ESX Server 3 Installation Guide ESX Server 3.5 and VirtualCenter 2.5 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.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 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: docfeedback@vmware.com Copyright © 2007–2010 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved. This product is protected by U.S. and international copyright and intellectual property laws.
Contents About This Book 7 1 Introduction to VMware Infrastructure 11 VMware Infrastructure at a Glance 12 What’s New for Installation 15 What’s New About Installing VirtualCenter Version 2.5 What’s New About Installing ESX Server 3.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 3 VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3 Licensing Overview 27 Licensing Terminology 28 ESX Server 3 Editions 28 VirtualCenter Server Editions 30 VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3 Licensing Model 30 Single‐Host and Centralized License Types 30 Centralized Licensing 31 Single‐Host Licensing 32 License Key Functionality 33 Per‐Processor Licensing 33 Per‐Instance Licensing 35 License Expiration Considerations 35 License Server Availability 35 Using an Existing FLEXnet License Server 39 Co
Contents License File Contents 56 License File Locations 58 Adding New License Files to License Servers 59 Adding New License Files to Single Hosts 60 Installing a License Server 60 Troubleshooting Licensing 61 Receiving License Activation Codes 62 Checking the License Server 62 Checking the License File 64 Checking License Configuration 64 6 Installing VMware Infrastructure Management 65 Preparing the VirtualCenter Server Database 66 Configuring an Oracle Connection to Work Locally 66 Configuring an Orac
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide ESX Server Installation Procedure 84 Mouse Selection 88 Recommended Partitioning 88 Advanced Partitioning 89 Setting Your Time Zone 92 Postinstallation Considerations 93 Locating the Installation Logs 93 Assigning New Hardware on the Server 93 Installing Additional Drivers from the VMware Driver Disk 93 Verifying Your Device Driver Mappings 94 Downloading the VI Client 94 A ESX Server Partitioning 95 Required Partitions 95 Optional Partitions 99 B Remote and Scripted Insta
About This Book This manual, the Installation Guide, describes how to install new configurations of VMware® VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3. The Installation Guide covers ESX Server 3.5. To read about ESX Server 3i version 3.5, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vi_pubs.html. For ease of discussion, this book uses the following product naming conventions: For topics specific to ESX Server 3.5, this book uses the term “ESX Server 3.” For topics specific to ESX Server 3i version 3.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Document Feedback VMware welcomes your suggestions for improving our documentation. If you have comments, send your feedback to: docfeedback@vmware.com VMware Infrastructure Documentation The VMware Infrastructure documentation consists of the combined VMware VirtualCenter and ESX Server documentation set. Abbreviations Used in Figures The figures in this manual use the abbreviations listed in Table 1. Table 1.
About This Book Online and Telephone Support Use online support to submit technical support requests, view your product and contract information, and register your products. Go to http://www.vmware.com/support. Customers with appropriate support contracts should use telephone support for the fastest response on priority 1 issues. Go to http://www.vmware.com/support/phone_support.html. Support Offerings Find out how VMware support offerings can help meet your business needs. Go to http://www.vmware.
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1 Introduction to VMware Infrastructure 1 This book describes each separate installer for setting up VMware ESX Server 3 and VirtualCenter components. This chapter describes the components individually, so you know which you need to install. This chapter contains the following topics: “VMware Infrastructure at a Glance” on page 12 “What’s New for Installation” on page 15 VMware, Inc.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide VMware Infrastructure at a Glance Figure 1‐1 illustrates the six basic components of VMware Infrastructure. Figure 1-1. VMware Infrastructure Components VMware Infrastructure Client license server ESX Server hosts VirtualCenter database Web browser One VirtualCenter Server manages multiple ESX Server hosts. Each shaded block represents a separate installer or procedure.
Chapter 1 Introduction to VMware Infrastructure The major components of VMware Infrastructure are: ESX Server – ESX Server provides a virtualization layer that abstracts the processor, memory, storage, and networking resources of the physical host into multiple virtual machines. ESX Server 3 installation includes documentation in the form of man pages available from the service console. See “Installing VMware ESX Server Software” on page 81.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide The following plugins are available: VMware Converter – Enables you to convert physical or virtual machines into ESX Server virtual machines. After converting the virtual machines, you can add them to your VirtualCenter inventory. VMware Update Manager – Provides security monitoring and patching support for ESX Server hosts and virtual machines.
Chapter 1 Introduction to VMware Infrastructure What’s New for Installation This section describes procedures for installing and upgrading previous versions of VirtualCenter and ESX Server. This section is not a comprehensive list of new features. What’s New About Installing VirtualCenter Version 2.5 New features introduced in VirtualCenter 2.
