Running VirtualCenter in a virtual machine is fully supported by VMware to the same degree as if it were installed on a physical server. There are several reasons why deploying VirtualCenter in a virtual machine would be advantageous:

• Server Consolidation: instead of dedicating an entire physical server to VirtualCenter, you can run it in a virtual machine along with others on the same ESX Server host.
• Mobility: by encapsulating the VirtualCenter server in a virtual machine, you can transfer it from one host to another, enabling maintenance and other activities.
• Snapshots: A snapshot of the VirtualCenter virtual machine can be used for backup, archiving, and other similar purposes.
• Availability: using VMware HA, you can provide high availability for the VirtualCenter server