Computer Applications with research focused on Cloud and AI, has published multiple research papers, and has been a VMware vExpert since 2016 and a VMUG Community Leader.

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