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2 System Requirements 2 This chapter describes the hardware and operating system requirements for hosts running VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3. Use the information in this chapter to ensure that your environment meets the requirements for installation.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Disk storage – 560MB minimum, 2GB recommended. You must have 245MB free on the destination drive for installation of the program, and you must have 315MB free on the drive containing your %temp% directory. NOTE Storage requirements can be larger if your database runs on the same hardware as the VirtualCenter Server machine. The size of the database varies with the number of hosts and virtual machines you manage.
Chapter 2 System Requirements VirtualCenter Database Requirements VirtualCenter supports the database formats listed in Table 2‐1. Table 2-1. Supported Database Formats (SEE UPDATE) Database Type Service Pack, Patch, and Driver Requirements Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Standard SP4 For Windows 2000 and Windows XP, apply MDAC 2.8 SP1 to the client. Use SQL Server driver for the client.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide VI Client Requirements The following sections list VI Client hardware and software requirements. VI Client Hardware Requirements The VI Client hardware must meet the following requirements: Processor – 266MHz or higher Intel or AMD x86 processor (500MHz recommended). Memory – 256MB RAM minimum, 512MB recommended. Disk Storage – 150MB free disk space required for basic installation.
Chapter 2 System Requirements License Server Requirements This section describes the license server requirements. License Server Hardware Requirements The license server hardware must meet the following requirements: Processor – 266MHz or higher Intel or AMD x86 processor. Memory – 256MB RAM minimum, 512MB recommended. Disk Storage – 25MB free disk space required for basic installation. Networking – Gigabit recommended.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 1GB RAM minimum. One or more Ethernet controllers. Supported controllers include: Broadcom NetXtreme 570x gigabit controllers Intel PRO/100 adapters For best performance and security, use separate Ethernet controllers for the service console and the virtual machines. NOTE The 3Com 3c990 driver does not support all revisions of the 3c990. For example, 3CR990B is incompatible.
Chapter 2 System Requirements Serial ATA (SATA) disk drives – SATA disk drives, plugged into dual SATA/SAS controllers, are supported for installing ESX Server 3 and for storing virtual machines on VMFS partitions. Ensure that your SATA drives are connected through supported SATA/SAS controllers: mptscsi_pcie — LSI1068E (LSISAS3442E) mptscsi_pcix — LSI1068 (SAS 5) aacraid_esx30 — IBM serveraid 8k SAS controller cciss — Smart Array P400/256 controller megaraid_sas—Dell PERC 5.0.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Enhanced Performance Recommendations The lists in previous sections suggest a basic ESX Server 3 configuration. In practice, you can use multiple physical disks, which include SCSI disks, Fibre Channel LUNs, RAID LUNs, and so on. Here are some recommendations for enhanced performance: RAM – Having sufficient RAM for all your virtual machines is important to achieving good performance. ESX Server 3 hosts require more RAM than typical servers.
Chapter 2 System Requirements Processors – Faster processors improve ESX Server 3 performance. For certain workloads, larger caches improve ESX Server 3 performance. Hardware compatibility – To ensure the best I/O performance and workload management, VMware ESX Server 3 provides its own drivers for supported devices. Be sure that the devices you use in your server are supported. For additional details on I/O device compatibility, download the ESX Server I/O Compatibility Guide from www.vmware.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Virtual Machine Requirements Each ESX Server machine has the following requirements. Virtual processor Intel Pentium II or later (dependent on system processor) One, two, or four processors per virtual machine NOTE If you create a two‐processor virtual machine, your ESX Server machine must have at least two physical processors. For a four‐processor virtual machine, your ESX Server machine must have at least four physical processors.
3 VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3 Licensing Overview 3 This chapter describes the licensing models available with ESX Server 3 and VirtualCenter.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Licensing Terminology Terms you might encounter during the license redemption and configuration process are defined below: License activation code – A license activation code (LAC) is a unique code that is associated with one or more VMware products purchased. You receive this code after your order is processed, unless you purchased your products from an authorized VMware reseller, in which case you receive a partner activation code.
Chapter 3 VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3 Licensing Overview Table 3‐1 displays ESX Server 3 features arranged by edition. Table 3-1.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide VirtualCenter Server Editions At least one instance of a VirtualCenter license is required for VI Foundation, VI Standard, and VI Enterprise editions. The following VirtualCenter editions are available: VirtualCenter Foundation – This edition lets you manage up to three ESX Server hosts. If you need to manage more than three hosts, upgrade to VirtualCenter edition.
Chapter 3 VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3 Licensing Overview Figure 3‐1 illustrates the three types of license environments. Figure 3-1.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide When a host requires a particular licensed functionality, the license for that entitlement is checked out from the license pool. License keys are released back to the pool when they are no longer being used and are available again to any host. The advantages of centralized licensing include: You administer all licensing from a single location. New licenses are allocated and reallocated using any combination of ESX Server form factors.
