Question

ESXi Virtual Test Environment Setup Help

Asked by: mobious74

I'd like to setup an ESXi box and convert 2 of my DCs 2 of my Citrix Boxes and a client pc to test patches and updates before putting them on my production boxes.

I've setup ESXi before...it's pretty straightforward...but need a little help with an issue.

I'd like to be able to remotely manage the ESXi Host, but all the vms on it need to be LOCAL only network, as I want to use the same ip schema on the boxes and not have them touch, see or be seen by my actual network.

Can this be accomplished?

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Asked On
2009-08-31 at 19:36:22ID24696781
Tags

ESXi

,

VMWare

,

Virtualization

Topics

VMware

,

Windows 2003 Server

,

Citrix

Participating Experts
4
Points
500
Comments
16

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Answers

 

by: ryder0707Posted on 2009-08-31 at 19:49:49ID: 25228222

Remotely means from outside your network?
Although not recommended, configure 1-1 NAT to your esxi box
I recommend to connect to your network from externally via vpn instead
Once tunneled, you can connect to your esxi as usual
Or you can 1-1 NAT to a Windows XP PC, rdp to there, then run client from there

 

by: bleeuwenPosted on 2009-08-31 at 22:14:17ID: 25228677

Just set up an normal connection to your esx service console, so you can manage the ESXi server. Then define a local (with no attached nics) vswitch. In this vswitch you can connect your virtuals. The virtuals only see the machines connected on this vswitch. Because no "outside" nic is attached, no connection can be made from this virtuals to any other machines.

Maybe you want to put a second vswitch with a normal lan connection and put that on a server which needs to download the patches. This server needs two virtual nics, one for downloading patches and one for your test lan.

 

by: nappy_dPosted on 2009-09-01 at 04:04:51ID: 25230238

To build on Bleeuwen's suggestion, if you want this machines to have an internet connection, you can get something like ipcop as the vswitch's virtual router.

 

by: mobious74Posted on 2009-10-07 at 11:10:00ID: 25518170

Sorry this got left in the wind, was in a car accident and away from work for a while.  Back to health (mostly...casts suck) and back on the horse with this issue.

bleeuwen: I like what you said, but I have no idea how to do this.

I have the system up and running with net management on 10.0.1.11 and I have no idea how to configure the network like you suggested.  How would I create a vswitch w/o an attached nic.  I played with it a little but couldn't figure out how to make this work. I have VSphere 2.5 installed and the server is esxi 3.5.0 (not 4 cause don't have a 64 bit system to play with.)

 If I need to open a new question, let me know.

Thanks for your patience.

Brian

 

by: mobious74Posted on 2009-10-07 at 11:11:09ID: 25518184

Please don't delete this question.  I was out off work due to a car accident and would like to conitue working this issue.

 

by: Netman66Posted on 2009-10-08 at 05:14:01ID: 25524461

If you have vCenter then add the ESXi host to the vCenter so you can manage it.

Create a new vSwitch in the Configuration section>Networking area for the Virtual Machines.  Remove the Virtual Machine Network from vSwitch0 so that there is no external NIC servicing the vSwitch1 that you created.

This is what is considered an Internal vSwitch.  Now when you add VMs you attach them to vSwitch1 so they can communicate between each other but have no external connection.

 

by: mobious74Posted on 2009-10-08 at 11:10:53ID: 25528320

Ok, think I got that part right now.  I have 2 of my ADs on there and talking to each other but not visible on the lan...now is there a way I can put some sort of client on the networked side so I can download patches and such and xfer them to the no-nic computers?  Some sort of bridge or FM (flipping magic)

 

by: nappy_dPosted on 2009-10-08 at 11:44:06ID: 25528691

This is where you need to set up a virtual firewall using something such as smotthwall that I posted.  This will allow your test network on that test vswitch to communicate with the outside world.

 

by: Netman66Posted on 2009-10-08 at 11:59:09ID: 25528873

Create another vSwitch and connect it to a physical NIC that has Internet access.
Create a VM with XP and connect it to the new virtual switch.
Download your patches.
Detach your XP VM from the new vSwitch and connect it to the internal vSwitch so you can copy over the patches to your server.

 

by: nappy_dPosted on 2009-10-08 at 12:12:58ID: 25529010

Wouldn't it be easier just to setup a virtualize router using Windows RRAS or a Linux box?

 

by: Netman66Posted on 2009-10-08 at 13:33:25ID: 25529766

You could use RRAS, but in this case both the DCs and the Citrix boxes should not likely be a router.

A linux box would work, but you need to know how to setup iptables.

My suggestion would likely be the easiest and wouldn't require anything extra - thus why I suggested it.

Of course the Internal vSwitch could always be connected to a linksys/dlink router that had the same internal addressing scheme as the production network and a WAN connection to the internet.  This could be enabled and disabled as necessary for isolation.

 

by: nappy_dPosted on 2009-10-08 at 13:54:55ID: 25529987

Here is a Link to a webUI friendly VMWare guest firewalling and routing http://www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/47

Just an option :)

 

by: Netman66Posted on 2009-10-08 at 14:04:08ID: 25530066

An appliance is definitely an idea - no question.

 

by: mobious74Posted on 2009-10-09 at 10:53:23ID: 31622844

Bleeuwen's idea was the first and Netman filled in the gaps...

Understand what you're saying Nappy, but I'm going for ease more than anything else.

Thanks all!

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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