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aquinlan01
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ESXi Managment

I've been given the go-ahead to install ESXi on a couple of new DL 360 G5's. Initially the servers will be used to create a test environment. The test environment will host three virtual hosts per DL360. I don't need any plug-in's or anything fancy like V-motion. Just the ability to install and run virtual hosts.

Although ESXi can be downloaded and installed for free I don't understand how I'm supposed to manage them. The documentation recommends using the VSphere Client which I downloaded however it's asking for a license.

Surely I'm missing something here or have VMWare created a free platform but charging people to use the management software?

Can anyone recommend any other management software? If I have to pay for licenses I'll go back to using VMWare server as It's only a test environment.

Thanks for any advise,

Andy

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Troy_Clavell
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you should have received a key when you downloaded your copy of ESXi, you just need to plug in the key into your license source under the configuration tab---licensed features.

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Troy_Clavell
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after the installation of your ESXi Host, you can point your favorite web browser to the IP of the ESXi Host, there you will be able to download and install the vSphere Client.

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aquinlan01
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Hi,

That's what did and installed the vSphere Client however when I fire it up I get the message: "Your evaluation license will expire within 60 days" When the evaluation license expires, ESX host may stop managing all virtual machines in its inventory. In order to manage these machines you must upgrade your ESX host license"

Thanks for the help

Andy

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Troy_Clavell
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you should have received a key when you downloaded your copy of ESXi, you just need to plug in the key into your license source under the configuration tab---licensed features.

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aquinlan01
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Ah, I see.

Thanks very much for your help. That makes sense now. So i take it i have full access to all the features available to me from the Vsphere client?

Thanks

Andy

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aquinlan01
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Hi,

That's what did and installed the vSphere Client however when I fire it

up I get the message: "Your evaluation license will expire within 60

days" When the evaluation license expires, ESX host may stop managing

all virtual machines in its inventory. In order to manage these machines

you must upgrade your ESX host license"

Thanks for the help

Andy

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DSTAVERT
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I would like to suggest you have a look at Veeam Monitor. A very slick tool for managing your ESXi environment and it too is free.

http://www.veeam.com/esxi-monitoring-free.html

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator
Scissor
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Hi,

That's what did and installed the vSphere Client however when I fire it

up I get the message: "Your evaluation license will expire within 60

days" When the evaluation license expires, ESX host may stop managing

all virtual machines in its inventory. In order to manage these machines

you must upgrade your ESX host license"

Thanks for the help

Andy

I think you might still need to install your license key. Using your vSphere Client, connect to your ESXi installation -> visit Inventory -> select your ESxi server from the left hand side -> Configuration -> Licensed Features -> click "Edit..." in the upper right -> Select "Assign a new license key to this host" -> Click "Enter Key" -> type in the license key that you got from VMware.

asafayan
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Thank you very much for that otherwise difficult process of simply finding where to add my license key.

Amir

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