Yes each ESX host needs it's own IP address and its good practise to set up the partitions the same. You could create a script file for building the other 2 servers. To access the script file, follow the instructions below which is a snip from the ESX installation guide. To be honest, the time it takes to build another 2 hosts is not long however if you do decide to create a script file then read on...
*
Enabling Scripted Installation
*
After you install ESX Server on a system, you must enable the scripted installation
feature before you can use Web Access to create an installation script.
*
To enable scripted installation
*
1 Log in to the ESX Server service console as root.
2 Open the following file in a text editor such as vi:
/usr/lib/vmware/webAccess/tomcat/apache-tomcat-5.5.17/webapps/ui
/WEB-INF/struts-config.xml
3 Locate the scripted section.
4 Comment out the line reading:
<action path="/scriptedInstall"
type="org.apache.struts.actions.ForwardAction"
parameter="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/disabled.jsp" />
5 Uncomment the following lines:
<!--
<action path="/scriptedInstall"
type="com.vmware.webcenter.scripted.ProcessAction">
<forward name="scriptedInstall.form1"
path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form1.jsp" />
<forward name="scriptedInstall.form2"
path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form2.jsp" />
<forward name="scriptedInstall.form3"
path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form3.jsp" />
<forward name="scriptedInstall.form4"
path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form4.jsp" />
<forward name="scriptedInstall.form5"
path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form5.jsp" />
<forward name="scriptedInstall.form6"
path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form6.jsp" />
<forward name="scriptedInstall.form7"
path="/WEB-INF/jsp/scriptedInstall/form7.jsp" />
</action>
6 Save and close the file.
7 Type service vmware-webAccess restart.
*
Setting Up the Script
*
After you install ESX Server on one system and enable scripted installations on that
system, you can set up a script necessary for performing a scripted installation of
ESX Server on other systems.
When you set up the script, choose the networking method (static IP or DHCP) for the
server on which you will install ESX Server. You can specify unique network
identification information, including the static IP address and host name of each
system, or you can use DHCP initially to quickly set up a number of ESX Server
systems. In addition, you can edit the kickstart configuration file to comment out the
network command, which causes the installer to prompt you for network information
during the installation. See "Editing the Kickstart Configuration File" on page 107.
If you use DHCP initially to create one installation script that is used to deploy new
ESX Server systems, you must then configure each system separately and assign a
unique host name and IP address. This requirement is in addition to configuring the
server with the Management Interface wizard.
You can also create multiple scripts, each containing unique network identification
information you specify when you set up the script.
You must copy the script generated at the end of the setup process to a floppy disk or
to a network‐accessible server.
In addition, you must access the ESX Server installation files. The files can be on the
ESX Server CD‐ROM or stored on a separate server and accessed across the network.
To create your script, you can either use the VI Web Access graphical interface to specify
your script options, or you can manually create and edit a kickstart configuration file.
*
Creating a Script Using VI Web Access
*
The VI Web Access interface lets you create a kickstart configuration file using a
graphical interface.
*
To set up the script
*
1 Launch a supported Web browser and enter the URL of your ESX Server
installation to open VI Web Access.
The Welcome page appears.
2 Click Log in to the Scripted Installer.
The Scripted Install page appears.
3 Enter the information that the script needs to configure another ESX Server system:
a In the Installation Type list, select Initial Installation to perform a new
installation. Select Upgrade to upgrade an existing ESX Server system.
b In the Installation Method list, select from the following options:
Select Remote to perform a remote network install option from a HTTP or FTP
server that contains the ESX Server installation files. In the Remote Server *
URL field, type the default directory location of your root folder along with
*
the name of the server that contains the ESX Server installation files, like this:
http://<hostname>:/default location
ftp://<hostname>:/default location
For example:
ftp://<hostname>:/var/ftp/pub/build
where <hostname> is the name assigned to the HTTP or FTP server.
Select CD‐ROM to install from the CD on the local CD‐ROM drive on the new
system.