Chapter 3 VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3 Licensing Overview License Key Functionality Specific entitlement to run VMware software is determined by license keys. Depending on the ESX Server and VirtualCenter features you want to use, purchase keys based on one of the following: Per‐processor basis – To activate a feature, a host requires a feature license for each of its processors.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide For example, you purchase ESX Server licenses for ten processors and VMotion licenses for six processors. You can then deploy those licenses on any of the following combinations of servers: ESX Server on five 2‐processor hosts. Enable VMotion on three hosts. ESX Server on three 2‐processor hosts and one 4‐processor host. Enable VMotion on three 2‐processor hosts, or on one 2‐processor host and a 4‐processor host.
Chapter 3 VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3 Licensing Overview Server VMotion and Storage VMotion – To migrate a powered‐on virtual machine between hosts, each ESX Server processor involved must have a VMotion license key. For example, if you use VMotion from a dual‐processor ESX Server host to another dual‐processor host, you must have four VMotion licenses. See Basic System Administration.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide However, all licensed functionality currently operating at the time the license server becomes unavailable continues to operate as follows: All VirtualCenter licensed features continue to operate indefinitely, relying on a cached version of the license state. This includes not only basic VirtualCenter operation, but licenses for VirtualCenter add‐ons, such as VMotion and DRS.
Chapter 3 VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3 Licensing Overview Table 3‐3 displays ESX Server licensed operations permitted while the license server is unavailable. Operations that are not permitted are operations that require the acquisition of new licenses from the license server. Table 3-3. Permitted ESX Server Operations When the License Server Is Unavailable After Grace Period Expires Component Attempted Action During Grace Period Virtual machine Power on.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Table 3‐4 lists VirtualCenter licensed operations that are permitted when the license server is unavailable. Operations that are not permitted are operations that require the acquisition of new licenses from the license server. Table 3-4. Permitted VirtualCenter Operations When the License Server Is Unavailable When License Server Is Unavailable Component Attempted Action VirtualCenter Server Remove an ESX Server host from inventory (see next entry).
Chapter 3 VirtualCenter and ESX Server 3 Licensing Overview The VirtualCenter Server uses a “heartbeat” mechanism to check whether the license server is reachable and to determine if there have been any changes in the license file. The heartbeat interval is five minutes. It might take the VirtualCenter Server up to five minutes to detect if there are license changes or if the license server has become unavailable.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Contacting Support If you require assistance with licensing, contact VMware for support as follows: 40 If you have not received license activation codes for your VI3 purchase or have difficulties using your license activation codes to obtain license files, send email to vi‐hotline@vmware.com. If you obtain license files and have difficulties configuring or troubleshooting licensed features, file a support request at http://www.vmware.com/support. VMware, Inc.
4 Running VMware VirtualCenter and VMware ESX Server in Evaluation Mode 4 This chapter provides information on how to install and run VirtualCenter 2.5 and ESX Server 3.5 in an evaluation mode and how to obtain licenses when the evaluation mode expires.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Licensing VirtualCenter and ESX Server After the Evaluation Period Expires After the 60‐day evaluation period expires, unless you obtain licenses for your software, you are no longer able to perform most operations in VirtualCenter and ESX Server. For example, you cannot power on virtual machines, add new hosts, or use advanced ESX Server and VirtualCenter features.
Chapter 4 Running VMware VirtualCenter and VMware ESX Server in Evaluation Mode Considerations When You Switch ESX Server and VirtualCenter to Licensed Modes When you switch your VirtualCenter and ESX Server from evaluation mode to the licensed mode, consider the following: If the number of ESX Server hosts you add to your inventory exceeds the number allowed by your current licensing type, you can no longer manage the excess hosts.
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5 Licensing VirtualCenter and ESX Server 5 This chapter provides procedures for redeeming license files and configuring license options.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Licensing Process Figure 5‐1 summarizes the license configuration processes for ESX Server 3. Figure 5-1. License Configuration Process for ESX Server 3 Purchase and install ESX Server 3 Power on the host Use in evaluation mode Install a license server or enter path to .lic file Served Change to licensed mode? Local Install a local file on the disk (/etc/vmware/) Set the edition and add-on licenses ESX Server 3 host is licensed 46 VMware, Inc.
Chapter 5 Licensing VirtualCenter and ESX Server Figure 5‐2 summarizes the license configuration processes for the VirtualCenter Server. Figure 5-2.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide After you purchase VMware Infrastructure software, do the following to obtain and use your licenses: 1 Decide which licensing model to use. VMware Infrastructure 3 uses FLEXnet licensing, which offers a choice of license types: centralized, single‐host, or mixed. See “Single‐Host and Centralized License Types” on page 30. 2 Register your purchase.
Chapter 5 Licensing VirtualCenter and ESX Server When you receive the email containing your activation codes, follow the instructions in the email to register license activation codes and generate license files through the Web‐based license activation portal. For additional information on the license activation process, see the license activation portal online Help. Setting Up Centralized Licensing You can configure centralized licensing at installation time.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Configuring License Server Licensing The first procedure in this section describes VirtualCenter centralized licensing configuration. If your environment uses the default VirtualCenter installation, or if you have no VirtualCenter Server, go directly to “To configure centralized licensing for an ESX Server host” on page 51.
