There have been some problems with embedded PSC configurations, so I’ve had requests to move away from the embedded PSC (PSC and vCenter in same OS instance) to external configurations.  Thankfully, vCenter Update 1 and above has a method to do just this!

Transitioning to External PSC

To accomplish this, I first built a new virtual machine running Server 2012 R2, patched it to current, joined it to the domain, and granted the appropriate rights for the vCenter service account.

It’s also important to note that the existing vCenter 6.0 must be running Update 1 or later for this to work.  Obviously, you should deploy a new PSC using the same build as the existing vCenter.  Patch up your current vCenter up to Update 1 or higher obviously if needed.

Also, make sure you have a good rollback plan, like a whole VM backup or snapshots as needed.

This process works just as well for the appliance.

You then install an external PSC joining the existing SSO domain and site.  Now there are two PSCs, but vCenter is still setup in an embedded configuration, so the external PSC isn’t used yet.

At this point, you need to use the cmsso-util utility with the reconfigure option, located in your vCenter installation folder.  It’s typically under C:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\bin folder.

cmsso-util reconfigure –repoint-psc destpsc.vs6lab.local –username administrator –domain-name “vsphere.local” -passwd “P@ssw0rd”

I immediately ran into my first issue…

“The provided Platform Services Controller(PSC) is not a replication partner of the localhost. Please make sure to provide the Primary Network Identifier (PNID) of the PSC.”

A little googling led me quickly to this community post that states the DNS name is apparently case sensitive, so check your DNS records to see if maybe it’s all caps, or what.  Use that, and you’re golden.  In my case, it was DESTPSC.vs6lab.local.

Sit back and be patient.  Mine took probably a solid 10 minutes, but I am running it in a slower lab environment.

When it’s finished, verify the vSphere Web Client is functioning.  Also, verify the PSC has been repointed under your vCenter Server – Manage – Advanced Settings – config.vpxd.sso.admin.uri

PSC is done!