Select NFS to perform a network install using the Network File System (NFS)
application. In the Remote Server URL entry field, type the host machine
name along with the mount point, like this:
<hostmachine>:<mountpoint>
c In the Network Method list, select DHCP if the ESX Server system will have
a dynamic IP address. Select Static IP if the ESX Server system will have a
static IP address.
VMware recommends that each ESX Server system have its own static IP
address. However, you can use DHCP to deploy new ESX Server systems
from the same floppy image, and configure each system separately and assign
a unique host name and IP address. Or you can create multiple floppy images
containing the network identification information you specify here.
d If your network requires a VLAN ID, type one in the VLAN ID field.
e Select Create a default network for VMs to create a default network for
virtual machines.
Select this option to create a port group for the service console and a port
group for the virtual machines. If you do not select this option, only the service
console port group is created, and you must create the port group for the
virtual machines manually.
f In the Time Zone list, select the time zone for the server you will install.
The list defaults to setting of the original ESX Server machine.
g In the Reboot After Installation list, select Yes to have the system reboot after
the installation is complete.
h Under Root Password, specify the root password. Type the root password in
the Password field. Type this password a second time in the Again field.
4 Read through the end user license agreement and select the I have read and accept<
the terms in the license agreement check box.
*
If the ESX Server system will have a static IP address, the Networking Options
page appears.
If the ESX Server system will use DHCP, skip to Step 7.
5 Enter the host name in the Hostname field, the IP address in the IP Address field,
the netmask in the Netmask field, the network gateway in the Gateway field, and
the domain name server in the Nameserver field.
Include the full domain name if you are running with domains.
6 Click Next to continue.
The Partition Configuration page appears.
7 Under Partition Configuration, specify the following for each partition in the
service console:
In the Drive list, select from the list of disks.
In the Mount Point field, specify the mount point.
At a minimum, you should specify the boot (/boot) and root (/) mount
points.
In the Size field, specify the size of the partition in megabytes (MB). Specify
an integer value here, such as 500. Do not append the number with MB.
See Appendix A, "ESX Server Partitioning," on page 95 for recommended
partition sizes.
In the Type list, select the type of file system. Choose from vmfs, vmcore, ext3,
and swap. Select swap if the partition is a swap partition. You must create a
swap partition.
Select the Grow check box if you want the partition to grow until it fills the
available space on the disk (if any), or up to the maximum size setting.
VMware recommends you do not let your boot and swap partitions grow.
8 From the Licensing Mode list, specify one of the following:
Post Install - Choose this option to configure licensing manually after
installation.
Use License Server - Choose this option to retrieve licenses from a license
server.
Use Host License File - Choose this option to upload a license file.
9 Click Next to continue.
10 If you selected the License Server licensing type, enter the centralized licensing
information.
License Server - Enter the license server to use.
Port - Enter the port to which to connect.
ESX Server Edition - Select the edition you purchased.
11 If you selected File Based licensing, specify or browse for the license to upload.
12 Click Next to continue to the next configuration screen.
13 Click Download Kickstart File to create a kickstart configuration file.
*
Running a Scripted Installation from the Kickstart File
*
After you create a kickstart file, use one of the following procedures to run your
scripted installation, depending on whether you selected to install from an ESX Server
installation CD‐ROM or from installation files hosted on a remote server.
*
To run a scripted installation using a CD
*
1 Copy your kickstart file to a floppy disk.
2 Insert the floppy disk into the floppy drive of the machine on which you want to
install ESX Server.
3 Insert the ESX Server Installation CD into the CD‐ROM drive.
4 Boot up the machine.
The mode selection page appears.
5 Type esx ks=floppy.
6 Press Enter to start the scripted installation.
*
To run a scripted installation using a PXE server
*
1 Upload your kickstart file to an NFS or HTTP server.
2 Specify the installation method in the PXE server boot options, where <ks url> is
the URL to access the kickstart file and <method url> is the URL to access the
uploaded installation files.
