Introduction to ESXI
ESXi is designed to run virtual machines, minimize configuration requirements, and simplify deployment. In just a few minutes, customers can complete the entire process from installation to running virtual machines, especially when downloading and installing pre-configured virtual appliances.
There are more than 800 virtual appliances created for the VMware hypervisor on the VMware Virtual Appliance Marketplace. Today, ESXi has achieved direct integration with the Virtual Appliance Marketplace, enabling users to download and run virtual appliances instantly. This provides a new and extremely simplified way for plug-and-play software delivery and installation.
| Chinese name | esxi | Use period | Install to running virtual machine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | Download and run the virtual device instantly | Purpose | Reduce configuration requirements and simplify deployment |
| through ways | virtual machine | field | computer |
table of Contents
Architecture
The hypervisor architecture of VMware vSphere plays a key role in the management of virtual infrastructure. The bare metal ESX architecture introduced in 2001 has greatly enhanced performance and reliability, allowing customers to extend the benefits of virtualization to their mission-critical applications. The new ESXi architecture removes the Linux-based service console, which represents a similar leap forward in reliability and virtualization management. The size of the new vSphere ESXi architecture is less than 5% of ESX, improving the management of the hypervisor in terms of security, deployment and configuration, and daily management.
Improve reliability and security
The ESX architecture provided in versions prior to vSphere 5.0 relied on a Linux-based console operating system (COS) for maintainability
and agent-based partner integration. In the new ESXi architecture that is independent of the operating system, approximately 2 GB of COS is removed, and the necessary management functions are directly implemented in the core VMkernel. The removal of COS has drastically reduced the installation space of the vSphere ESXi hypervisor to about 150 MB, and has improved security and reliability due to the elimination of security vulnerabilities related to the general operating system.
Simplified deployment and configuration The
new ESXi architecture has far fewer configuration items, so deployment and configuration can be greatly simplified, and consistency is easier to maintain.
Reduce management overhead The
ESXi architecture adopts an API-based partner integration model, so there is no need to install and manage third-party management agents. Using remote command-line scripting environments (such as vCLI or PowerCLI), you can automate daily tasks.
Simplify program patching and updating
Simplified patching and updating of virtualization hypervisors Due to the small footprint and limited number of components, the ESXi architecture requires much fewer patches than earlier versions, thus shortening the maintenance window and reducing security vulnerabilities. In its life cycle, the patches required by the ESXi architecture are about 1/10 of the ESX hypervisor running with COS.
Installation setup
To install the ESXi host on the server, vSphere provides several methods: interactive, scripting, Auto Deploy, and CLI-based.
Interactive installation provides a traditional first-person installation wizard. The interactive installation program boots from the network, CD, DVD, or USB device, and then interacts with IT technicians through prompt messages. The installer creates and formats the partition and then installs the ESXi boot image. This method usually requires a lot of time and attention of IT staff, so it is most suitable for one-time installation or small-scale deployment with only a few systems.
Scripted installation uses a predefined list of configuration settings. As long as the installation script and the installation program can be accessed through disk, network, CD/DVD, USB or other suitable media, a large number of installations can be carried out at the same time with almost no human intervention. However, using the same script will cause the installed system to be exactly the same. Therefore, scripts are often best used to deploy a large number of identical ESXi hosts.
vSphere Auto Deploy is similar to a script in that it provides a wizard that allows technicians to clearly define the ESXi configuration and configuration files of hundreds of physical hosts. Auto Deploy is mainly a network boot tool, and the content is provided by the Auto Deploy server (rather than storing the content in a single host system to be installed). Customize the installation of ESXi
through the PowerShell "Image Builder" command set . In most cases, command line options are used to create ESXi image upgrades or patches-for routine maintenance. Distribute and deploy by writing the new image to DVD, or through an automated distribution mechanism such as Auto Deploy.
