Category Virtualization Training

Hello everyone, today I am going to show you how can install and configure ESXi 8 , as you know this version was released some days ago. you can watch the video or continue to read this document.

Installation:

1. Prepare Installation Media:
   • Download the ESXi 8.0 ISO image from the VMware website.
   • Create a bootable installation media, typically a USB flash drive, using a tool like Rufus (Windows) or dd (Linux).
2. Boot and Start Installation:
   • Insert the bootable USB drive into the server.
   • Power on the server and access the BIOS/UEFI settings to boot from the USB drive.
   • When prompted, select the boot device (usually your USB drive) to start the ESXi installation.
3. Welcome and EULA:
   • You’ll see a welcome screen. Press “Enter” to continue.
   • Accept the End User License Agreement (EULA) by pressing “F11.”
4. Select Installation Disk:
   • Choose the storage device where ESXi will be installed.
   • If the disk contains existing data, you can choose to overwrite it or select another disk.
5. Keyboard Layout:
   • Select the keyboard layout that matches your preferences.
6. Set Root Password:
   • Create a strong root password for the ESXi host and confirm it.
7. Installation Options:
   • ESXi offers various installation options. The default option is recommended for most installations. Press “Enter” to proceed.
8. Begin Installation:
   • Press “F11” to start the installation. ESXi will copy files to the selected storage device.
9. Installation Complete:
   • Once the installation is finished, remove the installation media (USB drive) and press “Enter” to reboot the server.

Configuration:

1. Initial Configuration:
   • After rebooting, you’ll see the ESXi welcome screen.
   • Press “F2” to customize system settings.
   • Log in using the root username and password you set during installation.
2. Configure Management Network:
   • In the configuration menu, navigate to “Configure Management Network.”
   • Set the network configuration, including IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS servers.
3. Time and Date Settings:
   • Configure time and date settings under “Configure Time and Date.”
4. Security Configuration:
   • Review and adjust security settings, such as the root password policy, under “Security Profile.”
5. Access Management Interface:
   • Press “ESC” to exit the configuration menu.
   • Save your changes by pressing “F12,” which will also reboot the server.

Accessing vSphere Client:

1. Open a web browser on a computer connected to the same network as the ESXi server.
2. Enter the IP address or hostname of your ESXi server in the browser’s address bar.
3. Download and install the vSphere Client (or use the web-based vSphere HTML5 client if available).
4. Log in to the vSphere Client using the root username and password.

Additional Configuration:

1. Within the vSphere Client, you can perform various tasks, including:
   • Creating virtual machines (VMs).
   • Managing storage resources.
   • Configuring networking settings.
   • Setting up virtual switches and port groups.
   • Installing and managing ESXi updates and patches.
2. Consider configuring advanced features like High Availability (HA), Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS), and vMotion for improved virtual infrastructure management.

Remember that this is a general guide, and specific steps may vary depending on your environment and the exact version of VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0. Always refer to the official VMware documentation and release notes for the most accurate and up-to-date instructions. Additionally, ensure your hardware is on the VMware Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) for ESXi 8.0.

1. Prepare for Installation:

• Download the VMware ESXi 8.0 ISO from the VMware website.
• Create a bootable USB drive using software like Rufus (for Windows) or Etcher (for macOS and Linux).
• Insert the USB drive into the server where you want to install ESXi.

2. Boot from the Installation Media:

• Power on the server and access the BIOS or UEFI firmware settings.
• Configure the boot order to boot from the USB drive first.
• Save the changes and exit the BIOS/UEFI settings.

3. Install VMware ESXi:

• The ESXi installer should load. Press Enter to begin the installation process.
• Read and accept the End User License Agreement (EULA) by pressing F11.
• Select the disk or storage device where you want to install ESXi and press Enter.
• Select the keyboard layout and press Enter.
• Enter a root password for the ESXi host and press Enter.
• Press F11 to confirm the installation.
• Wait for the installation to complete. Once done, remove the installation media and reboot the server.

4. Configure Networking:

• After rebooting, the ESXi host will boot up, and you’ll be prompted to configure networking.
• Use the arrow keys to navigate to “Configure Management Network” and press Enter.
• Set the IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers for the ESXi host.

5. Access ESXi Host via Web Client:

• Open a web browser on a computer connected to the same network as the ESXi host.
• Enter the IP address of the ESXi host in the address bar.
• Log in using the username “root” and the password you set during installation.

6. (Optional) Configure Additional Settings:

• In the vSphere Client, you can configure additional settings such as adding a license key, configuring storage, creating virtual machines, and managing networking.

7. Install VMware Tools (Optional):

• In the vSphere Client, right-click on the virtual machine and select “Guest OS” > “Install VMware Tools” to install the VMware Tools package on the virtual machine for better performance and management.

