VM Network - No option for Bridge, NAT or Host Only option in ESXi 6.0 U3

[drthiruna]

Hi Team,
I am new to the VMware ESXi. 
Hardware:
Dell PowerEdge T610
CPU 8 CPUs x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X5560 @ 2.80GHz
Memory 31.98 GB
VMware vSphere 6 Hypervisor - DellEMC Customized Image ESXi 6.0 Update 3 A15
The ESXi assigned with a static local IP for management network. But couldn't see the option to assign the IP address for the VM I have created with Packetfence ZEN OVF file. 
https://www.packetfence.org/download.html#/zen
How to assign the IP address for the VMs in the ESXi 6.0 U3?
Regards,
Thirunavukkarasu

[scott28tt]

ESXi is not the same as Workstation (where you get options such as NAT or Bridged)

ESXi uses virtual switches, the physical NIC functions as an uplink port to connect a virtual switch to a physical one, there are port groups within the virtual switch to give connectivity to VMs and to the ESXi VMkernel too.

It’s up to you to provide all network functions such as DHCP for providing IP addresses, and DNS for name resolution.

This should help: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/7.0/com.vmware.vsphere.networking.doc/GUID-35B40B0B-0C13-4...

[drthiruna]

Hi 

Thanks for the immediate reply

As you replied, the ESXi will not support assignment of static IP address to the VMs, correct? Is this limitation only in ESXi 6.0 U3 or in latest versions of ESXi?

My requirement is installing a packetfence ZEN on a VM as described below. 

https://www.packetfence.org/doc/PacketFence_Installation_Guide.html#_installing_packetfence_from_the...

4.1. Installing PacketFence from the ZEN
The ZEN (Zero Effort NAC) edition of PacketFence allows you to rapidly get PacketFence running in your network environment. It consists of a fully installed and preconfigured version of PacketFence distributed as a virtual appliance. It can be deployed on VMware ESX/ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V and other products. This section covers the deployment of the virtual appliance on VMware-based products. 

I downloaded the OVF file from packetffence site

4.1.1. Virtual Machine
This setup has been tested using VMware ESXi, Fusion and Workstation products with 12 GB of RAM dedicated to the virtual machine. It might work using other VMware products. To properly run the PacketFence virtual appliance, you need a CPU that supports long mode. In other words, you need to have a 64-bit capable CPU on your host. PacketFence ZEN comes in a pre-built virtual disk (OVF). If you are using an ESX type hypervisor, you need to import the OVF using vSphere Client (or vCenter). 

I imported the downloaded OVF in ESXi and created the VM in ESXi 6.0 U3

First network card of virtual machine is configured to receive an IP through DHCP.

I am having no idea on this. How to do it in ESXi?

4.1.2. Import to ESX
Make sure that there is only one virtual network card created, and also make sure that your vEthernet is connected to a virtual switch (vSwitch). That virtual network card will be used as the PacketFence management interface.

https://ip_of_packetfence:1443/

As above I created VM with OVF file provided by the packetfence in the ESXi 6.0 U3. I assigned a static IP address to the management network. I tried to assign the IP address for the VM. But there is no option for that in the ESXi.  

You mentioned that option is not available in ESXi 6 U3. 

I am not clear to proceed further in this stage. How to proceed with ESXi 6,0 U3?

[a_p_]

A VMs IP address has to be assigned from withing the VM's guest OS, unless the vendor's deployment (OVF) package provides an option to do this in the deplyment wizard.

André

[drthiruna]

Thank you. My understanding is

The vSwitch will work as the L2 switch and the vmnic will get IP address from DHCP server from outside the ESXi host. Am I correct. In addition vSwitch support the vlans. 

[a_p_]

Yes, you are correct. A VM - basically the same as with a physical system - will receive IP leases from a DHCP server.
What you can do is to e.g. connect a vSwitch to tagged ports (802.1q), and then create port groups with the different VLAN IDs.

André