HP ProLiant BL280c G6 User manual

HP VMware ESXi 4.0 and
Updates
Getting Started Guide

Overview
Thank you for downloading HP VMware ESXi 4.0 and updates. HP has seamlessly
integrated VMware ESXi, delivering active HP ProLiant management and consolidated
lifecycle management for a consistent, reliable ProLiant experience.
HP CIM (Common Information Module) providers proactively surface hardware
monitoring data to deliver the most up-to-date server state information possible. HP
CIM providers and VMware ESXi provide active hardware management using HP SIM
(Systems Insight Manager).
You can update VMware ESXi using the standard VMware update tools. The
integrated hypervisor installation is partitioned with redundant images, enabling a
robust upgrade and recovery process.
The HP VMware ESXi 4.0 and Updates Getting Started Guide is provided for ESXi 4.0
and updates Standalone Edition or as a part of a HP VMware vSphere fully licensed
product.
The ESXi Standalone Edition is well suited for single server virtualization installations
and is managed using the free VMware vSphere Client management console. HP
Technical Software Support and Update Service is optional and can be purchased as
a support pack.
If downloaded from HP, the installation ISO includes a trial license for the standalone
edition, found on the HP website
(http://h20392.www2.hp.com/portal/swdepot/index.do). To obtain a permanent
license for the standalone edition, go to the VMware website
(https://www.vmware.com/tryvmware/?p=esxi) and register to obtain the serial
number license.
You can also upgrade HP VMware ESXi Standalone Edition to any of the fully licensed
products for VMware vSphere including Essentials, Essentials Plus, Standard,
Advanced, Enterprise, and Enterprise Plus editions. For more information on support
offered for HP VMware ESXi Standalone Edition and the other licensed products, see
the HP website (http://www.hp.com/go/VMware/esxi).
To learn more about license delivery and enabling enterprise entitlement, see
"Activating the standalone license (on page 7)" or "Upgrading to a full license (on
page 7)."

Understanding the VMware infrastructure
VMware vSphere includes the following components:
•Virtual machine—A virtual machine is a software-based computer capable of
running an operating system such as Microsoft® Windows® or GNU/Linux as if
the operating system is installed on a physical machine.
•Host—A host is a physical machine running platform virtualization software such
as ESXi. Hosts provide processor, memory, storage, and network resources for
one or more virtual machines.
•vCenter Server—vCenter Server continuously monitors your virtual infrastructure,
automates system administration tasks, and centralizes remote management
sessions. It coordinates the resources and activities of individual hosts to
efficiently distribute virtual machines and tolerate hardware downtime across a
data center.
•vSphere Client—vSphere Client is the primary interface for interacting with hosts
and virtual machines. vSphere Client can manage a standalone host by
connecting directly to the host, or manage multiple hosts by connecting to a
vCenter Server machine.

Additional HP components that complete your virtualization infrastructure:
•Management network—A management network enables the server administrator
to manage discrete physical servers without relying on a general purpose
communications network. This dedicated network enables a reliable connection
to the hardware in the event of a network failure.
•HP Insight Control for VMware vCenter Server—The HP Insight Control extension
for VMware vCenter Server delivers powerful HP server host management
capabilities to virtualization administrators, enabling comprehensive monitoring,
remote control, and power optimization directly from the vCenter console. For
more information, see the HP website (http://www.hp.com/go/icvcenter).
•Virtual machine communication network—A virtual machine communication
network is built on the traditional, general purpose communication network. As
with physical servers, virtual machine traffic is brokered through a general
purpose network if the virtual machines are on discrete servers. Virtual machine
communication on the same physical server is handled by a virtual switch within
the server.
•HP storage network—A storage network enables virtual machines to access
Storage Area Network (SAN) devices similarly to physical servers. The medium
for a storage network can be Fibre Channel or Ethernet. HP recommends HP
StorageWorks SAN solutions.
•Virtual SAN Appliance—HP StorageWorks Virtual SAN Software (VSA) provides
another way to implement a virtual server high availability solution without the
need for separate external shared-storage devices. For more information, see the
HP website (http://www.hp.com/go/vsa).
Configuring an HP ProLiant server to use
VMware ESXi
HP recommends upgrading to the latest ProLiant firmware revisions. For more
information, see the server documentation.
VMware ESXi 4.0 only supports the following installation destinations:
•Any HP-supported hard drive
•Secure Digital (SD) memory card
•Flash media (USB flash drive)
For more information on supported flash devices, see the HP website
(http://www.hp.com/go/VMware/esxi).
To configure a server using VMware ESXi:
1. Download the installation ISO from the HP website
(http://h20392.www2.hp.com/portal/swdepot/index.do) or the VMware
website (https://www.vmware.com/tryvmware/?p=esxi).

