VMware ESX 4.0 - GETTING STARTED UPDATE 1 User manual

Getting Started with ESX
Update 1
ESX 4.0
vCenter Server 4.0
This document supports the version of each product listed and
supports all subsequent versions until the document is replaced
by a new edition. To check for more recent editions of this
document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.
EN-000253-00

Getting Started with ESX
2 VMware, Inc.
You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:
http://www.vmware.com/support/
The VMware Web site also provides the latest product updates.
If you have comments about this documentation, submit your feedback to:
[email protected]
Copyright ©2009 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual
property laws. VMware products are covered by one or more patents listed at http://www.vmware.com/go/patents.
VMware is a registered trademark or trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. All other marks
and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.
VMware, Inc.
3401 Hillview Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
www.vmware.com

Contents
Getting Started with ESX 5
Getting Started Tasks 5
ESX Installation 6
Prerequisites for Installing ESX 6
ESX Hardware Requirements 6
Install ESX Using the Graphical Mode 7
Managing Your First ESX Host 10
vSphere Client Hardware Requirements 10
vSphere Client Software Requirements 10
Download the vSphere Client 10
Install the vSphere Client 11
Start the vSphere Client and Log In to ESX 11
Add Your First Virtual Machine by Importing a Virtual Appliance 12
Managing Multiple Hosts with vCenter Server 14
vSphere and vCenter Server 14
vCenter Server Installation 15
Setting Up a Basic Inventory with the Getting Started Tabs 20
Start the vSphere Client and Log In to vCenter Server 21
Create a Datacenter 21
Add a Host 23
Create a Virtual Machine 24
Where to Go Next 25
The vSphere Tutorial 25
vSphere Documentation 25
VMware, Inc. 3

Getting Started with ESX
4 VMware, Inc.

Getting Started with ESX
Get started with ESX quickly with this information about installation and initial setup. Follow the procedures
included here to install and setup a basic inventory for a single-host virtualization environment. After your
host is set up with a working virtual machine, you can install vCenter Server and explore a multiple-host
virtualization environment.
This information is for experienced Windows or Linux system administrators who will be installing VMware
ESX to deploy virtualization for the first time. Specifically, it is for users who meet the following requirements:
nDo not yet have the ESX software installed
nDo not yet have the vSphere Client or VMware vCenter Server installed.
Getting Started Tasks
The getting started tasks take you from initial setup of a new virtualization host to a working virtual machine.
After you have a host and functional virtual machine, you can setup a managed host environment with vCenter
Server.
Getting started with ESX includes the following tasks:
nInstalling ESX and adding the host to your network
nInstalling the vSphere Client and connecting to the ESX host
nDeploying and running a virtual machine
Completing the getting started tasks sets up the single-host management system for virtualization as shown in
Figure 1.
Figure 1. Basic Single-Host Management System
After the initial setup of ESX, you can deploy vSphere 4.0 with vCenter Server to manage multiple hosts.
VMware, Inc. 5

ESX Installation
Install ESX to get started with running virtual machines. The machine running ESX virtualization software
will act as a host in your virtual infrastructure.
Hosts provide CPU and memory resources, access to storage, and network connectivity for virtual machines
that reside on them.
Prerequisites for Installing ESX
Before you begin the installation procedure, ensure that the host meets the prerequisites.
The prerequisites are as follows:
nMake sure the host has a supported network adapter.
ESX Hardware Requirements
Using ESX requires specific hardware and system resources.
64-Bit Processor
nVMware ESX 4.0 will only install and run on servers with 64-bit x86 CPUs.
nKnown 64-bit processors:
nAll AMD Opterons support 64 bit.
nAll Intel Xeon 3000/3200, 3100/3300, 5100/5300, 5200/5400, 7100/7300, and 7200/7400 support 64 bit.
nAll Intel Nehalem (no Xeon brand number assigned yet) support 64 bit.
RAM
2GB RAM minimum
Network Adapters
One or more network adapters. Supported network adapters include:
nBroadcom NetXtreme 570x gigabit controllers
nIntel PRO 1000 adapters
SCSI Adapter, Fibre Channel Adapter, or Internal RAID Controller
One or more of the following controllers (any combination can be used):
nBasic SCSI controllers are Adaptec Ultra-160 and Ultra-320, LSI Logic Fusion-MPT, and most NCR/
Symbios SCSI controllers.
nFibre Channel, see the Hardware Compatibility Guide at
http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility.
nRAID adapters supported are HP Smart Array, Dell Perc (Adaptec RAID and LSI MegaRAID), and IBM
(Adaptec) ServeRAID controllers.
Getting Started with ESX
6 VMware, Inc.

