Virtualization has become one of the most important and in ...



Virtualization has become one of the most important and in some instances necessary tools in the IT Industry. It aids in cutting cost of multiple machine management by enabling many different servers to run from one physical host. Thus reducing the cost of many machines, and the hardware necessary to run those machines. There are various virtualization platforms on the market, and VMware’s ESX and ESXi are among the most popular. It is a bare bones OS the runs on a minimum of 2GB of memory, and can be configured to run with multiple CPU’s and NIC’s. In an enterprise environment it is a must have tool if only limited resources are available within an organization. In addition the utility is free to download from the VMware website. The process of creating a Virtual Environment with ESXi Go to VMware websiteCreate an accountDownload and install the hypervisor VMware’s ESXi v 5.1 on the host MachineDownload and install the vSphere Client utility: Which is the Interface used to access and manage the Virtual Server on a work station that you plan to useSign in to you Virtual Server from your client machine.Create machines and manage your virtual environment.Steps 1 & 2) The VMware Website / Create AccountTo Begin I had to go to the VMware Website Download Center and create an account in order to receive my Free Hypervisor. You will be ask to create an account and given a Free License, in order to try out ESXi for 60 days. The License that you acquire will enable you to continue adding as many virtual machines as you wish after the initial 60 days. If you do not submit this free license then only the machines that you have created will be accessible to you. You will not be able to add new machines.(See Figure1)Figure 1: VMware’s website for creating an accountStep 3) Download and install the ESXi Server onto the Host MachineDownload the ISO image and place it on a CD using an Image Burning Utility. I chose imgburn from .There are some minimal requirements for the Host Machine for the ESXi operating system to run optimally. First you must have at least 2GB of memory, if you have 1.97GB of memory installed the installation wizard will detect the insufficient amount and will not continue the installation. As seen in the screenshot below.(See Figure 2)Figure 2: Memory Error: This caused me to seek other install options “MORE MEMORY” and with the help of my Wonderful Instructor, we found a host server that would sufficiently accommodate my needs. Secondly ensure that any information on the drive that you plan to install this hypervisor is saved to a different location or is information that you don’t mind losing as the installation will overwrite any files on that particular drive.Ensure that virtualization is enabled on the host in the BIOS settings, and that boot options enables booting from whatever form of media used to hold the ESXi download. I installed the Cd and started the install process on the Host Machine. When the Installation begins choose the ESXi installation option. You must accept the EULA and press F11 to continue the install(See Figures 3 & 4)Figure 3: Accepting EULAFigure 4: Select available disk for the installationI confirmed the selection and continued the installation(See Figure 5)Figure 5: Disk ConfirmationPress enter to confirm selected disk or partition. After confirmation you will be prompted for a root password.After the password is created, the installation process begins installing the interface(See Figures 6 & 7)Figure 6: Create Password Press enter to continue. And the program goes through loading the filesFigure 7: Loading filesAfter all necessary files are loaded the main menu will appear. You should press the F2 function key for System Customization. Initially you should enter the System Customization menu by pressing F2 for the purpose of network configuration; however option of shutting down the machine is available with the F12 function key. After you press the F2 function key, you will be prompted to enter a username and password created earlier in the installation process.(See Figure 8)Figure 8: Login ScreenAfter Logging in select Configure Network in order to configure the IP Address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway for static configuration or DHCP configuration. After selections are made you will be ask for confirmation. (See Figure 9 & 10)Figure 9: Network ConfigurationFigure 10: Network Settings ConfirmationAfter the network settings are configured the VSphere Client application can be used to manage the ESXi server that was installed. The VSphere Client refers to an application that enables management of a VSphere installation. A VSphere Client can operate on devices as diverse as an iPad or a Windows desktop PC. The VSphere Client provides an administrator with access to the key functions of VSphere without the need to access a VSphere server directly. Within the VSphere client new machines can be created and managed from one application. The client application offers the versatilities needed to configure each machine with its own unique capabilities I.E. dual core processing and various memory or NIC settings can be set. This makes it so attractive in a business setting where the physical resource to various machines and operating systems may be limited. Step 4) Install the VSphere Client Application on a workstationObtain the installation file from the VMware website and install it on any workstation on the same network the ESXi host.Step 5) Sign onto ESXi Host Server Center Once you open the application you will be prompted to sign in to the Host. Type in the IP Address of the Host machine you configured along with the username and password and click login this will connect you to the host machine. After which the main menu appears showing the ESXi Host IP address in the left pane as shown in Figure 11.(See Figure 11)Figure 11: ESXi Host ServerStep 6) Create Virtual machines and Install Guest Operating systemsNow that we are connected to the ESXi Host through the client machine, we can now install new machines. I chose to install an Ubuntu 10.10, a UNIX workstation and Windows Server 2008. I made these chooses only because I happened to have the installation disks for both operating systems handy. The pane on the left allows you to make changes and to view settings about your hardware, software, and memory settings. The tabs located in the middle pane of the menu screen are somewhat an extension to the left pane, but offers a few more options to make changes to settings and to monitor performance.In order to add a new machine, simply right-click the IP Address of the ESXi Host that you want to add the new machine to and click New Machine. From there you will be prompted for a custom or typical installation, a data store to store your files on, name your new machine, and select an operating system. Make your selections or follow the default selections for CPU, memory, and network settings and press Finish in the set-up wizard. After which your New Machine appears with the name you chose underneath the ESXi Host IP Address in the left pane. At this point you must install a guest operating system onto your new machine. You can install the guest operating system by first powering on your machine with the green arrow button in the menu bar and then selecting the drive settings button on the menu bar to select the drive D:\ for CD/DVD.(See Figure 12)Figure 12: Shows the Menu Bar for virtual machine controls You may also right-click the machine itself and access a shortcut menu, or the control tabs in the middle pane. When I first attempted the Guest operating system install I inserted the disc into the workstation and double-clicked on the CD/DVD drive and believed that I was well on my way to an successful installation, but was soon proved otherwise when the workstation that I was running the vSphere client returned an error message stating that no D:\ drive existed.So with the help of my Wonderful Instructor (who has aided me immensely through my many trials and tribulations) figured out that I needed to insert the install disc in the ESXi Host Server directly and then make a few setting changes in the virtual machine. I first right clicked the Virtual machine to bring up the shortcut menu, and then select Edit Settings from the short cut menu. Then under Device Status select Connect at power on and under Device Type select Host Device. (Figures 14 and 15 show the needed settings)Figure 14: Edit Settings from the Virtual Machine by right-clicking and selecting from short-cut menu Figure 15: Radio buttons for Devise Status and Devise Type fieldsNote: Ensure that the virtual machine is powered off before making these changes After these settings were completed I went back and powered on the virtual machine. In order to see the installation in progress through the vSphere client program I had to activate the console by turning on the console button located on the console tab shown in Figure 16. (See Figure 16)Figure 16: Console TabThe installations of guest operating systems on the virtual machine console are the same. The virtual console has the same functionality as a normal desktop. And to toggle between the virtual environment and the normal desktop use the ctrl + alt keys on the keyboard. (Figures 17 & 18 show the installations of the Ubuntu & the Windows 2008 Virtual Machines)Figure 17: Ubuntu 10.10Figure 18: Windows Server 2008Virtualization is a very useful tool in today’s IT Industry; it allows the versatility to troubleshoot networking challenges and to test possible networking configurations in an organization. References to VMwares ESXi and other virtual platforms with user instructions and videos can be found at: for the time to view all this I Hope it will help someone do something more than they could. ................
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