In a previous article I wrote about the vCSA’s features and benefits. This post lists the interoperability or feature parity of the vCSA and the Windows vCenter Server. For more information about the vCSA, please see the resources listed here https://vmwire.com/vmware-vcenter-server-virtual-appliance-vcsa/.
A few readers have asked what works with the vCSA and what does not.
The vCSA supports all vCenter features – DRS, SDRS, HA, Host Profiles, dvSwitches, etc.
Secondary architecture features like supported DB, View Composer are not yet at feature parity with the Windows vCenter Server.
Not supported yet:
- Microsoft SQL as the database for vCenter – requires stable ODBC driver for Linux that can scale.
- vCenter Server Linked Mode – requires ADAM.
- vCenter Server Heartbeat – requires Windows.
- IPv6.
- Single sign-on using Windows session credentials.
- VMware View Composer (Linked Clones) – installed on Windows vCenter Server only.
- vSphere Storage Appliance – VSA Manager & VSA Cluster Server installed on Windows vCenter Server.
- VIX Plugin for vCenter Orchestrator – VMware Tools API only works with Windows vCenter Server.
Other VMware products that work with the vCSA:
- vCenter Operations.
- vCenter Orchestrator.
- vCenter CapacityIQ.
- SRM5.
- VMware View 5 (no Linked Clones).
- Auto Deploy.
- vCenter Update Manager.
- vMA.
- vSphere Client.
- vSphere Web Client.
- VMware vCloud Director.
- PowerCLI.
- vSphere Client for iPad & vCMA.
If I find anything else, I’ll update the article.
VMwire 
vCenter Update Manager seems not to work with it.
It does.
I can’t find the vCenter Update Manager within the appliance. Could you please explain how to do find it?
vUM is not integrated in the vCSA, you’ll need to install vUM in a Windows VM and then register the vCSA.
As seen in the Mastering vSphere 5 book, the required installation of VUM in a Windows Server VM essentially defeats the purpose of using the vCSA all together. I mean I’m in a strictly unix environment and administering a Windows VM (esp Server) is a big no no.
Justin, I’m not sure if you’re serious or trolling. If you’re serious, please take me to your UNIX only utopia, lol
The compatibility matrix for SRM5 specifically calls out the Windows version of vCenter,
View 5.1 and later supports a stand alone view composer install with the appliance.