Install ESX 5 in lab enviroment

[sqlservergeek]

I wanted to get some hands on experience on how ESX in configured, so here is what i plan to do:

i) Use two physical desktops as my two ESX hosts.

ii) Use a switch

iii) Some sort of NAS

My thought i would connect two ESX hosts to the switch , connect NAS to the same switch and present NAS as a volume to the ESX hosts. I really want to test out failover capabilities of VMWare. This is highlevel. Is this something it is possible? I have installed standalone ESX's before, never installed in a cluster. Also i do not want to do all in a VM over VM like thing, want to have individual hardware. Can someone please provide pointers how to do this?

[krish290785]

You have enough hardware to test/learn vSphere.

Just a high level overview

1. Install ESXi on both servers

2. Mount the NAS to both the ESXi servers

3. Create a VM on one of the ESXi host and install vCenter Server

4. Join both the ESXi hosts to the vCenter.

5. Start Spinning the VMs and see the beauty of the product with its advanced features.

[KSethi]

Based on your above hardware configuration you can install ESXI on both your machines and then create NFS datastore and mount it on both the ESXI.

On one of the ESXI deploy VCenter Appliance (Readymade VM).

Once it done you have to add both your ESXI to vcenter Server inventory.

And then create a cluster and add both your ESXI hosts in that cluster and turn on HA.

You can see the failover of your VM's from one ESXI host to another and that's what you are looking for.

Rgds

Kanishk

[sqlservergeek]

Thank you. How do i connect ESXI hosts to the switches? Can it be just any switch ?

[KSethi]

Kindly check if the one you are using is part of compatibility list. https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php?deviceCategory=server

and on how to connect the same refer VMware KB: Sample Configuration - ESX/ESXi connecting to physical switch via VLAN access mode and Ex...

Hope this Answers Your Query.

Rgds

Kanishk