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Installation Guide

VMware ESX 3.0

Deddy Iswara


Hardware Requirements Minimum Server Hardware Requirements

1. Minimum 2 processor: a. 1500 MHz Intel Xeon and later, or AMD Opteron (32bit mode) for ESX Server. b. 1500 MHz Intel Xeon and later, or AMD Opteron (32bit mode) for Virtual SMP. c. 1500 MHz Intel V or AMD A64 x2 dual‐core processors.

2. 1GB RAM minimum. 3. One or more Ethernet controllers. Supported controllers include:

a. Broadcom NetXtreme 570x Gigabit controllers b. Intel PRO/100 adapters

Maximum Configuration for ESX Server Storage

• 16 host bus adapters (HBAs) per ESX Server system, with 15 targets per HBA • 128 logical unit numbers (LUNs) per storage array • 255 LUNs per ESX Server system • 32 paths to a LUN • Maximum LUN ID: 255

Virtual Machine File System (VMFS)

• 128 VMFS volumes per ESX Server system • Maximum physical extents per VMFS volume: • VMFS3 volumes: 32 physical extents • VMFS2 volumes: 32 physical extents (VMFS2 volumes are read only for ESX Server 3.0.) • 2TB per physical extent • Maximum size per VMFS volume: • VMFS3 volumes: approximately 64TB, with a maximum of 2TB per physical extent • VMFS2 volumes: approximately 64TB, with a maximum of 2TB per physical extent (VMFS2

volumes are read only for ESX Server 3.0.) Virtual Processors

• A total of 128 virtual processors in all virtual machines per ESX Server host Memory

• 64GB of RAM per ESX Server system Adapters

• Up to 64 adapters of all types, including storage and network adapters, per system • Up to 20 Gigabit Ethernet or 10/100 Ethernet ports per system • Up to 1024 ports per virtual switch


Installing VMware ESX Server Software Power on the machine with the VMware ESX Server CD in the CD drive. The ESX Server begins its boot process until the mode selection page appears.

Press Enter to start the graphical installer, or type esx text and press Enter to start the text installer.


Click Skip. The Welcome page appears.

Click Next

Select your keyboard language from the list, and click Next


Select your mouse. Click Next.

Select I accept the terms of the license agreement. Click Next.


If you do not have data on the drive, click Yes to allow erasing all data. You must initialize a drive to use it during installation.

Click Recommended . This option configures default partitions for you, based on the capacity of the hard drive. Click Next.


Click Yes.

Click Next.


Click Next.

Configure the ESX Server host network IP address. VMware recommends that you use a static IP address to simplify client access.

• Enter the ESX Server host name. Type the complete machine name, including the domain where appropriate. This option is available only if you have opted to use a static IP address.


• If your network requires a VLAN ID, enter a VLAN ID. Select Create a default network for virtual machines to create a default port group for virtual machines. (This option is selected by default.) Click Next.

Set your time zone. Click Next.

Enter a root password.


Type the same password into both fields and click Next.

Confirm your installation configuration, and click Next.

Progress bars appear to show the status of the installation, and a dialog box informs you when the installation completes.


Click Finish to exit.


If you are just setting up virtual ESX hosts for basic training purposes, you do not need a Active Directory domain infrastructure with DNS configured. You can simply use the Windows hosts file as well as edit the hosts file on your ESX host to correctly achieve communication from ESX to VirtualCenter.

To do this follow the steps below. 1. Logon to the ESX host Service Console (COS) using the root account and password. 2. Navigate to the hosts file which is stored in the /etc folder and edit it with nano. 3. Edit the server hosts file and add in the IP address, FQ name and short name of any other ESX

servers that you have, along with the IP address and name of the machineholding your licence server and VirtualCenter installation.

4. You will need to open firewall ports to allow VirtualCenter to connect and remote SSH connections for example. For the purposes of simplicity, I have allowed all incomingand outgoing ports to be opened on my ESX host.

5. On the Windows server that is hosting the License Server, VirtualCenter and Virtual Infrastructure Client, edit the Windows hosts file using notepad. The hosts file can be found under systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts, for example: Notepad.exe C:\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\hosts.


Launch the Virtual Infrastructure Client and log in to Virtual Centre.

installation guide vmware esx 3 - wordpress.com · installing vmware esx server software power on...

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