Installation and Storage
nSCSI disk, Fibre Channel LUN, or RAID LUN with unpartitioned space. In a minimum configuration, this
disk or RAID is shared between the service console and the virtual machines.
nFor hardware iSCSI, a disk attached to an iSCSI controller, such as the QLogic qla405x. Software iSCSI is
not supported for booting or installing ESX.
nSerial attached SCSI (SAS).
nFor Serial ATA (SATA), a disk connected through supported SAS controllers or supported on-board SATA
controllers. SATA disk drives connected behind supported SAS controllers or supported on-board SATA
controllers.
nSupported SAS controllers include:
nLSI1068E (LSISAS3442E)
nLSI1068 (SAS 5)
nIBM ServeRAID 8K SAS controller
nSmart Array P400/256 controller
nDell PERC 5.0.1 controller
nSupported on-board SATA controllers include:
nIntel ICH9
nNvidia MCP55
nServerWorks HT1000
When installing ESX on SATA drives, consider the following:
nEnsure that your SATA drives are connected through supported SAS controllers or supported onboard
SATA controllers.
nDo not use SATA disks to create VMFS datastores shared across multiple ESX hosts.
ATA and IDE disk drives – ESX supports installing and booting on either an ATA drive or ATA RAID is
supported, but ensure that your specific drive controller is included in the supported hardware. IDE drives
are supported for ESX installation and VMFS creation.
Install ESX Using the Graphical Mode
The graphical mode is the recommended installation method if you are installing ESX for the first time. The
graphical mode runs by default if you do not select an alternate installation method.
Prerequisites
See “Prerequisites for Installing ESX,” on page 6.
Getting Started with ESX
VMware, Inc. 7

Procedure
1 Use the BIOS to set the server to boot from the DVD.
a Reboot the machine.
b Press the key required to enter your machine’s BIOS setup or boot menu.
This key is often a function key or Delete.
c Set the CD-ROM drive as the first boot device.
2 Select Install ESX in graphical mode.
A series of installation messages scroll past until the Welcome page appears.
3 Click Next to continue.
4 Select I accept the terms of the license agreement and click Next.
You cannot install this product unless you accept the license agreement.
NOTE If the alignment of the license agreement screen is skewed to the left, you might need to auto-adjust
your host monitor.
5 Select your keyboard type from the list and click Next.
6 Select whether to install custom drivers with the ESX installation.
You might need custom drivers if your system is not listed in the Hardware Compatibility Guide and has a
network or storage device that was not originally compatible with ESX 4.0.
nSelect Yes and click Add to install custom drivers. The installer prompts you to insert the media
containing the custom drivers. After you add the custom drivers to the list, the installer prompts you
to reinsert the ESX installation DVD and continue with the installation. Click Next to continue.
nSelect No if you do not need to install custom drivers. You can install custom drivers after the ESX
installation is complete, using other command-line and GUI tools available to you, such as the vSphere
CLI and vCenter Update Manager. Click Next to continue.
7 Click Yes to load the required ESX drivers.
8 Configure ESX licensing.
nSelect Enter a serial number now, enter the vSphere license key, and click Next.
nSelect Enter a license key later and click Next. This choice allows you to evaluate ESX (or enter a
vSphere license key later using the vSphere Client).
9 Select the network adapter for the ESX service console.
Virtual machine network traffic shares this network adapter until you configure a virtual switch for
another network adapter. You can configure other network adapters at a later time from the vSphere
Client.
10 If the adapter is connected to a VLAN, select This adapter requires a VLAN ID, enter a VLAN ID number
between 0 and 4095, and click Next.
11 Configure the network settings.
VMware recommends that you use a static IP address to simplify client access. If you want to use static
settings but you do not have the required information, you can use DHCP for the installation and configure
static settings after you consult with your network administrator.
For the host name, type the complete host name including the domain. This option is available only if you
use a static IP address.
12 (Optional) Click Test these settings to test the network interface.
Getting Started with ESX
8 VMware, Inc.

