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VMware vSphere ESXi Installation
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VMware vSphere ESXi Installation

This chapter includes the following sections:

Installing VMware vSphere ESXi on an Internal Drive

This procedure describes how to install VMware ESXi, and the required drivers, on an internal drive using Cisco UCS Manager GUI and the KVM Console.

Before You Begin
  • Make sure you have completed the prerequisites described in Installation Prerequisites Checklist and Service Profile Configuration Prerequisites.
  • If you are installing vSphere 4.x, determine whether you need custom drivers in addition to the standard system drivers that are included with the operating system. To do so, open the Cisco UCS B-Series Drivers DVD or ISO file and navigate to VMware/category/vendor/device_model/vSphere_version and read the README.html file in that folder.
Procedure
    Step 1   If you are installing the OS or drivers from virtual media, launch the KVM Console and mount the media as described in Mounting the Installation ISO Image.
    Step 2   Power cycle the server using one of the following methods:
    • In the KVM Console, go to the KVM tab and select Macros > Ctrl-Alt-Del.
    • In Cisco UCS Manager GUI, click Reset in the Actions area of the General tab.
    • On the physical server, press the Power button.
    Tip   

    If the server does not boot from the installation media, verify that the correct boot order is set in the associated service profile as described in Service Profile Configuration Prerequisites.

    Step 3   To override the normal boot order and boot from the installation media, in the KVM tab of the KVM Console, watch the boot messages and press F6 when prompted to enter the Boot Menu.
    Step 4   On the Boot Menu screen, do one of the following:
    • If you are using an ISO image, select Cisco Virtual CD/DVD and press Enter.
    • If you are using a physical install disk, select the disk drive in which that disk resides and press Enter.

    The server reboots from the selected device and begins installing the OS from the image or disk.

    Step 5   Wait until the ESXi Welcome screen displays, then press Enter to start the installation process.
    Tip   

    If the installation disk or an installed network adapter cannot be detected, make sure that you are using the ESXi installation image that VMware has customized for Cisco as described in Installation Prerequisites Checklist.

    Step 6   (Optional)If you are experiencing slow response times when using the KVM window, you can change the mouse acceleration:
    1. In the KVM tab in the KVM Console, select Tools > Session Options.
    2. Select the Mouse tab.
    3. In the Mouse Acceleration field, select Linux.
    4. Click OK to apply your changes.
    Step 7   When the installer prompts you to select the location where you want to install the OS, select the installation-target drive and click Next.

    All non-RAID drives are listed by name. Volumes created by a RAID controller are listed as logical drives.

    Important:

    Do not install the OS or drivers on any drive listed as “Viking eUSB”. While the OS considers the eUSB drives to be the same as a local drive, Cisco UCS Manager does not let you specify which local drive the server should use as the boot drive. Instead, it always boots the server from the physical local drive and ignores any internal USB (eUSB) drives.

    Step 8   When the installer displays the Confirm Install screen, press F11 to confirm your selections and start the installation process.
    Step 9   When the installer displays the Installation Complete screen:
    • If you installed from an ISO installation image, go back to the VM tab or the Virtual Media Session dialog box in the KVM Console and unmap the installation ISO by clearing the check box in the Mapped column.
    • If you installed from physical disk, eject the disk and remove it from the server.
    Step 10   Press Enter to boot the installation-target drive with ESXi.

    For information about customizing ESXi, see your VMware ESXi documentation.

    Installing VMware vSphere ESXi on an Bootable SAN LUN

    This procedure describes how to install VMware ESXi, and the required drivers, on a bootable SAN LUN using Cisco UCS Manager GUI and the KVM Console.

    Before You Begin
    • Make sure you have completed the prerequisites described in Installation Prerequisites Checklist and Service Profile Configuration Prerequisites.
    • Configure a LUN or RAID volume on your SAN, then connect to the SAN and verify that one (and only one) path exists from the SAN HBA to the LUN.
    • If you are installing vSphere 4.x, determine whether you need custom drivers in addition to the standard system drivers that are included with the operating system. To do so, open the Cisco UCS B-Series Drivers DVD or ISO file and navigate to VMware/category/vendor/device_model/vSphere_version and read the README.html file in that folder.
    Procedure
      Step 1   If you are installing the OS or drivers from virtual media, launch the KVM Console and mount the media as described in Mounting the Installation ISO Image.
      Step 2   Power cycle the server using one of the following methods:
      • In the KVM Console, go to the KVM tab and select Macros > Ctrl-Alt-Del.
      • In Cisco UCS Manager GUI, click Reset in the Actions area of the General tab.
      • On the physical server, press the Power button.
      Tip   

      If the server does not boot from the installation media, verify that the correct boot order is set in the associated service profile as described in Service Profile Configuration Prerequisites.