Chapter 5 Licensing VirtualCenter and ESX Server If you did not select the check box for the optional setting, follow the procedure in the next section to manually configure ESX Server hosts to use centralized licensing. To configure centralized licensing for an ESX Server host 1 From the VI Client, select the host in the inventory. 2 Click the Configuration tab. 3 Under Software, click Licensed Features. 4 To set the license server: a Click Edit to the right of License Sources.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide To configure local license server licensing for the VirtualCenter Server 1 From the VI Client, choose Administration > VirtualCenter Management Server Configuration. 2 Click License Server in the list on the left. 3 Click the Use license services on this VirtualCenter Server button.
Chapter 5 Licensing VirtualCenter and ESX Server To open a specific port in the service console firewall 1 Log in to the service console as the root user. 2 Execute this command: esxcfg-firewall --openPort ,tcp,out,"License Server" Changing from Single-Host to Centralized Licensing You can change your ESX Server hosts from single‐host licensing to centralized licensing.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide To use the VI Client to configure single-host licensing 1 From the VI Client, select the host in the inventory. 2 Click the Configuration tab. 3 Under Software, click Licensed Features. 4 Click Edit to the right of License Sources. The License Sources dialog box appears. 5 Click the Use Host License File button. 6 Click Browse and locate the license file. This file must be located on the client machine, not on the ESX Server host. License files must have a .
Chapter 5 Licensing VirtualCenter and ESX Server 4 Click OK to save your changes. 5 Remove and Add any affected ESX Server machine in the inventory. Now it is safe to reconfigure single‐host licensing on any changed ESX Server machines. Configuring Licensing for a Mixed ESX Server 2.x and ESX Server 3.x Environment You can use the VirtualCenter Server 2.x to manage a mixed environment of both ESX Server 2.x and ESX Server 3.x hosts.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Changing from Centralized to Single-Host Licensing You can change your ESX Server hosts from the centralized license type to the single‐host license type. The VirtualCenter Server and additional features such as VMotion, VMware DRS, and VMware HA must remain in centralized mode. To change the license type for your ESX Server hosts, generate new license files for each host and configure the hosts to use the new license type.
Chapter 5 Licensing VirtualCenter and ESX Server License key – Contains encrypted license keys, one for each feature to which you are entitled. Table 5‐1 lists the available license keys. Table 5-1.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Example 5‐2 shows a typical centralized license key. Example 5-2. Centralized License Key INCREMENT PROD_ESX_FULL VMWARELM 2005.05 31-dec-2008 8 \ VENDOR_STRING="licenseType=Server;vmodl=esxFull;desc=ESX Server \ Enterprise;capacityType=cpuPackage;gp=14;exclude=BACKUP" \ ISSUED=06-AUG-2007 NOTICE="FulfillmentId=1201;Name=VMware \ Internal" TS_OK SIGN="1F7F 98D5 ...
Chapter 5 Licensing VirtualCenter and ESX Server Adding New License Files to License Servers The license server supports a license directory for multiple license files. If you obtained multiple license files (for example, from separate orders) and want to manage all these licenses from the same license server, add them to the license server directory and restart the server.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 6 Click Start. 7 Click ReRead License File to load the new license files. Adding New License Files to Single Hosts Host‐based licensing does not support a multiple‐license‐file directory. If you have multiple license files, you need to combine them into a single license file by using the license activation portal. For example, you can add newly purchased licenses to an existing license file, or combine entitlements from two separate purchases into a single license file.
Chapter 5 Licensing VirtualCenter and ESX Server To install a VMware license server 1 Insert the VMware Infrastructure Installation CD. If the VMware Infrastructure Management Installer appears, click cancel to exit. 2 Navigate to the \vpx folder on the installation CD and double‐click VMware‐licenseserver.exe. 3 Verify that you are installing the license server and click Next. 4 To accept the license agreement, select I accept the terms in the license agreement and click Next.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Receiving License Activation Codes VMware sends license activation codes and licensing information to the license administrator listed for a particular purchase. If you are not the license administrator, contact your organization’s license administrator for your license activation codes. If you need to change the license administrator for your order, contact vi‐hotline@vmware.com. Include the relevant order numbers in your email.
Chapter 5 Licensing VirtualCenter and ESX Server To check that the license server is listening 1 On the machine on which the license server is installed, choose Start > Command Prompt. 2 Type netstat -ab at the command line. 3 Verify that the lmgrd.exe process is listening on port 27000 and that the VMWARELM.exe process is listening on port 27010. If not, the license server might not be installed or might not be started.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Checking the License File If your license server is operating properly or if you are using single‐host licensing, but you cannot use licensed features, you have a problem with your license file. Check the following: Validate your license file at http://www.vmware.com/checklicense/. Ensure that you are using the correct type of license file. If you are using a license server, use a centralized file.
