Assuming that you already downloaded the SaltStack Config binaries in this guide we will go over the deployment of SaltStack Config in an existing VRA 8.3 environment via Lifecycle Manager 8.3

Adding SaltStack Config to the vRA Environment

Log on to Lifecycle Manager -> Go to environments, on the vRA environment click on the Menu and go to Add Product

In the vRA environment, click the Menu and select Add Product.

Select the checkbox next to vRealize Automation SaltStack Config and click Next

Select vRealize Automation SaltStack Config checkbox, click Next.

Review the EULA, click on the agree box on the bottom of the page and click on next

EULA terms, checkbox, “I agree to the terms & conditions,” “NEXT” button.

Click on Select and select a vrealize or vra advanced\enterprise. Clieck on the validate button and click next

License validation step in a VRA environment wizard.

Certificate Configuration

Select an existing certificate or click on the + sign and generate a new certificate. In my case I didn’t have a certificate created so im going to create a new one. If you already have a certificate this step can be skipped.

“Select Certificate” field with error “Certificate is required”. Options: Generate Certificate or Import Certificate.

Complete the fields and click on generate

Configure fields for certificate generation in VMware Lifecycle Manager.

Now the list is populated with the certificate we just created. Click Next

Wizard step showing certificate details, expiration, and issuer for deployment.

Infrastructure and Network Details

Select the infrastructure details and click on Next

Infrastructure details selected for SaltStack deployment in VRA.

Verify the network details and click next

Network configuration page with fields for gateway, netmask, domain, DNS servers, and options to add or edit server selection.

Syncing the vRA Inventory for Tenants

If the tenant list is empty a sync of vra is required

‘Tenant ID’ dropdown with ‘Select’ option, indicating no tenants found.

To do this we can go to Environments. Dont worry the progress will be saved

In the Environments section, Corp Local shows a warning to install vRealize Operations for monitoring.

View details

VRealize Automation 8.3.0 interface with options for managing a product, including inventory sync, certificate replacement, and product deletion.

Click on submit

Trigger Inventory Sync step in Lifecycle Manager for VRA environment.

Once the sync is complete we can go back to requests

Request details show successful stages 1-3, with timing for updates.

Completing the Deployment Wizard

Under requests click on Pending Action

List of requests in a VRA environment, with one marked “Pending Action” and others labeled “Completed.

Complete the details and click next

Enter product password, select certificate, and tenant ID; then click Next.

Click on Run precheck in order to make sure everything is in a working order

Precheck step in a wizard, with instructions to run precheck and save/exit or proceed.

If everything looks good click on Next

Precheck confirms all validations passed; proceed to Next.

Verify the summary and click on Submit

Summary of vRealize Automation SaltStack Config setup, showing certificate, password, tenant ID, and license fields.

Deployment Progress

LCM will go through everything needed to. As we can see there’s a lot of steps that otherwise would need to perform manually

LCM shows progress in deploying SaltStack Config via OVF deployment.

Get a cup of coffee and wait. In my case it took about 13 minutes for the installation to finish