12.1.1 Embedded Platform Services Controller
A single system that includes the vCenter Server Manager with embedded Platform Services Controller is sufficient for many use cases, and not only limited to small environments. This design is the easiest to maintain and deploy and is fully supported for a Windows or appliance vCenter Server deployment.
Installing vCenter Server with an embedded Platform Services Controller has the advantages and drawbacks described in the following table.
Table 30. Advantages and Drawbacks to an Embedded Platform Services Controller
Advantages to an Embedded Platform Services Controller | Drawbacks to an Embedded Platform Services Controller |
The connection between vCenter Server and the Platform Services Controller does not go over the network, and vCenter Server is not prone to outages because of connectivity and name resolution issues between vCenter Server and the Platform Services Controller. If you install vCenter Server on a Windows host machine, you will require fewer Microsoft Windows licenses. Less virtual machines to manage, reducing operational overhead. No requirement for a load balancer to distribute the load across Platform Services Controller systems. | There is a Platform Services Controller for each product, which might be more than is required. This will consume more host resources. The maximum number of Platform Services Controllers per site is eight. If you deploy multiple products with embedded Platform Services Controllers, after you install eight products at the same site, you have reached the maximum recommended number. |
Typical use cases for the embedded model are for standalone sites, where this vCenter Server will be the only VMware vCenter Single Sign-On™ integrated solution, and replication to other Platform Services Controllers is not a design requirement. In general, there is a recommendation to deploy external Platform Services Controllers in any environment where there is more than one vCenter Single Sign-On enabled solution (vCenter Server, vRealize Automation, and so on), or where replication to other Platform Services Controllers, such as another site, is required in the design.