13 Select a setup option.
Option Description
Standard Setup The installer configures the default partitions on a single hard drive or LUN
where you install ESX. The default partitions are sized based on the capacity
of the hard drive or LUN. If you have an existing ESX installation, you are
prompted to retain it.
Advanced Setup Allows you to specify esxconsole.vmdk partition settings, kernel options,
and a bootloader location and password. If you leave the Configure boot
loader automatically option selected, the installer places the boot loader in
the master boot record (MBR). If you have an existing ESX installation, you
are prompted to retain it.
14 Select a location to install ESX and click Next.
NOTE With ESX 4.0 Update 1 and later if you have ESX installation and VMFS partition on the same disk
or LUN you have an option to retain the VMFS volume.
Installing ESX on a USB device is not supported.
15 In the dialog box that appears with an option to retain the existing VMFS volume, click OK.
If you are retaining a VMFS volume from ESX 4.0 and later, a dialog box appears with an option to retain
the existing service console disk.
16 To preserve the service console virtual disk, select Preserve the existing COS VMDK file and click OK.
If you choose to retain the existing COS VMDK file but do not have enough space to retain it, the installation
cannot continue.
NOTE The existing COS VMDK file can be accessed later to retrieve any files from the previous installation,
but it is not reused for the installation.
17 Configure the time zone.
18 Configure the date and time settings.
nSelect Automatically and enter the IP address or host name of an NTP server.
nSelect Manually to use the machine date and time detected by the installer or to set the date and time
yourself. If you select Manually and you do not have a functioning mouse, you can change the
calendar month and year by using Ctrl-left-arrow and Ctrl-right-arrow for the month, and Ctrl-up-
arrow and Ctrl-down-arrow for the year.
19 Enter a root password.
It must contain between 6 and 64 characters.
20 Confirm your installation configuration and click Next.
21 Click Next and then click Finish to exit the installer and reboot the host.
22 During reboot, press the key required to enter your machine’s BIOS setup or boot menu
This key is often a function key or Delete.
23 Set the first boot device to be the drive on which you installed ESX.
What to do next
After you complete the installation, use the vSphere Client to connect to the ESX host.
Getting Started with ESX
VMware, Inc. 9

Managing Your First ESX Host
You manage hosts using the vSphere Client.
After you finish initial setup of the host, download and install the vSphere Client. Connect to the host and add
your first virtual machine by importing a virtual appliance.
vSphere Client Hardware Requirements
Make sure that the vSphere Client hardware meets the requirements.
nCPU – 1 CPU
nProcessor – 266MHz or faster Intel or AMD processor (500MHz recommended).
nMemory – 200MB RAM
nDisk Storage – 1GB free disk space for a complete installation, which includes the following components:
nMicrosoft .NET 2.0
nMicrosoft .NET 3.0 SP1
nMicrosoft Visual J#
nvSphere Client 4.0
nvSphere Host Update Utility 4.0
You must also have 400MB free on the drive that has your %temp% directory.
If all of the prerequisites are already installed, 300MB of free space is required on the drive that has your
%temp% directory, and 450MB is required for the vSphere Client 4.0.
nNetworking – Gigabit connection recommended.
vSphere Client Software Requirements
Make sure that your operating system supports the vSphere Client.
The vSphere Client requires the Microsoft .NET 3.0 SP1 Framework. If your system does not have it installed,
the vSphere Client installer installs it.
For a list of supported operating systems, see the Compatibility Matrixes on the VMware vSphere documentation
Web site.
Download the vSphere Client
The vSphere Client is a Windows program that you can use to configure the host and to operate its virtual
machines. You can download vSphere Client from any host.
Prerequisites
You must have the URL of the host. This is the IP address or host name.
Procedure
1 From a Windows machine, open a Web browser.
2 Enter the URL for the host.
For example, http://testserver.vmware.com or http://10.20.80.176.
The welcome page appears.
Getting Started with ESX
10 VMware, Inc.

