Couple of newbie questions if i may please?

[JamesJon]

Hi,

I've managed to successfully install Esxi5.5 evaluation on my Dell T310 tower server at home.

My first possibly ignorant question is should I be concerned that my host server has been given a 192.168.0.x address by my router? (which I've now configured in as a static address)

I realise the router and the gateway are the .1 of that but I'm concerned my server may be open to the outside world maybe? (told you it was an ignorant question lol)

The you tube videos I've been watching all have servers being given ip addresses starting 172.1 or 10.1 etc.

My second question concerns connecting to the host from the VSphere web client on my laptop.

I get all sorts of certificate warnings when attaching via the web client which I expected. The strange thing though is that I can connect to the host via the URL, but then cannot ping the host via the command prompt?

I've put a specific hostname and ip address in my hosts file which I thought would resolve this but no joy.

The weird thing is when the management lan was tested as part of the setup process it pinged my Esxi host server fine.

Any advice would be warmly received 

Cheers

Jimmy

[virtualg_uk]

Hello and welcome!

For your first question, this IP: 192.168.0.x is a private IP address just like the others you saw on the YouTube videos. This IP is not accessible from the outside world unless you setup port forward / NAT rules on your router.

The certificate warnings are expected on a default installation.

Can you try to connect to the host via the vSphere client. You wont be able to manage the host via the Web Client as ESXi 5.5 does not have this functionality.

This is the direct link to the latest 5.5 vSphere Client installer: http://vsphereclient.vmware.com/vsphereclient/3/0/2/4/3/4/5/VMware-viclient-all-5.5.0-3024345.exe

I hope this is helpful, let us know how you get on.

[JamesJon]

Hi Graham,

Thanks for the welcome

I've installed the VSphere client and all looks great, thankyou

A couple more quedstions though if I may?

VMWare is giving me the choice of downloading VCenter Server 5.5 or VCenter Server Appliance 5.5 in order to create my datacentre. Which one should I choose do you think?

Googling them shows that they are much of a muchness so i'm unsure really of the pros and cons of each?

Secondly, once I've created a domain for my lab, would you advise adding my physical ESXI host to it? I'm assuming it wont be able to logon to the domain on startup as the domain controller wont be switched on as its located within the host itself?

Cheers,

James.

[JamesJon]

Just a quick update to my last post.

I cannot actually download either VCenter server 5.5 or Vcenter server Appliancce 5.5 as when I try using my free evaluation login I get the following error:

You either are not entitled or do not have permissions to download this product.

Check with your My VMware Super User, Procurement Contact or Administrator.

Does this mean that there is no way I can download these now do you think?

Cheers

James

[virtualg_uk]

Hi James

You should get these as part of your evaluation however I suspect you might only be able to get the 6.0 or 6.5 media now ad 5.5 is quite old. Perhaps you could try 6.0 or 6.5?

For the VCSA or vCenter Server. As of vSphere 6.0 they are almost the same, in 5.5 there might be some products that work better with the Windows version but I see a lot of people migrating to the appliance nowadays so I would try that (It will save you a Windows Server license)

[JamesJon]

Hi Graham,

Thanks for you reply

I've tried downloading VCenter Server 6.0 and VCenter server appliance 6.0 but get the same error unfortunately relating to being unauthorised to do so with my evaluation license.

I can download VCenter Server 6.5 however, but not VCenter Server Appliance 6.5, so it looks possibly like VMware have removed the VCSA from their suite of evaluation products maybe?

Cheers

James

[virtualg_uk]

I find that them removing the VCSA from the 6.5 trial VERY odd because they push the VCSA more than then Windows vCenter Server now.

I'll try to see whats going on

[virtualg_uk · Accepted solution]

I've just started a trial and I can download the VCSA, can you see this option under "License and Download"

[JamesJon]

Hi Graham,

Thanks so much for this - I didn't realise it was also known as VCenter Server for Linux. I am happily downloading it now           

Cheers,

James