VMware ESXi step-by-step Installation

Guide with Screenshots

by Ramesh Natarajan on June 23, 2010
As part of the on-going VMware arti!e series, ear!ier we "isusse" about VMware #irtua!i$ation
fun"amenta!s, an" how to insta!! VMware %er#er 2&
'n this arti!e, !et us "isuss about how to insta!! VMware (%)i&
VMware (%)i is free& *owe#er, the software omes with a +0 "ays e#a!uation mo"e& ,ou shou!"
register on VMware website to get your free !iense -ey to ome out of the e#a!uation mo"e&
.ne the (%)i is insta!!e", you an either user #%phere /!ient on the 0iret /onso!e 1ser
'nterfae to a"minister the host&
VMware (%)i is base" on hyper#isor arhiteture that runs "iret!y on top of a har"ware as
shown be!ow&
1. Download ESXi server
2et the software from the VMware (%)i "own!oa" page&
3o!!owing are the #arious "own!oa" options a#ai!ab!e& %e!et 4(%)i 5&0 1p"ate 1 'nsta!!ab!e
6/0 '%.7 8inary 6&iso79 an" burn a /0&
(%)i 5&0 1p"ate 1 'nsta!!ab!e 6/0 '%.7
1pgra"e pa-age from (%)i %er#er 3&: to (%)i %er#er 5&0 1p"ate 1
1pgra"e pa-age from (%)i %er#er 5&0 to (%)i %er#er 5&0 1p"ate 1
VMware #%phere /!ient an" *ost 1p"ate 1ti!ity
2. VMware VMvisor oot Menu
.ne you insert the (%)i /0 an" reboot the ser#er, it wi!! "isp!ay a boot menu with an option to
!aunh 4(%)i 'nsta!!er9 as shown be!ow&
!. VMware ESXi Installer "oadin#
;hi!e the insta!!er is !oa"ing a!! the neessary mo"u!es, it wi!! "isp!ay the ser#er onfiguration
information at the top as shown be!ow& 'n this e<amp!e, ' was insta!!ing VMware (%)i 5&0 on a
0e!! =ower("ge 2>:0 ser#er&
$. %ew ESXi Install
%ine this is a new insta!!ation of (%)i, se!et 4'nsta!!9 in the fo!!owing sreen&
&. 'ccept VMware E("'
Rea" an" aept the (1?A by pressing 311&
). Select a Dis* to Install VMware ESXi
VMware (%)i 5&0&0 'nsta!!er wi!! "isp!ay a!! a#ai!ab!e "is- groups& /hoose the 0is- where you
wou!" !i-e to insta!! the (%)i& 't is reommen"e" to hoose the 0is-0&
+. ,on-ir. ESXi Installation
/onfirm that you are rea"y to start the insta!! proess&
/. Installation in 0ro#ress
@he insta!!ation proess ta-es few minutes& ;hi!e the (%)i is getting insta!!e", it wi!! "isp!ay a
progress bar as shown be!ow&
1. ESXi Installation ,o.plete
,ou wi!! get the fo!!owing insta!!ation omp!ete" message that wi!! prompt you to reboot the
ser#er&
12. ESXi Initial Screen
After the (%)i is insta!!e", youA!! get the fo!!owing sreen where you an onfigure the system
by pressing 32&
'n the ne<t arti!e, !et us re#iew how to perform the initia! (%)i onfiguration&
12 Steps to Install and (se the 3ree VMware
ESXi $
by 0a#i" 0a#is B=ub!ishe" on 23 Dec. 2009 C ?ast 1p"ate" on 23 Dec. 2009D
?
*ow to "own!oa", insta!!, an" use the free VMware (%)i to #irtua!i$e your infrastruture&
Introduction
'n my reent arti!e 10 Reasons why VMware (%)i 5 is perfet for the %M8 ' o#ere" why
VMware (%)i 5 is perfet for the %M8& 'n this fo!!ow up arti!e, ' wi!! show you, step by step,
how to "own!oa", insta!!, an" get starte" using VMware (%)i #ersion 5& ?et us get starte" thenE
1. Make sure your Hardware is Compatible
8efore starting the proess of "own!oa"ing VMware (%)i, you must ma-e sure that your
har"ware is ompatib!e with VMware (%)i #ersion 5& @his is espeia!!y true beause (%) an"
(%)i #ersion 5 reFuire a ser#er with a +5 bit /=1& 'n other wor"s, (%)i 5 wou!" not run on a
ser#er with a 32 bit /=1&
@o #erify that your har"ware is ompatib!e, he-out VMwareAs *ar"ware /ompatibi!ity ?ist& 'f
you "o ha#e a +5 bit /=1 but your har"ware is not on the !ist, ' enourage you to sti!! try out
(%)i 5 to see if it wor-s on your har"ware&
'f you on!y ha#e a 32 bit /=1, VMware is sti!! offering (%)i 3&: 3ree ("ition that is ompatib!e
with 32 bit /=1s&
2. Register with VMware and Actiate your account
.ne you -now that your har"ware is ompatib!e, you are rea"y to obtain (%)i 5& *owe#er, to
obtain it, you nee" to register to "own!oa" it& @o "o this, go to the (%)i 3ree 0own!oa" website&
(nter your name an" emai! a""ress to ati#ate your aount&
3i#ure 14 Registering to "own!oa" the free VMware (%)i 5
,ou wi!! reei#e an emai! where you wi!! !i- to ati#ate your registration& @hat wi!! ta-e you to
the "own!oa" site for (%)i 5&
!. "ownload #$%i &ree
Ne<t, you wi!! see that '%. an" G'= #ersions a#ai!ab!e for "own!oa"& ,ou wi!! a!so see your
ati#ation o"e& Ma-e sure you -eep that o"e han"y for !ater&
3i#ure 24 0own!oa"ing the VMware (%)i '%. 'mage
/!i- on the '%. image an" "own!oa" the 351M8 fi!e& ,ou "o not want the G'= fi!e as that is for
upgra"ing, not a fresh insta!!&
'. (urn a C"
.ne "own!oa"e", that image nee"s to be burne" to a physia! /0 6un!ess you are going to run
(%)i insi"e VMware ;or-station7& 'n other wor"s, if you are going to run (%)i on a physia!