6 Installing VMware Infrastructure Management 6 This chapter describes how to prepare your VirtualCenter database, install VMware Infrastructure Management software, and configure communication between components. You can install VMware Infrastructure Management software on a physical system or on a virtual machine running on an ESX Server 3 host. You can install VMware Infrastructure on a physical system or in a virtual machine running on an ESX Server host.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Preparing the VirtualCenter Server Database The VMware VirtualCenter Server requires a database to store and organize server data. VirtualCenter version 2 server supports Oracle, SQL Server, and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express. VirtualCenter requires administration credentials (ID and password) to log in to an Oracle or SQL database. Contact your DBA for these credentials, or install the bundled Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express database.
Chapter 6 Installing VMware Infrastructure Management To connect Oracle locally 1 Create a new tablespace specifically for VirtualCenter using the following SQL statement: CREATE TABLESPACE "VPX" DATAFILE 'C:\Oracle\ORADATA\VPX\VPX.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 4 Use the Net8 Configuration Assistant to add the following entry: VPX = (DESCRIPTION = (ADDRESS_LIST = (ADDRESS=(PROTOCOL=TCP)(HOST=vpxd-Oracle)(PORT=1521)) ) (CONNECT_DATA = (SERVICE_NAME = VPX) ) ) HOST = In this example, HOST is the managed host to which the client needs to connect. Configuring a SQL Server ODBC Connection When you install the VirtualCenter Server, you can establish a connection with a SQL Server database.
Chapter 6 Installing VMware Infrastructure Management The db_owner role on the MSDB database is required for installation and upgrade only. This role can be revoked after the installation or upgrade process is completed. 3 On your VirtualCenter Server, open the Windows ODBC Data Source Administrator. 4 Select Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Data Sources (ODBC). 5 Select the System DSN tab.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 14 Select the database created for VirtualCenter from the Change the default database to menu and click Next. 15 Click Finish. 16 From the ODBC Microsoft SQL Server Setup menu, choose Test Data Source. If the test data source is acceptable, click OK. If it is not acceptable, return and reconfigure any incorrect items. To close the ODBC Data Source Administrator, click Close. 17 Ensure that the SQL Agent is running on your database server.
Chapter 6 Installing VMware Infrastructure Management Configuring Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express The Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express database package is installed and configured when you select Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express as your database during VirtualCenter installation or upgrade. This is shown in “Installing VMware Infrastructure Management Software” on page 71. No additional configuration is required.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide VirtualCenter Server Prerequisites Before you begin the installation procedure, ensure that you have done the following: Ensure that your hardware meets “System Requirements” on page 17. Make sure that the system you use for your VirtualCenter installation belongs to a domain rather than a workgroup.
Chapter 6 Installing VMware Infrastructure Management Microsoft.NET Framework – Software used by the VirtualCenter Server, Database Upgrade wizard, and the VI Client. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express – A free version of the Microsoft SQL Server database for smaller‐scale applications. If you enter a path to an existing database, the installer does not install Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 7 Select the option corresponding with the database you configured. If you have not configured a supported database, click Install Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express. This database is suitable for small deployments of up to 5 hosts and 50 virtual machines. If you have configured a supported database, click Use an existing database and enter your database connection information: a Type the DSN associated with your database. This must be a system DSN.
Chapter 6 Installing VMware Infrastructure Management 9 Enter the port and proxy information that you want to use or accept the default information shown on screen and click Next. This step applies only to custom installations. The default port for HTTPS is 443. If you configure VirtualCenter to use a different port for HTTPS, you must use the configured port number when you log in to VirtualCenter. 10 Enter information about the system on which you are installing VirtualCenter and click Next.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 15 Click Install. Installation might take several minutes. Multiple progress bars appear during installation of the selected components. 16 Click Finish to complete the VMware Infrastructure installation. Configuring Communication Between VirtualCenter Components The VirtualCenter Server must be able to send data to every VirtualCenter managed host and receive data from each VI Client.
Chapter 6 Installing VMware Infrastructure Management Connecting to Your Managed Hosts Through a Firewall Port 902 is the default port that VirtualCenter uses to send data to the managed hosts. If you have a firewall between your VirtualCenter Server and VirtualCenter managed host, you must configure a means for the VirtualCenter Server to send data to the VirtualCenter managed host.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Uninstalling the VMware Infrastructure components does not uninstall the Microsoft .NET Framework. Do not uninstall the Microsoft .NET Framework if you have other applications on your system that depend upon it. To uninstall a VMware Infrastructure Component using the Add/Remove Programs Tool 1 As Administrator on the Windows system, choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.
Chapter 6 Installing VMware Infrastructure Management 3 Using the VI Client, access the ESX Server host directly to create the virtual machine for hosting VirtualCenter. For information on creating virtual machines, see Basic System Administration. 4 In the virtual machine, install VirtualCenter following procedures described in this chapter. For more details on installing and running VirtualCenter in a virtual machine, see Running VirtualCenter in a Virtual Machine at www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_vc_in_vm.
