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VMWare server installation requirements

I am about to download and install VMware Infrastructure 3 on one of my testing servers. This particular server is not networked and is a standalone system and will stay this way throghout my vmware testing. I need to know a step by step instructions on how to successfully install VMware Infrastructure 3 on this server taking into consideration that it is not going ot be networked and stay as a standalone machine thoughout entire testing.
I do have a few books that talk about VMware Infrastructure 3 but they do not give very specific steps for a beginner. Do I need to have 2 machines in order to install VMware Infrastructure 3, or 1 server is sufficient.

any help will be appreciated.

Andrew Doades

One server should be fine, of course your vms will have not network either but the basic setup is simple you just need to download and install the vmware software and follow these instructions

VMware give quite good, details instructions all over the place for the products

aldanch

I recommend obtaining VMWare ESXi 3.5 (free version). The install process is approximately 15 minutes. If the server that you're installing ESX possesses the resources (CPU, Memory) to meet your test environment requirements, then running one ESX server is fine. However, you would still need it to network because you would be manage your VI environment through a VI client on a Windows machine.

Test environment minimum hardware requirements
1 ESXi 3.5 server (you can install ESXi on a USB and boot to USB instead > see this link: http://communities.vmware.com/blogs/Knorrhane/2008/01/21/installing-esx-3i-on-usb-stick)

1 Windows machine running VI client

1 switch (just a 5-port switch for $30 - Dlink - should work fine) - preferably Gigabit, used to connect your ESX server and your Windows workstation - use a router with builtin switchports and DHCP if you don't want to assign static IPs

2 Ethernet cables

All the documentation you need can be found here: http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vi_pages/vi_pubs_35.html

Like doades mentions, VMware provides a lot of documentation for their products and their community is great for looking for VMware-related solutions.

aldanch

If you don't want to do the ESX scenario, then install Windows or Linux on your standalone server and then install VMware Server 1x or 2. You won't need a second machine to manage your environment, but your host machine will be competing for resources, too.

Documentation for VMware Server 1x and 2 can be found here: http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/server_pubs.html

systems_ax

ASKER

aldanch,
i could not find an exe for VMWare ESXi 3.5 (free version) but only an iso file. I do not have vmware installed at all.
can you give me a direct link to download exe for VMWare ESXi 3.5 (free version).
thank you

aldanch

On one of your workstations, download the ESXi 3.5 iso and use an application to burn the ISO to CD.

You can use

InfraRecorder
http://infrarecorder.org/?page_id=5

or

ImgBurn
http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download

Both are free and allow you to burn ISO images to blank CD/DVD. Boot your server to this disc.

Alternatively, you can boot your server to ESXi installed on a USB drive by following instructions here:
http://communities.vmware.com/blogs/Knorrhane/2008/01/21/installing-esx-3i-on-usb-stick

ESXi will install over any existing OS you have on your test server. If you have a Windows or Linux OS already on the server and don't want to overwrite it, then I suggest using VMware Server 2 or 1.x.x (I believe 1.0.7 was the last one before version 2 was released).

systems_ax

ASKER

ok I just installed VMware Server 2 Version 2.0.0 | 122956 - 10/29/08 and then when I click on the shortcut it asks me to login - i don't know what to do at this point.

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aldanch

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systems_ax

ASKER

thank you that worked, but every time I attempt to start my virtual machine (already created one) I get a time-out message). any ideas as to why it will time out.

aldanch

Where is the time out deriving from, the web UI or inside the VM console itself?

systems_ax

ASKER

both.

systems_ax

ASKER

I am not going to get to work on this issue for another a couple of weeks, I will keep the thread open however.
thank you