The organization must invest time and energy in advance to test the installation program in an offline laboratory or a limited production environment that does not affect actual production activities. Pre-testing allows IT professionals to improve the installation/upgrade process, evaluate the impact of any changes, establish a baseline for comparison, resolve any potential errors or omissions, and avoid unexpected damage or downtime in the data center.
new features
In the vSphere 5.1 version, VMware has added some important enhancements to ESXi. New and improved security. No longer rely on shared root user accounts when working from ESXi Shell. Local users assigned administrative privileges automatically gain full shell access. With full Shell access, local users no longer need to execute the "su" command to become a root user to run privileged commands.
New and improved logging and auditing functions. In vSphere 5.1, all host activities in the Shell and Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) are recorded under the account of the logged-in user. This ensures that user responsibilities are fulfilled, which facilitates monitoring and auditing of activities on the host.
New and enhanced SNMPv3 support. VSphere 5.1 adds support for SNMP v.3 to support both SNMP authentication and SSL encryption.
New and enhanced vMotion. vSphere 5.1 brings the convenience and flexibility of virtual machine live migration to a new level. vSphere 5.1 allows vMotion and Storage vMotion to be combined in one operation. Combined migration copies the virtual machine's memory and its disks to the target host at the same time through the network. In a small environment, using the function of migrating memory and storage at the same time, virtual machines can be migrated between hosts that do not have shared storage. In large environments, this feature can be used to migrate virtual machines between clusters that do not have a public data storage set.
New vShield Endpoint binding. With the vShield Endpoint included in vSphere 5.1, the anti-virus and anti-malware agent processing in the guest virtual machine can be offloaded to a dedicated secure virtual appliance provided by a VMware partner.
Brand new virtual hardware. New virtual hardware. VSphere 5.1 introduces a new generation of virtual hardware, virtual machine hardware version 9. This virtual hardware includes the following new features:
64-channel Virtual SMP. VSphere 5.1 supports virtual machines with up to 32 virtual CPUs, allowing you to run larger CPU-intensive workloads on the VMware VSphere platform. 1 TB of virtual machine RAM. You can allocate up to 1 TB of RAM to a VSphere 5.1 virtual machine. Hardware accelerated 3D graphics support for Windows Aero. VSphere 5.1 supports 3D graphics and can run Windows Aero and basic 3D applications in a virtual machine.
Guest operating system storage recycling. Using the guest operating system storage recycling function, when files are removed from the guest operating system, the size of the VMDK file can be reduced, and the unallocated storage space can be recycled to the available pool of the storage array. The guest operating system storage recycling function utilizes the new SE sparse VMDK format provided by VMware View.
Improved CPU virtualization. In vSphere 5.1, vSphere hosts can better virtualize physical CPUs, thereby providing virtual machines with more information about the CPU architecture. vSphere VSphere 5.1 also adds the ability to provide other low-level CPU counters to the guest operating system. Providing low-level CPU counter information can improve the debugging, adjustment, and troubleshooting of the operating system and applications running in the virtual machine.
Other important features provided by vSphere after version 4.1 include:
AD integration The
ability to configure hosts to join Active Directory domains. After being added to the AD domain, users accessing the vSphere host will be authenticated according to the centralized user directory.
Scripted installation
The vSphere software can be installed on the local disk of the server through scripting. Various deployment methods are supported, including launching the vSphere installer directly from CD or via PXE, and accessing configuration files over the network using various protocols such as secure HTTP. The configuration file can also specify the following scripts to be executed during installation:
Pre-install
Post-install
First-boot
These scripts run locally on the vSphere host and can perform various tasks, such as configuring the host's virtual network connection and adding it vCenter Server.
Starting
vSphere from SAN supports "boot from SAN". This support includes Fibre Channel SAN, as well as iSCSI and FCoE (for certain storage adapters that have been certified for this feature).