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7 Installing VMware ESX Server Software 7 This chapter describes how to install and configure ESX Server. This chapter contains the following topics: “Preparing to Install” on page 81 “Installing ESX Server” on page 83 “Postinstallation Considerations” on page 93 “Downloading the VI Client” on page 94 Preparing to Install This section describes the components that are installed during ESX Server installation, describes the two available installation methods.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Installation Methods Two installation modes are available for installing VMware ESX Server software: Graphical mode – This is a graphical, mouse‐based installation program to install or upgrade ESX Server. This is the recommended installation method. See “Installing ESX Server” on page 83. Text mode — This is a text‐based interface to install or upgrade ESX Server.
Chapter 7 Installing VMware ESX Server Software LUN Requirements Although ESX Server supports up to 256 LUNs for operation, the installer supports a maximum of 128 LUNs. If you have more than 128 LUNs, connect them after the installation is complete. The minimum supported LUN capacity for VMFS3 is 1200MB. (SEE UPDATE) An ESX Server host supports only the first 256 LUNs loaded at boot time. Your boot volume must be encountered in the first 256 LUNs, or the ESX Server host can hang at startup.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Navigation in the Installer To navigate and perform actions in the ESX Server installer, press the Tab key, spacebar, directional arrows, or Enter key. You can: Move the highlight between selection fields with the Tab key. Make a selection within a field using the arrow keys or by typing a value. Press Tab until the highlight is in the OK box, and press either the spacebar or Enter key.
Chapter 7 Installing VMware ESX Server Software 3 Click Test to have the installer inspect the installation CD media for errors. If you click Skip, continue now with Step 4. If you click Test, a progress bar appears. The CD media is being tested for errors. When testing is complete, a Media Check Result dialog box appears and click OK. The Welcome page appears. 4 Click Next (graphical installer) or OK (text installer). The Select Keyboard page appears.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 9 Select a partitioning option. Recommended – Configures default partitions, based on the capacity of the hard drive. Continue with “Recommended Partitioning” on page 88. Advanced – You specify all partition settings. Continue with “Advanced Partitioning” on page 89. 10 Select how the ESX Server will boot: From a drive (install on the MBR of the drive) – Use this option for most installations. This drive must match the first boot device set in the host BIOS.
Chapter 7 Installing VMware ESX Server Software 15 Enter the ESX Server host name. Type the complete machine name, including the domain where appropriate. This option is available only if you use a static IP address. VI Clients can use either the host name or the IP address to access the ESX Server host. 16 If your network requires a VLAN ID, enter a VLAN ID. 17 Select Create a default network for virtual machines to create a default port group for virtual machines. This option is selected by default.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Mouse Selection Here are some mouse identification hints: If the connector is round, your mouse is a PS/2 or a bus mouse. If the connector is trapezoidal with nine holes, it is a serial mouse. If the connector is a flat rectangle with a slot, it is a USB mouse. Try to find an exact match – If you cannot find an exact match, choose a mouse type that is compatible with yours. Otherwise, choose the appropriate generic mouse type.
Chapter 7 Installing VMware ESX Server Software Advanced Partitioning With advanced or manual partitioning, the installer lists the drives with existing partitions and the amount of available space. You must create all partitions, determining a specific mount point, file system, and capacity. Each ESX Server host requires five specific partitions. If the host has network storage, only the first three required partitions must be configured on local storage.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 7 8 To create a swap partition, use the following settings: Mount Point – Not applicable. This drop‐down menu is disabled when you select swap for file system. File System – swap Size (MB) – VMware recommends 544MB.
Chapter 7 Installing VMware ESX Server Software If your ESX Server host has no network storage and one local disk, you must create two more required partitions on the local disk (for a total of five required partitions): vmkcore – A vmkcore partition is required to store core dumps for troubleshooting. VMware does not support ESX Server host configurations without a vmkcore partition. vmfs3 – A vmfs3 partition is required to store your virtual machines.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Setting Your Time Zone The graphical installer lets you select your time zone using a map, a list of locations, or a list of time zones. To set the time zone using the map 1 Click the Map tab to display the map. 2 Click the map on the city nearest to your location. 3 Select the check box for using UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) if appropriate. (This option is selected by default.) 4 Click Next to continue the installation with Step 20 on page 87.
Chapter 7 Installing VMware ESX Server Software Postinstallation Considerations This section discusses installation logs and hardware and driver additions. Locating the Installation Logs After you install and reboot, log in to the service console to read the installation logs: /root/install.log is a complete log of the installation. /root/anaconda-ks.cfg is a kickstart file containing the selected installation.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Verifying Your Device Driver Mappings During the upgrade, the ESX Server installer renames the /etc/vmware/vmware-device.map.local file to /etc/vmware/vmware-device.map.local.orig. After the upgrade, compare the vmware-device.map.local.orig file with the newly created vmware-device.map.local file and make any necessary changes. The locations of some drivers have changed in ESX Server 3.5. With the addition of new drivers in ESX Server 3.