3 Click Download the vSphere Client under Getting Started.
4 Click Yes in the security warning dialog box that appears.
What to do next
Install the vSphere Client.
Install the vSphere Client
The vSphere Client enables you to connect to an ESX/ESXi host and to a vCenter Server system.
The vSphere Client must be installed on a Windows machine that has network access to the ESX host and
Internet access.
Procedure
1 Run the vSphere Client installer.
nIn the vCenter Server installer, double-click the autorun.exe file at C:\<vc-installer location>\ and
click VMware vSphere Client.
nIf you downloaded the vSphere Client, double-click the VMware-viclient.exe file.
2 Choose a language for the installer and click OK.
3 When the Welcome screen appears, click Next.
4 Select I agree to the terms in the license agreement and click Next.
5 Type your user name and company name and click Next.
6 Select Install VMware vSphere Host Update Utility to manage host patches, updates, and upgrades from
this machine and click Next.
7 Accept the default installation location and click Next, or click Change to select a different location and
click Next.
8 Click Install to begin the installation.
9 Click Finish to complete the installation.
What to do next
Connect to the host with the vSphere Client.
Start the vSphere Client and Log In to ESX
When you connect to an ESX host with the vSphere Client, you can manage the host as well as all of the virtual
machines that the host manages.
Getting Started with ESX
VMware, Inc. 11

Procedure
1 Start the vSphere Client.
Double-click a shortcut or select Start > Programs > VMware > VMware vSphere Client.
2 Log in to the ESX host as the administrator.
a Enter the IP address or host name you noted earlier.
b Enter the username root.
c Enter the password you specified using the direct console.
If you did not set the password using the direct console, leave the Password field empty.
3 Click Login.
A security warning appears.
4 To continue, click Ignore.
This security warning message occurs because the vSphere Client detected a certificate that the ESX host
signed (default setting). For highly secure environments, VMware recommends certificates that a trusted
third party generates. You can set up third-party certificates later.
What to do next
After you connect to the host with the vSphere Client, use the Getting Started tabs to import a virtual appliance.
Add Your First Virtual Machine by Importing a Virtual Appliance
After you connect to the host machine, you can add a virtual machine to the host. You can import or create
one or more virtual machines on a single host.
To add virtual machines to hosts, you can build a new virtual machine or import a virtual appliance from the
VMware Web site. A virtual appliance is a prebuilt virtual machine with an operating system and applications
already installed. The vSphere Client Getting Started tab provides steps to guide you through both options.
If this is your first virtual machine, VMware recommends that you import a virtual appliance.
Getting Started with ESX
12 VMware, Inc.

Figure 2. Getting Started Tab for a Host
Procedure
1 In the Getting Started tab, click Import a virtual appliance.
2 Select VA Marketplace and click Next.
Getting Started with ESX
VMware, Inc. 13

3 Select a virtual appliance from the list and click Download now.
For the shortest download time, VMware recommends that you chose a small virtual appliance.
4 Click Next and follow the on-screen instructions to import the virtual appliance.
After you import the virtual appliance, you can use the Console tab in the vSphere Client to power it on and
view it. To release the pointer from the Console, press Ctrl+Alt. To view the Console in full screen mode, from
the Inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Open Console.
What to do next
You have completed setup for a single-host management system in which ESX is used to run virtual machines.
Explore the advantages of managing multiple hosts with vCenter Server.
Managing Multiple Hosts with vCenter Server
You can deploy VMware vSphere with vCenter Server to manage multiple hosts at the same time.
Using vCenter Server to manage multiple hosts allows you to experiment with advanced management options,
such as resource sharing, and all of the other options available within the vSphere environment.
Deploying vCenter Server provides many advantages over deploying a single, standalone ESX host. Table 1
illustrates some of the advantages and compares multiple-host management with vCenter Server as opposed
to single-host management.
Table 1. Comparison of Multiple and Single Host Management
Feature vCenter Server ESX
Scale of deployment Multiple hosts Single host
Capacity planning Built in Available separately
Server consolidation wizard Built in Available separately
Instant server provisioning Available with templates and cloning Not available
No downtime maintenance Possible with VMotion Not available
Load balancing Possible with VMware DRS Not available
Failover Possible with VMware HA Not available
Power savings Possible with VMware Distributed Power
Management (DPM)
Not available
Centralized access control Available with Active Directory
Integration
Not available
vSphere and vCenter Server
VMware vSphere is a suite of virtualization applications that includes ESX and vCenter Server.
vSphere uses virtualization to do the following tasks:
nRun multiple operating systems on a single physical machine simultaneously.
nReclaim idle resources and balance workloads across multiple physical machines.
nWork around hardware failures and scheduled maintenance.
Getting Started with ESX
14 VMware, Inc.

