Objective 2.2 - VMware Compute Fundamentals

Topics:

·      - Deploy and configure VCF compute components (vCenter and ESX)

·      - Configure a vSphere Cluster

·      - Deploy and configure virtual machines

·      - Manage a virtual machine through vCenter

 

Deploy & Configure VCF Compute Components

Begin by downloading the ESX ISO file from the Broadcom Support Portal. Verify which ESX versions are supported for your environment by consulting the VMware Cloud documentation.

1.     Install ESX on the Host:

2.     Mount the ESX ISO to your host machine and restart it.

3.     Enter the BIOS or UEFI settings and set the system to boot from the mounted ISO image.

4.     When prompted with the welcome screen, press Enter to proceed.

5.     Accept the End User License Agreement by pressing Enter.

6.     On the disk selection screen, choose the drive where ESX should be installed or upgraded, then press Enter.

7.     Select the desired keyboard type for your host. (Note: This can be changed later in the direct console.)

8.     Set a root password for the host when prompted.

9.     Confirm you wish to begin the installation by pressing F11 on the confirmation screen.

10.  After installation is complete, press Enter to reboot the host.

11.  Once rebooted, ensure the first boot device is set to the drive where you installed ESX.

12.  Repeat these steps on all additional hosts that require ESX installation.

Configure the Management Network, DNS, and NTP:

 Open the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) on the ESX host by accessing a local console window.

Press F2 to enter the DCUI and log in using the root password you set earlier.

Select Configure Management Network and press Enter.

(Optional) Configure VLAN by choosing VLAN, entering the VLAN ID for ESX management, and pressing Enter.

Navigate to IPv4 Configuration, select Set static IPv4 address and network configuration (use the Space bar), and input the appropriate IPv4 address, subnet mask, and default gateway. Press Enter when done.

Go to DNS Configuration, select Use the following DNS Server address and hostname (use the Space bar), and enter your primary and alternate DNS server addresses and the hostname (FQDN). Press Enter.

Select Custom DNS Suffixes and ensure no suffixes are listed. Press Enter to continue.

Press Escape to exit the network configuration and confirm changes by pressing Y.

VLAN Configuration for VM Network Port Group:

In a web browser, log in to your ESX host using the VMware Host Client interface.

If prompted, click OK to join the Customer Experience Improvement Program.

In the navigation pane, select Networking.

Click the Port groups tab, select the VM network port group, and click Edit Settings.

On the Edit port group page, enter the VLAN ID for the VM Management Network and click Save.

Repeat this VLAN configuration for each additional host as needed.

Configure and Start NTP Service:

After initial configuration, ensure all ESX hosts have accurate time by configuring the NTP service.

In the VMware Host Client, go to the navigation pane, click Manage, then select the System tab.

Click Time & date and choose Edit NTP Settings.

Select Use Network Time Protocol (enable NTP client) and set the NTP service startup policy to Start and stop with host.

Enter the required NTP server FQDN or IP address and click Save.

Go to the Services tab, select ntpd, and click Start to activate the NTP service.

Repeat these NTP configuration steps for all ESX hosts to be added to your environment.

 

Regenerate Certificate

1. In a web browser, log in to the ESX host using the VMware Host Client.

2. In the Actions menu, click Services > Enable Secure Shell (SSH).

3. Log in to the ESX host using an SSH client such as Putty.

4. Regenerate the self-signed certificate by executing the following command:

/sbin/generate-certificates

VMware® by Broadcom 1088VMware Cloud Foundation 9.0

5. Reboot the ESX host.

6. 7. Log back in to the VMware Host Client and click Services > Disable Secure Shell (SSH) from the Actions menu.

Repeat this procedure for all remaining hosts.

 

Configure ESX Host with a signed certificate

In a web browser, log in to the ESX host using the VMware Host Client.

In the navigation pane, click Manage and click the Services tab.

Select the TSM-SSH service and click Start if not started.

Log in to the ESX Shell for the first host, either directly from the DCUI or from an SSH client, as a user with administrator privileges.

In the directory /etc/vmware/ssl, rename the existing certificates using the following commands:

 mv rui.crt orig.rui.crt

 mv rui.key orig.rui.key

 Copy the external certificate and key that you want to use to /etc/vmware/ssl.

 Rename the external certificate and key to rui.crt and rui.key.

 Restart the host management agents by running the following commands:

 /etc/init.d/hostd restart

/etc/init.d/vpxa restart

 In the VMware Host Client, select the TSM-SSH service for the ESX host and click Stop.

 

Configure a vCenter Cluster

Steps:

  1. Log in to vCenter Server via the vSphere Client.

  2. Navigate to Hosts and Clusters.

  3. Right-click the Datacenter object and select New Cluster.

  4. Enter a Cluster name.

  5. Choose cluster features to enable (e.g., vSphere HA, DRS, vSAN).

  6. Click OK to create the cluster.

  7. Right-click the cluster and select Add Hosts.

  8. Provide the ESXi host IP address/hostname and root credentials.

  9. Assign hosts to the cluster and verify licensing is applied.

  10. Configure networking and storage (vSwitches, VMkernel ports, datastores).

  11. Confirm cluster health and test HA/DRS functionality.

Deploy and Configure Virtual Machines

Steps:

  1. In the vSphere Client, right-click the host or cluster where the VM will reside.

  2. Select New Virtual Machine → New VM Wizard.

  3. Choose Create a new virtual machine and click Next.

  4. Enter a VM name and select the Datacenter/Cluster.

  5. Choose the compute resource (host/cluster).

  6. Select the datastore for VM files.

  7. Choose compatibility (e.g., ESXi version).

  8. Select a guest OS family and version.

  9. Configure CPU, memory, and disk resources.

  10. Add network adapters and assign them to port groups.

  11. Finish the wizard and power on the VM.

  12. Mount ISO or use PXE to install the guest operating system.

  13. Install VMware Tools (or Open VM Tools for Linux).

  14. Apply post-install configuration (IP addressing, domain join, patching, etc.).

Manage a Virtual Machine through vCenter

Steps:

  1. In the vSphere Client, expand the Cluster or Host to view VMs.

  2. Select the VM to manage.

  3. Use the Summary tab to check CPU, memory, and disk usage.

  4. Perform VM actions as needed:

    • Power on/off, suspend, or reset

    • Edit settings (CPU, RAM, NICs, disks)

    • Snapshot management (create, revert, delete)

    • Migrate VM (vMotion or Storage vMotion)

    • Monitor performance under the Monitor tab

  5. Open a remote console session to access the VM directly.

  6. Use Alarms and Tasks to review events and troubleshoot issues.

  7. Apply patches/updates and verify VMware Tools status.

  8. If required, perform backup/restore using vSphere Data Protection or third-party tools.