Image Builder is a
brand new Image Builder. A new set of command-line utilities that administrators can use to create custom ESXi images that contain third-party components (such as drivers and CIM providers) required for dedicated hardware. Image Builder can be used to create images suitable for different deployment types, such as ISO-based installation, PXE-based installation, and automatic deployment. It is designed as a Power Shell plug-in component and is bundled with PowerCLI.
Firewall The
new vSphere firewall. The vSphere host management interface is protected by a service-oriented stateless firewall, which can be configured using the vSphere Client or through the command line in the ESXCLI command line interface. The use of a new firewall engine eliminates the need for iptables and allows administrators to define port rules for each service. For remote hosts, you can specify the IP addresses or IP address ranges that are allowed to access each service.
Secure Syslog The
new secure Syslog. All log messages are processed by syslog, and messages can be logged to the local and/or one or more remote log servers. Log messages can be logged remotely using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or TCP connection.
Centralized management The
new centralized management of host image and configuration through automatic deployment. vSphere automatic deployment combines the capabilities of host profile, Image Builder, and PXE to simplify the task of managing vSphere host installation and upgrades for hundreds of computers. vSphere host images are stored centrally in an automated deployment library. The new host can be automatically deployed according to user-defined rules. Rebuilding a new server is as simple as restarting.
Enhanced unified CLI framework
New and enhanced unified CLI framework. The extended and enhanced ESXCLI command-line framework provides a rich set of consistent and extensible commands, including a variety of new commands that facilitate troubleshooting and maintenance on the host[3]. The framework implements a consistent authentication, role, and audit mechanism by using the same methods as other management frameworks such as vCenter Server and PowerCLI. For the ESXCLI framework, you can use it remotely as part of vSphere CLI, or locally on ESXi Shell (formerly known as Tech Support Mode).
VMware ESXi 6.7 installation
Need to prepare:
VMware Workstation software
VMware-VMvisor-Installer-6.7.0-8169922.x86_64.iso image file
1) Open VMware
2) Create a virtual machine,
click "Create a new virtual machine"
, select "Typical" in the wizard, and then click "Next" to
select " Install the operating system later", click "Next"
, select "VMware ESX(X)" in the guest operating system, select "VMware ESXi 6.x" for the version, and click "Next" to
define the virtual machine name and location Choose the installation location by yourself, and then click "Next". The
default hard disk capacity is 40GB, select "Split the virtual disk into multiple files", and then click "Next". The
hardware does not need to be changed. Click "Finish" to complete the virtual machine create
3) Install VMware ESXi 6.7 image
Select the newly created virtual machine "VMware ESXi 6.x", click "CD/DVD"
, select "Use ISO image file" in the CD/DVD of the virtual machine settings, and click "Browse" to select Image file "VMware-VMvisor-Installer-6.7.0-8169922.x86_64.iso"
Click "OK",
click "Turn on this virtual machine" and
press Enter to confirm and
press F11 to agree and continue
If there is no response when pressing F11 on the VMware interface,
try pressing Fn+F11
The virtual machine disk has been selected, press Enter to continue the
keyboard layout. The American default is selected, press Enter to continue the
Root password and password confirm settings, press Enter to confirm,
press F11 to confirm the installation and
remove the installation media, press Enter to confirm the
installation is complete, Enter the system interface and
press the F2 key to modify the system/view log, etc., you need to enter the account password
Select the configuration management network, press enter to enter the
selected IPv4 configuration, press enter to enter and
press the space to select "Set static IPv4 address and network configuration"
Fill in the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway below
Press enter to confirm
, press esc in the configuration interface, and type Y to confirm to save
Set the management network IP address before entering the browser, enter the account password, and click "Login"
Enter the VMware ESXi Web management interface, the installation is successful.
Follow-up operations, you can further study
common problem
Enter the management interface and press F11 and other keys without response.
Solution: Fn+F11
The browser cannot open the management interface.
Solution: Try to change the ip, is it possible that the ip conflict is caused