vSphere includes the following components in addition to the ESX host and vSphere Client you have already
setup:
VMware vCenter Server vCenter Server unifies resources from individual hosts so that those resources
can be shared among virtual machines in the entire datacenter. It accomplishes
this by managing the assignment of virtual machines to the hosts and the
assignment of resources to the virtual machines within a given host based on
the policies that the system administrator sets.
vCenter Server allows the use of advanced vSphere features such as VMware
Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS), VMware High Availability (HA), and
VMware VMotion.
Datacenter A datacenter is a structure under which you add hosts and their associated
virtual machines to the inventory.
Virtual Machine A virtual machine is a software computer that, like a physical computer, runs
an operating system and applications. Multiple virtual machines can run on
the same host at the same time. Virtual machines that vCenter Server manages
can also run on a cluster of hosts.
Figure 3 shows the relationships among the basic components of vSphere and how vCenter Server can be used
to manage hosts and run virtual machines.
Figure 3. vSphere Components
vCenter Server Installation
Install vCenter Server to manage multiple hosts.
To get started with vCenter Server quickly and manage the host you set up, you can installed vCenter Server
on a desktop or laptop. You must install vCenter Server on a Windows machine that has network access to the
ESX host. For production use, VMware recommends that you install vCenter Server on a dedicated server
system.
Getting Started with ESX
VMware, Inc. 15

Before you install vCenter Server, make sure your system meets the minimum hardware and software
requirements. vCenter Server requires a database. vCenter Server uses Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express for
small deployments with up to 5 hosts and 50 virtual machines. For larger deployments, VMware supports
several Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server databases. Refer to the vSphere Compatibility Matrixes for the list of
supported databases.
vCenter Server and the vSphere Client Hardware Requirements
The vCenter Server system is a physical machine or virtual machine with access to a supported database. The
vCenter Server system must meet specific requirements. Also make sure that the vSphere Client machines meet
the hardware requirements.
Minimum Requirements for vCenter Server
nCPU – 2 CPUs
nProcessor – 2.0GHz or faster Intel or AMD processor. Processor requirements might be higher if the
database runs on the same machine.
nMemory – 3GB RAM. Memory requirements might be higher if the database runs on the same machine.
vCenter Server includes a service called VMware VirtualCenter Management Webservices. This service
requires 128MB to 1.5GB of additional memory. The VirtualCenter Management Webservices process
allocates the required memory at startup.
nDisk storage – 2GB. Disk requirements might be higher if the database runs on the same machine.
nMicrosoft SQL Server 2005 Express disk requirements – Up to 2GB free disk space to decompress the
installation archive. Approximately 1.5GB of these files are deleted after the installation is complete.
nNetworking – Gigabit connection recommended.
See your database documentation for the hardware requirements of your database. The database requirements
are in addition to the vCenter Server requirements if the database and vCenter Server run on the same machine.
vCenter Server Software Requirements
Make sure that your operating system supports vCenter Server.
See the Compatibility Matrixes on the VMware vSphere documentation Web site.
vCenter Server Prerequisites
Before installing vCenter Server, review the prerequisites.
nYou must have the installation DVD or download the installation ISO image.
nYour hardware must meet the vCenter Server hardware requirements.
nIf the machine on which you are installing vCenter Server has VirtualCenter installed, you might want to
upgrade instead of performing a fresh installation of vCenter Server.
IMPORTANT If you want to keep your existing VirtualCenter configuration, see the Upgrade Guide.
nThere must be no Network Address Translation (NAT) between the vCenter Server system and the hosts
it will manage.
nFor the installation of vCenter Server, VMware recommends installing the bundled SQL Server 2005
Express database on one of the supported operating systems. If SQL Native Client is already installed,
uninstall SQL Native Client before you begin the vCenter Server installation.
Getting Started with ESX
16 VMware, Inc.