A ESX Server Partitioning A ESX Server hosts have required and optional partitions. This appendix contains the following topics: “Required Partitions” on page 95 “Optional Partitions” on page 99 Required Partitions An ESX Server local boot volume requires three specific partitions for operation. In addition, a local or remote VMFS partition is required to store your virtual machines, and a vmkcore partition is required to provide core dumps for technical support.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Table A‐1 describes the required partitions. Table A-1. ESX Server Required Partitions Recommended Storage by Host Disk Configuration Mount Point Type Internal Disk with External SAN, NAS, or iSCSI /boot ext3 100MB 100MB Location: internal disk Location: LUN0 SAN Only Internal Disk Only 100MB Partition Description Stores information required to boot the ESX Server host system. For example, this is where the grub and LILO boot loaders reside.
Appendix A ESX Server Partitioning Table A-1. ESX Server Required Partitions (Continued) Recommended Storage by Host Disk Configuration Mount Point Type Internal Disk with External SAN, NAS, or iSCSI Not applicable VMFS3 1.2GB SAN Only Internal Disk Only 1.2GB 1.2GB Partition Description A VMFS partition is required. However, VMFS partitions do not need to be located on a local or boot drive.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Table A-1. ESX Server Required Partitions (Continued) Recommended Storage by Host Disk Configuration Mount Point Type Not applicable vmkcore Internal Disk with External SAN, NAS, or iSCSI 100MB Location: any disk SAN Only 100MB per host sharing the SAN Internal Disk Only 100MB Partition Description A 100MB vmkcore partition is required for each ESX Server host. Can be located on a local SCSI volume, a networked SCSI volume, or a SAN.
Appendix A ESX Server Partitioning Optional Partitions Table A‐2 describes the optional partitions. For /tmp and /home, VMware recommends separate partitions to prevent unexpected disk space constraints from compromising ESX Server operations. Table A-2. ESX Server Optional Partitions Recommended Storage by Host Disk Configuration Mount Point Type Internal Disk with External SAN/NAS/ iSCSI /home ext3 512MB SAN Only Internal Disk Only Partition Description Optional.
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B Remote and Scripted Installations B You can install ESX Server using remote and scripted installations.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide After you set up the script, you can use it to install ESX Server files in either of the following ways: From the ESX Server CD in the local CD‐ROM drive of the new system. Across the network, using installation files that are hosted on a remote server. Enabling Scripted Installation After you install ESX Server on a system, you must enable the scripted installation feature before you can use Web Access to create an installation script.
Appendix B Remote and Scripted Installations 6 Save and close the file. 7 Type service vmware-webAccess restart. Setting Up the Script After you install ESX Server on one system and enable scripted installations on that system, you can set up a script necessary for performing a scripted installation of ESX Server on other systems. When you set up the script, choose the networking method (static IP or DHCP) for the server on which you will install ESX Server.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 2 Click Log in to the Scripted Installer. The Scripted Install page appears. 3 Enter the information that the script needs to configure another ESX Server system: a In the Installation Type list, select Initial Installation to perform a new installation. Select Upgrade to upgrade an existing ESX Server system.
Appendix B Remote and Scripted Installations c In the Network Method list, select DHCP if the ESX Server system will have a dynamic IP address. Select Static IP if the ESX Server system will have a static IP address. VMware recommends that each ESX Server system have its own static IP address. However, you can use DHCP to deploy new ESX Server systems from the same floppy image, and configure each system separately and assign a unique host name and IP address.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 7 Under Partition Configuration, specify the following for each partition in the service console: In the Drive list, select from the list of disks. In the Mount Point field, specify the mount point. At a minimum, you should specify the boot (/boot) and root (/) mount points. In the Size field, specify the size of the partition in megabytes (MB). Specify an integer value here, such as 500. Do not append the number with MB.
Appendix B Remote and Scripted Installations Running a Scripted Installation from the Kickstart File After you create a kickstart file, use one of the following procedures to run your scripted installation, depending on whether you selected to install from an ESX Server installation CD‐ROM or from installation files hosted on a remote server. To run a scripted installation using a CD 1 Copy your kickstart file to a floppy disk.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Command Section The command section contains the options specified for the ESX Server installation. This section is required and must appear first in the kickstart file. Most of the commands that can be included in this section are standard Red Hat kickstart commands. Some commands are VMware specific. The VMware specific commands are listed in Table B‐1.