      Step 3   To override the normal boot order and boot from the installation media, in the KVM tab of the KVM Console, watch the boot messages and press F6 when prompted to enter the Boot Menu.
      Step 4   On the Boot Menu screen, do one of the following:
      • If you are using an ISO image, select Cisco Virtual CD/DVD and press Enter.
      • If you are using a physical install disk, select the disk drive in which that disk resides and press Enter.

      The server reboots from the selected device and begins installing the OS from the image or disk.

      Step 5   Wait until the ESXi Welcome screen displays, then press Enter to start the installation process.
      Tip   

      If the installation disk or an installed network adapter cannot be detected, make sure that you are using the ESXi installation image that VMware has customized for Cisco as described in Installation Prerequisites Checklist.

      Step 6   (Optional)If you are experiencing slow response times when using the KVM window, you can change the mouse acceleration:
      1. In the KVM tab in the KVM Console, select Tools > Session Options.
      2. Select the Mouse tab.
      3. In the Mouse Acceleration field, select Linux.
      4. Click OK to apply your changes.
      Step 7   When the installer prompts you to select the location where you want to install the OS, select the installation-target LUN and click Next.
      Step 8   When the installer displays the Confirm Install screen, press F11 to confirm your selections and start the installation process.
      Step 9   When the installer displays the Installation Complete screen:
      • If you installed from an ISO installation image, go back to the VM tab or the Virtual Media Session dialog box in the KVM Console and unmap the installation ISO by clearing the check box in the Mapped column.
      • If you installed from physical disk, eject the disk and remove it from the server.
      Step 10   Press Enter to boot the installation-target drive with ESXi.

      For information about customizing ESXi, see your VMware ESXi documentation.

      Installing VMware vSphere ESXi on an iSCSI Boot Drive

      This procedure describes how to install VMware ESXi, and the required drivers, on an iSCSI boot drive using Cisco UCS Manager GUI and the KVM Console.

      Before You Begin
      • Make sure you have completed the prerequisites described in Installation Prerequisites Checklist and Service Profile Configuration Prerequisites.
      • If you are installing vSphere 4.x, determine whether you need custom drivers in addition to the standard system drivers that are included with the operating system. To do so, open the Cisco UCS B-Series Drivers DVD or ISO file and navigate to VMware/category/vendor/device_model/vSphere_version and read the README.html file in that folder.
      Procedure
        Step 1   If you are installing the OS or drivers from virtual media, launch the KVM Console and mount the media as described in Mounting the Installation ISO Image.
        Step 2   Power cycle the server using one of the following methods:
        • In the KVM Console, go to the KVM tab and select Macros > Ctrl-Alt-Del.
        • In Cisco UCS Manager GUI, click Reset in the Actions area of the General tab.
        • On the physical server, press the Power button.
        Tip   

        If the server does not boot from the installation media, verify that the correct boot order is set in the associated service profile as described in Service Profile Configuration Prerequisites.

        Step 3   To override the normal boot order and boot from the installation media, in the KVM tab of the KVM Console, watch the boot messages and press F6 when prompted to enter the Boot Menu.
        Step 4   On the Boot Menu screen, do one of the following:
        • If you are using an ISO image, select Cisco Virtual CD/DVD and press Enter.
        • If you are using a physical install disk, select the disk drive in which that disk resides and press Enter.

        The server reboots from the selected device and begins installing the OS from the image or disk.

        Step 5   Wait until the ESXi Welcome screen displays, then press Enter to start the installation process.
        Tip   

        If the installation disk or an installed network adapter cannot be detected, make sure that you are using the ESXi installation image that VMware has customized for Cisco as described in Installation Prerequisites Checklist.

        Step 6   (Optional)If you are experiencing slow response times when using the KVM window, you can change the mouse acceleration:
        1. In the KVM tab in the KVM Console, select Tools > Session Options.
        2. Select the Mouse tab.
        3. In the Mouse Acceleration field, select Linux.
        4. Click OK to apply your changes.
        Step 7   When the installer prompts you to select the location where you want to install the OS, select the installation-target LUN and click Next.
        Step 8   When the installer prompts you to select the location where you want to install the OS, select the installation-target iSCSI boot drive and click Next.
        Step 9   When the installer displays the Confirm Install screen, press F11 to confirm your selections and start the installation process.
        Step 10   When the installer displays the Installation Complete screen:
        • If you installed from an ISO installation image, go back to the VM tab or the Virtual Media Session dialog box in the KVM Console and unmap the installation ISO by clearing the check box in the Mapped column.
        • If you installed from physical disk, eject the disk and remove it from the server.
        Step 11   Press Enter to boot the installation-target drive with ESXi.

        For information about customizing ESXi, see your VMware ESXi documentation.