nThe system that you use for your vCenter Server installation must belong to a domain rather than a
workgroup. If assigned to a workgroup, the vCenter Server system is not able to discover all domains and
systems available on the network when using such features as vCenter Guided Consolidation Service. To
determine whether the system belongs to a workgroup or a domain, right-click My Computer and click
Properties and the Computer Name tab. The Computer Name tab displays either a Workgroup label or
a Domain label.
nDuring the installation, the connection between the machine and the domain controller must be working.
nThe computer name cannot be more than 15 characters.
nThe DNS name of the machine must match the actual computer name.
nMake sure the system on which you are installing vCenter Server is not an Active Directory domain
controller.
nOn each system that is running vCenter Server, make sure that the domain user account has the following
permissions:
nMember of the Administrators group
nAct as part of the operating system
nLog on as a service
nAssign a static IP address and host name to the Windows server that will host the vCenter Server system.
This IP address must have a valid (internal) domain name system (DNS) registration that resolves properly
from all managed ESX hosts.
nIf you install vCenter Server on Windows Server 2003 SP1, the disk for the installation directory must have
the NTFS format, not the FAT32 format.
nvCenter Server, like any other network server, should be installed on a machine with a fixed IP address
and well-known DNS name, so that clients can reliably access the service. If you use DHCP instead of a
static IP address for vCenter Server, make sure that the vCenter Server computer name is updated in the
domain name service (DNS). One way to test this is by pinging the computer name. For example, if the
computer name is host-1.company.com, run the following command in the Windows command prompt:
ping host-1.company.com
If you can ping the computer name, the name is updated in DNS.
Install vCenter Server
vCenter Server allows you to centrally manage hosts from either a physical or virtual Windows machine, and
enables the use of advanced features such as VMware Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS), VMware High
Availability (HA), and VMware VMotion.
Prerequisites
See “vCenter Server Prerequisites,” on page 16.
Getting Started with ESX
VMware, Inc. 17

Procedure
1 In the software installer directory, double-click the autorun.exe file at C:\<installer location>\.
2 Click vCenter Server.
3 Choose a language for the installer and click OK.
4 When the Welcome screen appears, click Next.
5 Select I agree to the terms in the license agreement and click Next.
6 Type your user name, organization, and vCenter Server license key, and click Next.
If you omit the license key, vCenter Server will be in evaluation mode, which allows you to use the full
feature set. After installation, you can convert vCenter Server to licensed mode by entering the license key
using the vSphere Client.
7 Click Install SQL Server 2005 Express instance (for small-scale deployments).
This database is suitable for small deployments of up to 5 hosts and 50 virtual machines.
8 Enter the administrator name and password that you use when you log in to the system on which you are
installing vCenter Server and click Next.
You need the user name and password entered here to log in to vCenter Server after you have installed
it.
Getting Started with ESX
18 VMware, Inc.

9 Select Use SYSTEM Account and click Next.
10 Accept the default destination folders and click Next.
11 Select Create a standalone VMware vCenter Server instance and click Next.
12 For each component that you install, accept the default port numbers and click Next.
If another service is already using the defaults, specify alternative port and proxy information.
13 Click Install.
Installation might take several minutes. Multiple progress bars appear during the installation of the
selected components.
14 Click Finish.
What to do next
After you complete the installation, use the vSphere Client to connect to vCenter Server.
Getting Started with ESX
VMware, Inc. 19

Setting Up a Basic Inventory with the Getting Started Tabs
The Getting Started tabs in the vSphere Client connected to vCenter Server provide a wizard to help you set
up a basic inventory quickly.
Figure 4. vSphere Client Getting Started Tab
Setting up a basic inventory with the Getting Started tabs after you install vCenter Server involves the
following tasks:
nCreating a datacenter
nAdding the host to the datacenter
nCreating a virtual machine
You must have an empty vCenter Server inventory to view the Getting Started tabs wizard. After you have
set up the basic inventory, the Getting Started tabs continue to provide information about inventory objects
but no longer provide inventory setup wizard help.
Getting Started with ESX
20 VMware, Inc.