Installing VMware ESX and ESXi Module 14

Importance A VMware® ESX™/ESXi host provides the physical resources used to run virtual machines. A correctly installed ESX/ESXi host can reduce the support costs and impact performance. VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A

Module Objectives Describe how to install ESX Describe how to install ESXi: Interactive Scripted VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A

Installing ESX You can install ESX through a graphical or a text-based interface. Or you can install ESX through a script. The ESX installer prompts you for: License key Network adapter for the service console and optional VLAN ID IP settings: IP address, subnet mask, gateway, primary DNS address, and secondary DNS address Host name Time zone Date and time, and optional NTP server Root password Location of installation ISO image In the ESX installer, you select the standard or the advanced setup. VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A

ESX Partitions VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A

ESXi Installable Hardware Prerequisites Processor – 64-bit x86 CPU: Up to 128 logical CPUs (cores or hyperthreads) Memory – 2GB RAM minimum, 1TB maximum One or more Ethernet controllers: Gigabit or 10Gb Ethernet controllers are supported. For best performance and security, use separate Ethernet controllers for the management network and the virtual machine networks. Disk storage: A SCSI adapter, Fibre Channel adapter, iSCSI adapter, or internal RAID controller A SCSI disk, Fibre Channel LUN, iSCSI disk, or RAID LUN with unpartitioned space: SATA, SCSI, SAS VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A

Installing ESXi Installable You must have the ESXi 4.1 Installable ISO file on CD or DVD media. Boot from the CD or DVD to start the ESXi installer. Make sure that you select the correct disk. In this example, the local device is Disk9. All other disks are located on the Fibre Channel (fc) SAN. VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A

ESXi Partitions VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A

Scripted ESXi Host Installations Scripted installations provide an efficient way to deploy multiple hosts: Noninteractive, fast, error-free Multiple simultaneous installations Repeatable (disaster recovery) Can be integrated with PXE boot server VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A 9

Scripted Installation Process To perform a scripted installation: Create an installation script: Custom script using script commands Default script: ks.cfg Default ks.cfg script is located at /etc/VMware/weasel/ks.cfg Make the installation media accessible to the host: CD/DVD USB flash drive Media depot, accessible by HTTP/HTTPS, FTP, NFS Start the installer. Boot from local CD/DVD-ROM drive or from PXE boot server. Enter boot command to run the installation script. Example: ks=cdrom:/ks.cfg VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A 10

Default Installation Script: ks.cfg The default installation script ks.cfg contains the following commands: vmaccepteula Accept the ESXi license agreement. rootpw mypassword Set the root password to “mypassword.” autopart –firstdisk –overwritevmfs Choose the first discovered disk to install on to. install cdrom The installation media is in the CD-ROM drive. network –bootproto=dhcp –device=vmnic0 Set the network to DHCP on the first network adapter. VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A 11

Module Summary Describe how to install ESX Describe how to install ESXi: Interactive Scripted VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A

Key Points ESXi Embedded comes preinstalled on its host. ESXi Installable and ESX require you to install the software. Scripted installations provide an efficient way to deploy multiple hosts. VMware vSphere 4.1: Install, Configure, Manage – Revision A

Partitions Size Minimum vmkcore 110 Mb boot Partition 1.1 Gb / root partition 5 Gb var/log partition 2 Gb swap partition 600 Mb to 1.6 Gb