By following these steps, you can install and configure VMware ESXi 8.0 on a server and start using it to host virtual machines.

1. Access the vSphere Authentication Proxy:

• Log in to the vCenter Server using the vSphere Client with an account that has administrative privileges.
• Navigate to the “Administration” section in the vSphere Client.
• Under “Single Sign-On,” click on “Configuration.”

2. Reset the Password:

• In the “Configuration” tab, click on “System Configuration.”
• Click on the “Nodes” tab and select the vCenter Server node.
• Click on the “Manage” tab and select “Settings.”
• Under “Settings,” click on “Reset Password” next to “Single Sign-On Administrator Password.”
• Enter and confirm the new password for the administrator@vsphere.local account.
• Click “OK” to reset the password.

3. Verify the Password Reset:

• Log out of the vSphere Client and log back in using the administrator@vsphere.local account and the new password to verify that the password reset was successful.

4. (Optional) Change the Password Using the CLI:

• If you have SSH access to the vCenter Server, you can also use the vdcadmintool command-line utility to reset the password.
• SSH into the vCenter Server and run the following command to access the utility:

/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcadmintool

• Select option 3 for “Reset account password” and follow the prompts to reset the password for the administrator@vsphere.local account.

By following these steps, you can reset the VMware vCenter Single Sign-On (SSO) administrator@vsphere.local password using the vSphere Client or the vdcadmintool command-line utility.

1. Unlock the root Account:

• Open a web browser and navigate to the VAMI interface of your vCenter Server Appliance. The URL is usually https://<vCenter_IP>:5480.
• Log in with your root credentials.
• Go to the “Access” tab and click on “Edit” next to “User Accounts.”
• Select the “root” account and click on “Unlock Account.”

2. Reset the root Password:

• In the same “User Accounts” section of the “Access” tab, click on “Edit.”
• Select the “root” account and enter a new password in the “New Password” and “Confirm Password” fields.
• Click on “Save Settings” to apply the new password.

3. Verify the Changes:

• Log out of the VAMI interface and log back in with the new root password to ensure it’s working correctly.
• You can also log in to the vSphere Client using the root account to verify access.

4. (Optional) Reset Password Using vSphere Client:

• If you have access to the vSphere Client and vCenter Server is connected, you can reset the root password from the vSphere Client.
• Log in to the vSphere Client with administrator credentials.
• Navigate to the vCenter Server in the inventory.
• Go to the “Configure” tab and select “Settings” under “Access.”
• Click on “Edit” next to “Authentication” and then “Edit” next to “Password.”
• Enter the new root password and click “OK” to save the changes.

5. Restart vCenter Services (if needed):

• If you encounter any issues after changing the root password, you may need to restart the vCenter services.
• You can do this from the VAMI interface by going to the “Services” tab and clicking on “Restart.”

After completing these steps, the root password for your vCenter Server should be successfully reset, and you should be able to log in with the new password.

1. Architecture: vSphere Replication is based on a replication engine that runs as a virtual appliance on each ESXi host. This appliance is responsible for replicating VM data to a target site. The replication engine communicates with the vCenter Server to manage replication tasks and monitor the status of replication.
2. Replication Process: When you enable replication for a VM, vSphere Replication creates an initial full replication of the VM to the target site. After the initial replication, vSphere Replication tracks and replicates only the changes (delta) that occur to the VM’s disks. This delta replication occurs at predefined intervals (typically every 15 minutes), ensuring that the target VM stays up to date with the source VM.
3. Recovery Point Objective (RPO): The RPO defines the maximum acceptable amount of data loss in case of a disaster. vSphere Replication allows you to set the RPO for each VM, specifying how frequently changes should be replicated to the target site. The actual RPO achieved depends on factors such as network bandwidth and replication interval.
4. Recovery Process: In the event of a disaster or VM failure, you can use vSphere Replication to recover the VM at the target site. You can perform a failover, which powers on the replicated VM at the target site, or a failover test, which allows you to test the recovery process without impacting production VMs.
5. Monitoring and Management: vSphere Replication provides a management interface within the vSphere Web Client or vSphere Client, where you can monitor the status of replication tasks, view replication settings, and manage recovery operations. You can also receive email notifications for replication events.
6. Compatibility and Integration: vSphere Replication is compatible with various storage technologies and works with both vSphere Standard and vSphere Enterprise Plus editions. It integrates with VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM), providing advanced disaster recovery capabilities such as automated recovery plans and non-disruptive testing.
7. Licensing: vSphere Replication is included with certain editions of vSphere, such as vSphere Essentials Plus and higher. For environments requiring more advanced features and scalability, additional licenses may be required.

Overall, VMware vSphere Replication is a versatile and efficient solution for replicating VMs for disaster recovery purposes, offering flexibility, automation, and integration with other VMware technologies to help organizations protect their virtualized environments.