ser#er 6e#eryone is e<ept in rare ases7, then you nee" to put it on a /0 an" boot that ser#er off
of the /0&
@o "o this, you wi!! nee" to burn the /0 using /0 8urning C /0 Authoring software an" a /0
reor"ab!e "ri#e&
'n my ase, ' ha" a /0 authoring software insta!!e" 6a!!e" =ower22o7 that ame with my
/0C0V0 "ri#e so when ' "oub!e-!i-e" on the "own!oa", the burning software starte"&
3i#ure !4 8urning (%)i to a /0
,ou shou!" note that you on!y nee" to insert a /0 reor"ab!e "is-, not a 0V0 as this image is
on!y 350M8& A!so, beause of this, the burning wi!! on!y ta-e a few minutes&
3or more information on '%. 8urning, see this arti!e H *ow to ;rite '%. 3i!es to /0&
). *btain I+ address and register hostname in ",$
;hi!e the image is burning an" you ha#e a few minutes to spare, ' reommen" that you figure
out what stati '= a""ress you wi!! use for the new (%)i host& A!so, you want to figure out what
0N% name you wi!! use an" reate an a!ias for the (%) hostname in your 0N% ser#er& .f ourse,
that 0N% host name wi!! map up with the stati '= a""ress you ar#e" out for the new (%)i host&
-. (oot #$%i and Install
At this point, you an ta-e your burne" VMware (%)i 5 /0, insert it into the ser#er an" start the
insta!!ation proess& ?i-e any /0 that you are trying to boot, you may nee" to he- the boot
or"er in your 8'.% or press a -ey 6!i-e (%/7 to manua!!y boot from the (%)i /0 in the
/0R.M "ri#e&
@he (%)i insta!!ation proess is Fui- an" easy& 't is !i-e!y that you wi!! ta-e a!! the "efau!ts,
with the on!y "eterrent being that you shou!" enter a!! the neessary networ- information suh
asI
Static IP address and hostname you defned in step 5
DNS servers and DNS sufx
Default gateway
3or some basi step by step on the insta!!ation proess with sreenshots, p!ease see my arti!e-
New VMware (%)i %er#er H /onfiguration /he-!ist&
.. Initial #$%i $erer Con/gure
@o initia!!y set up the new ser#er, again, ' am going to refer you to another of my arti!es that
o#ers this step by step& =!ease see New VMware (%)i %er#er H /onfiguration /he-!ist& @his
wi!! gui"e you through "oing things !i-e setting the root passwor", !o-ing "own the ser#er, an"
more&
3i#ure $4 /onfiguring your new ser#er at the onso!e
0. Install your $phere Client
@o manage the new ser#er, you nee" to insta!! the #%phere !ient& @he #%phere !ient is use"
whether you purhase the #%phere (nterprise =!us %uite for thousan"s of "o!!ars or if you are
using the 3ree (%)i on!y&
@o "own!oa" an" insta!! the #%phere !ient, just open your web browser an" enter that stati '=
a""ress or hostname of the new (%)i ser#er in the a""ress bar& @his wi!! ta-e you to the webpage
for that ser#er where you an "own!oa" the !ient&
3i#ure &4 0own!oa"ing the #%phere !ient
1. #nter your &ree #$%i Actiation Code
.ne your #%phere !ient is insta!!e", you an onnet to the hostname of your new (%)i host&
;hen you "o onnet, you wi!! get the message that your +0 "ay tria! has starte"& 4*ey waitE9,
you say, 4this was suppose" to be a 3ree (%)i host, not a +0 "ay tria!9& ;e!!, to ma-e it 4free9
you nee" to use the ati#ation o"e that you see up in 3i#ure 2.
'n the #%phere !ient, go to the ,on-i#uration tab, then to "icensed 3eatures an" a"" your
"icense 5ey6 !i-e thisI
3i#ure )4 (ntering your ?iense Jey
At that point, you an use this (%)i host fore#er at no ostE
12. Install or Import a VM
3ina!!y, you nee" some #irtua! mahines& ,ou an import VMs from the Virtua! App!iane
Mar-etp!ae by going to 3ile 7 rowse Virtual 'ppliance Mar*etplace or by reating your
own VM by going to 3ile 7 %ew 7 Virtual Machine.
,ou an e#en on#ert physia! mahines into #irtua! mahines using a =2V on#ersion
app!iation&
At this point we are a!! "one 0own!oa"ing, 'nsta!!ing, an" getting starte" with the free VMware
(%)i 5 ser#erE 0o not forget to "oument hanges for your junior '@ staff an" e"uate them how
to use the new #irtua! infrastruture& .ne you spen" some time using an" e#a!uating VMware
(%)i, you may want to onsi"er a fu!! +0 "ay e#a! of the omp!ete #%phere suite&