ESXi 5.5 Installation
ESXi 5.5 Installation guide
About vSphere Installation and Setup
Installing ESXi 5.5 includes the following tasks:
1 Best practise for minimum hardware requirements
2 Install ESXi 5.5 using CD\DVD or a USB installer flash drive
- Review the topics and release notes before you install ESXi.
Configuring Management Network
- Add static IP to the ESXi Server
- Default Gateway and DNS entries
Configuring Virtual Switches
Create a test Virtual Switch
Installing ESXi 5.5 best practices
Installing ESXi 5.5
Below are the screen captures step by step guide
Procedure
1 Insert the ESXi boot CD/DVD into the CD/DVD-ROM drive, or attach the Installer USB flash drive and restart the machine.
2 Set the BIOS to boot from the CD-ROM device or the USB flash drive. Once booted off the CD/DVD or USB the first option we see is to either boot from the local drive or run the installer. RUN the ESXi -5.5 standard installer
- Once the installation is completed then you will be on the welcome screen press enter and continue
- Select your storage, in this guide we have installed ESXi 5.5 server on the local disk
Press F1 for information about the selected disk and continue
5 Select the keyboard type for the host.
You can change the keyboard type after installation in the direct console.
6 Enter the root password for the ESXi host and continue installation
7 Press F11 to start the installation.
8 When the installation is complete, remove the installation CD, DVD, or USB flash drive.
9 Press Enter to reboot the host.
10 Set the first boot device to be the drive on which you installed ESXi
For information about changing boot order, see your hardware vendor documentation.
11 Once done the server will reboot, we are then ready to configure VMware IP, host name and relevant DNS settings.
Configure Management Network
Choose Network Adapters for the Management Network
Traffic between an ESXi host and any external management software is transmitted through an Ethernet network adapter on the host. You can use the direct console to choose the network adapters that are used by the management network.
Examples of external management software include the vCenter Server and SNMP client. Network adapters on the host are named vmnicN, where N is a unique number identifying the network adapter, for example, vmnic0, vmnic1, and so forth.
Using multiple network adapters enables load balancing and failover capabilities.
Procedure
1 From the direct console, select F2 to Customize System settings
2 Configure Management Network and press Enter.
- Select Network Adapters and press Enter.
4 Choose the network adapter
5 Give your ESXI host a static address on your network. Once done select DNS configuration, enter your DNS servers IP address and also give your ESXI host a valid host name on your network. Remember in active directory to create an A record matching the details you have set here.
- Once done select enter to accept, then esacpe to leave the Configure Management Network options. To connect to your ESXi 5.5 host open up a web browser and go to the IP or host name that you allocated the ESXi host. Once done select download vSphere client and install it.
Then in the VMware client enter the IP or host name you set, the username “Root” and the password you set. You will then be able to manage the ESXi host
- Then in the VMware client enter the IP or host name you set, the username “Root” and the password you set. You will then be able to manage the ESXi host
Creating Virtual Network
- Once you have logged in to the Vmware ESXi Server using vSphere client ensure you can view the inventory . Below screen shot is the starting point to configure virtual switches
- Click on the host and switch to the configuration tab and select the Networking section
NOTES:
After installing the ESXi Server a default virtual switch is created and would be labelled as vSwitch0 . Best practice is not to add any Virtual Machine on this Switch and leave this for the dedicated Management of the ESXi Server.
- Click on add networking
4 Select the button next to, “Virtual Machine”, and click the next button
Notes : In this case we are not using services such as VMware vMotion, iSCSI, NFS, or a managing another host, We are creating a network for a Virtual machine.
- Select the physical network Card you will use to connect the Virtual Switch to other network resources and click next .
Notes: Under the Option “Create a virtual Switch” are the unassigned network card and are currently installed to the ESXi server. In this example the Vmnic3 is already assigned to vSwitch0, this virtual switch is used for the Port group and the management network. It is possible to add the Network card to the virtual switch you are creating. This step is highly not recommended as by doing so you would remove the connection to Vswitch0 and assign the physical network card to your virtual switch. The connection to the ESXi Server would be broken and could no longer manage the host hence a physical network card which is unassigned is recommended.
6 A network label should be assigned to the virtual switch and a VLAN ID should be allocated. Click the next button
Notes: Network label assigned to the virtual switch would be the port group.
- Confirm the settings of the virtual switch and finish
If you return to the networking tab of the ESXi Server the virtual switch vSwitch1 is created as the default port group
References
Installing ESX 5.5
Compatibility Matrix
http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility
Network cards Teaming
Softlayer Slayers 