2. Burn the installation ISO to a CD, or move the ISO image to a location
accessible using the virtual media capabilities of HP iLO 2 or iLO 3.
NOTE: The CD is bootable. Boot the server and install the HP
VMware ESXi product either to the hard drive or to flash media
(USB flash drive or SD card). You must install the flash media into
the internal port on the server.
3. Set up the server hardware, and if wanted, connect the server to the network.
4. If you install to flash media (USB flash drive or SD card), install the flash media
into the internal port on the server.
For instructions on accessing the internal flash media (USB flash drive or SD card)
port, see the server documentation.
For hardware requirements, see the server documentation.
5. Access the server console in one of the following ways:
oLocally—Use a local keyboard and monitor.
oRemotely—Use the iLO 2 or iLO 3 Integrated Remote Console remotely from
a network client with a web browser.
Remote setup requires the HP iLO 2 or iLO 3 Advanced Pack, which is sold
separately for HP ProLiant ML and DL servers. The remote graphics capability
is included with BL servers.
IMPORTANT: After you boot up the server, you must press the
correct function key when prompted to enter setup mode to
configure boot order, configure hardware virtualization, and
configure iLO 2 and iLO 3 and the Smart Array controller.
Familiarize yourself with the following steps and prompts; each
prompt is available for only a few seconds during the boot
process.
If you are installing to the hard drive, proceed to step 8.
6. To enable flash media (USB flash drive or SD card):
a. Configure the flash device to boot before the hard drive. By default, flash
media is configured to boot before the hard drive.
b. Boot the server, and then press F9 to enter ROM Based Setup Utility (RBSU).
c. Scroll down to Standard Boot Order (IPL), and then press Enter.
d. To modify the boot order, select the device you want to move, and then press
Enter. A menu appears to change the device boot order.
e. Ensure the flash media is set to boot before the hard drive.
7. Enable CPU virtualization.
For CPU-specific virtualization capabilities, you can select Intel® Virtualization
Technology or AMD® Virtualization. You must perform this step for supporting

Windows® 64-bit operating systems and all guest 64-bit operating systems such
as Linux.
a. If you are not in RBSU, boot the server, and then press F9 to enter RBSU.
b. Scroll down to Advanced Options, and then press Enter.
c. Scroll down to Processor Options, and then press Enter.
d. Scroll down to the supported processor (either Intel® Virtualization
Technology or AMD® Virtualization), and then press Enter.
e. At the next screen, select Enable, and then press Enter.
f. Save the configuration changes, and then exit. The server reboots.
8. When prompted at POST, press F8 to configure iLO 2 or iLO 3 network
parameters, directory settings, global settings, and user accounts.
For more information, see the HP Integrated Lights-Out 2 User Guide or the HP
Integrated Lights-Out 3 User Guide.
9. When prompted, press F8 to create, view, or delete a logical drive for the Smart
Array Controller using local storage.
For more information, see the Configuring Arrays on HP Smart Array Controllers
Reference Guide.
Installing HP VMware ESXi 4.0 and
updates
Installing the software image locally
1. Place the installation CD into the CD-ROM drive, and then boot the server.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the installation.
Installing the software image remotely using iLO 2 or
iLO 3
1. Verify that the server has the appropriate iLO 2 or iLO 3 license to use Virtual
Media, open a web browser on your local machine, and then log in to iLO 2 or
iLO 3.
HP Blade System c-Class server blades include a license for Virtual Media. For
other servers, the HP iLO 2 or iLO 3 Advanced Pack license is required and is
sold separately. For more information, contact an HP authorized reseller.
2. Select the Virtual Media tab, and then select the Virtual Media Applet.
3. Choose one of the following options:
oLocal Media Drive—Proceed to step 4.
oLocal Image File—Proceed to step 5.
4. For the local media drive option, do the following:

a. Under the Virtual CD/DVD-ROM section, select Local Media Drive.
b. From the menu, select the drive letter of the physical CD/DVD-ROM drive on
which the software image will be installed.
c. Click Connect. The connected drive icon turns green.
5. For the local image file option, do the following:
a. Under the Virtual CD/DVD-ROM section, select Local Image File.
b. Enter the path or file name of the image (ISO file) in the text box, or click
Browse to locate the image file.
c. Click Connect. The connected drive icon turns green.
6. To complete the installation, follow the prompts generated by the installation CD.
If performing restoration or recovery, when installation is complete, restore data
from the backup files.
7. (Optional) To discover and manage this server, configure HP SIM or HP Insight
Control for VMware vCenter Server.
For more information about hosting and managing a VMware ESXi virtualization
environment on ProLiant servers, see the HP website
(http://www.hp.com/go/VMware).
For more information about VMware and setting up your virtualized environment,
see the VMware website (http://www.vmware.com/products/vi/esx/).
Activating the standalone license
When downloading the ESXi image from HP or VMware, the installation ISO includes
a trial serial number. To obtain a permanent license serial number:
1. Register at the VMware website
(https://www.vmware.com/tryvmware/?p=esxi).
2. Download the serial number.
3. Use the vSphere Client to insert the license serial number.
Upgrading to a full license
If you purchase a license for VMware vSphere Essentials, Essentials Plus, Standard,
Advanced, Enterprise or Enterprise Plus or their respective Acceleration kits, follow the
instructions included in your package to redeem and apply the license.
Updating VMware ESXi 4.0
Updates and patches for VMware ESXi are provided and delivered by VMware. These
updates and patches include the latest ESXi software from VMware as well as updated
CIM providers from HP.

The updates and patches are delivered and installed by VMware Update Manager
(VUM). For more information on this process, see the VUM Administration Guide
(http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_vum_10_admin_guide.pdf).
Recovering from a system failure
If you encounter a system failure and need to reinstall the software, see "Installing HP
VMware ESXi 4.0 and updates (on page 6)."
IMPORTANT: Using the installation CD completely erases all
existing data and user configuration. All preconfigured settings,
user data and license information is lost. After reinstalling the
software you must reapply your licenses.

© Copyright 2008, 2010 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP
products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such
products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.
HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.
Confidential computer software. Valid license from HP required for possession, use or copying.
Consistent with FAR 12.211 and 12.212, Commercial Computer Software, Computer Software
Documentation, and Technical Data for Commercial Items are licensed to the U.S. Government
under vendor’s standard commercial license.
Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Intel is a trademark or registered trademark of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
AMD is a trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
Part Number 509678-005
March 2010 (Fifth Edition)