Appendix B Remote and Scripted Installations Table B-1. Kickstart Commands for ESX Server Installation (Continued) Command --upgrade clearpart (optional) Description Upgrades the existing boot loader configuration and preserves any old entries. Removes partitions from the system before creating new partitions. Not required if you use the upgrade command. --linux Removes all Linux partitions. --all Removes all partitions from the system. --drives= Specifies which drives to clear partitions from.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Table B-1. Kickstart Commands for ESX Server Installation (Continued) Command Description interactive (optional) Uses the information provided in the kickstart file during the installation, but allows for inspection and modification of the given values. keyboard (required) Sets the keyboard type for the system. lang (required) langsupport (required) Sets the language to use during installation.
Appendix B Remote and Scripted Installations Table B-1. Kickstart Commands for ESX Server Installation (Continued) Command part or partition Description Creates a partition on the system. Not required if the upgrade command is used. Specifies where the partition will be mounted. --size= Defines the minimum partition size in megabytes. --grow Specifies that the partition can grow to fill any available space or up to the maximum size setting.
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Table B-1. Kickstart Commands for ESX Server Installation (Continued) Command Description vmlicense (optional) Specifies license information. If you specify centralized licensing, the command takes the form: vmlicense --mode=server --server= [--features=] [--edition=] where is the host name or IP address of the license server in the format port@hostname.
Appendix B Remote and Scripted Installations %vmlicense_text Section This section contains the license file for the ESX Server installation. Omit this section if you did not specify single‐host licensing. This section must come after the commands section. Sample Kickstart File The following is a sample kickstart file for an ESX Server installation using a license server: # Installation Method cdrom # root Password rootpw --iscrypted $1$MpéRëÈíÌ$n9sgFQJweS1PeSBpqRRu..
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Index Numerics D 27000, port 52 27010, port 52 databases Oracle 66 preparing 66 SQL Server 68 device driver mappings 94 device drivers 94 DPM, by edition 29 DRAC 82 driver disks 93 DRS, by edition 29 A activation code, license 48 ATA disks 22 B backing up virtual machines 29 backup 34 Consolidated Backup 34 BIOS 86 boot device 86 boot loader options 86 booting from SAN 83, 86 kernel parameters 86 C centralized licensing configuring 50 description 31 clients, firewall 76 configuring, ports 76 Consolid
ESX Server 3 Installation Guide I IDE disks 23 ILO 82 installation logs 93 installation script, creating 103 installing ESX Server 83 license server 60 on SANs 23 Oracle database 66 VirtualCenter Server 71 iSCSI licensing 29 M mappings, device driver 94 master boot record 86 memory, server requirements 22 Microsoft Access database end of support life 19 modules.
Index R U reinstalling VirtualCenter 77 remote Oracle database 66 removing VirtualCenter 77 RSA II 82 uninstalling VirtualCenter 77 upgrading device drivers 94 S SANs booting from 83, 86 SATA disks 23, 82 scripted installation 107 SCSI 22 SCSI adapters 93 SCSI disks 23 SDK 13 shared LUNs 83 single-host licensing configuring 53 description 32 SMP, licensing 29 specifications ESX Server system minimum 21 performance recommendations 24 SQL Server, preparing database 68 support, guest operating system 25 s
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Updates for the ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Last Updated: May 14, 2010 This document provides updates to the ESX Server 3.5 and VirtualCenter 2.5 version of the ESX Server 3 Installation Guide. Updated descriptions, procedures, and graphics are organized by page number so that you can easily locate the areas of the guide that have changes. If the change spans multiple sequential pages, this document provides the starting page number only.
Updates for the ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Updates for the Table of Supported Database Formats on Page 19 The following row should appear in Table 2‐1: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Standard Install SP1 or SP2 for Microsoft SQL Server 2005. For Windows 2000 and Windows XP, apply MDAC 2.8 SP1 to the client. Use the SQL Native Client driver for the client. Table 2‐1 does not mention support for versions later than 10.2.0.3.0 of Oracle 10g Enterprise Release 2, and the support for two new Oracle patches.
Updates for the ESX Server 3 Installation Guide 3 Create a new tablespace specifically for VirtualCenter by running the following SQL statement: CREATE TABLESPACE "VPX" DATAFILE 'C:\Oracle\ORADATA\VPX\VPX.
Updates for the ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Updates for the To prepare a SQL Server database to work with VirtualCenter Procedure on Page 68 The following text should appear in the To prepare a SQL Server database to work with VirtualCenter procedure: Make sure that the database user has the following permissions: Microsoft SQL Server 2000 – Make sure that the database user has the db_owner fixed database role on the VirtualCenter database and the MSDB database.
Updates for the ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Update for the LUN Requirements Section on Page 83 In the LUN Requirements section, information provided on the number of LUNs supported during the boot time should be as follows: When an ESX Server host is restarting, it supports only the first 256 LUNs loaded at boot time. If your boot volume is not one of the first 256 LUNs, the ESX Server host might stop responding at startup. The total number of LUNs in the system should not be more than 256.
Updates for the ESX Server 3 Installation Guide Update–6 VMware, Inc.
