Install VMware ESXi 5.1 with Screenshots

VMware ESXi is free. However, the software comes with a 60 days evaluation mode. You should register on VMware website to get your free license key to come out of the evaluation mode. Once the ESXi is installed, you can either user vSphere Client on the Direct Console User Interface to administer the host.

VMware ESXi is based on hypervisor architecture that runs directly on top of a hardware as shown below.

1. Download ESXi server

Get the software from the VMware ESXi download page.

Lets start now

Step1:

VMware VMvisor Boot Menu

1.Insert the VMWARE ESXi5.1 DVD and power on the server. ESXi installer will load the necessary files for installation.
 

2.Once all the modules are loaded successfully,you will get the below screen with server configuration.

3.Continue the installation by just pressing enter key.

4.By default,you have to accept the license to continue the installation by pressing F11.

5.Select the disk in which you would like to install VMWARE ESXi 5.1.It requires minimum 4~ to 5~GB disk space.Enter to continue.

6.Select the keyboard layout.Here i am selecting "US Default".

7.Its time to secure ESXi  by providing the complex root password.Enter to continue.

8. Here the Installer gathers the system information before start copying the files to the disk.

9.Here will be the final confirmation you need to give before destroying any data on that disk.Press F11 to continue the installation.

10.Installation begins.

11.Reboot the system to complete the installation.Make sure that you  have removed the installation media from the server.

      Some of the console message while rebooting the system

12.Now vmware EXSi 5.1 will boot from hard disk and you will get the below screen,once its completely up.

13.Many of them wonder that, how to login to the system. You can get login screen by just  pressing F2.

14.After logging to the system,you can see there are many options provided for configuring the ESXi and viewing the system logs.It also provided troubleshooting options as well.

That all from the VMWARE ESXi 5.1 installation part. Hope you liked it .
The next part will be installing http://ranjiththulasi.blogspot.in/2013/08/vmware-vcenter-51-server-installation.html to setup complete ESXi environment..




Thank you for reading this article.

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