VMware vSphere 6.5 Part 1 - ESXi, Networks, Virtual Machines

Install, configure, and administer the VMware ESXi 6.5 hypervisor to manage virtual machines within vSphere 6.5.

explore how the enterprise class hypervisor ESXi turns a PC into a virtualization engine, with step-by-step installation, initial and post-install setup, and networking for management and security.

Install ESXi 6.5 on two enterprise-class PC servers and partition local storage. Connect to the newly installed ESXi hosts with the host client and the legacy C# server client.

Discover ESXi hardware foundations, including supported PC servers, CPU cores, and NUMA architectures, with VMkernel memory allocation and networking and storage options for scalable virtual machines.

Boot from the ESXi 6.5 install media, accept the license, and install ESXi on a chosen disk. Configure management network settings and test connectivity via the direct console user interface.

Boot from the ESXi 6.5 install media, run the power-on self-test, and verify enterprise-class pc server hardware against the hardware compatibility guide before proceeding.

Accept the End User License Agreement to proceed by acknowledging the on-screen license popup and pressing F11 to accept the terms and conditions.

Select the target volume for the ESXi installation, choosing a local data store (RAID array or SATA/SSD) and distinguishing it from remote SAN storage before proceeding.

Choose an upgrade path: in-place upgrade preserves the ESXi host configuration and VMFS partitions; or wipe ESXi partitions (VMFS preserved) for a fresh install, or wipe all for a reset.

Identify the keyboard type for the ESXi install and set the administrator root password; there is no officially sanctioned password reset tool, so forgetting the root password requires reinstalling ESXi.

VMware uses hardware virtualization to reduce overhead for virtual machines on modern CPUs. Enable hardware virtualization features in the BIOS; without it ESXi may fail to boot after reboot.

Hardware assisted virtualization uses Intel VT-x or AMD-V to trap privileged guest instructions and enable two-tier memory management with the MMU and extended page tables or rapid virtualization indexing.

Enable hardware virtualization assist in the bios to allow ESXi installation on hardware; enable Intel virtualization technology in processor options, and note pass-through device virtualization may interfere if not needed.

The installer performs a fresh ESXi 6.5 install on the data store, repartitions the disk, and uses 8 GB for ESXi with the rest as a DMF volume for VMs.

Complete the VMware vSphere 6.5 installation in three to five minutes, then run 60-day evaluation mode or apply a permanent license; administer via browser or direct console and reboot.

Navigate the direct console user interface to perform post-install ESXi 6.5 configuration, view version and resources, and access the host via DHCP or IPv6 using a web browser.

Log in to ESXi 6.5 for the first time using the initial account and the password set during install, perform post-install configuration and updates, and access the management interface.

Navigate the direct console user interface to customize an ESXi host, configure the root password, adjust networking and keyboard settings, review system logs, and note the last-resort reset.

Examine the ESXi management network configuration and learn why a statically assigned IP is preferred over DHCP, and how to change the default properties to conform with best practices.

Configure the ESXi management network: select the NIC for management traffic, assign IPv4/IPv6 properties, and set the DNS client information and DNS domain search list.

Identify ESXi host management NICs by inspecting the observed adapter roster and MAC addresses. Use the spacebar to toggle NIC selection and form a NIC team for throughput and redundancy.

Explore how an ESXi host virtualizes networking with a virtual switch (switch 0), mapping virtual adapters to physical NICs, MAC addresses, and patch cables to a physical switch.

Configure the ESXi management interface with a static IPv4 address, subnet mask, and default gateway in the management networking settings, and review DHCP options and static leases.

Configure dns for the esx host by setting the primary dns server, optional secondary dns server, and a hostname, ensuring a dns address record exists and reverse lookups resolve.

Explore custom DNS suffixes to define a roster of domain names, enabling automatic construction of a host's fully qualified name and a prioritized DNS lookup order for ESXi hosts.

Commit management network changes by pressing escape and choosing save, instantly applying them to the ESX host without reboot. If you choose no, return to configuration, or reconfigure as needed.

Use the direct console test management network to verify the ESX host's management interface on your network by pinging gateway, DNS, and resolving the fully qualified host name to IP.

Enable troubleshooting options to control direct command line access to the ESXi host via ESX shell or ssh, keep services disabled by default for security.

Restart management agents from the direct console to restore ESXi host management; the agents shut down gracefully, restart clean, and may disconnect vCenter or client sessions, with EMS unaffected.

Access the ESXi command line via Alt-F1, log in as root, and learn how the ESXi Shell service and security implications affect logging, alongside using VMware GUI tools for administration.

view the latest vmkernel log entries via the host console keystroke, and inspect /var/log to analyze kernel logs and the log server for network issues.

Browse the esx host's configuration and log files via a built-in web server, log in as root, and view vm kernel log files and other configuration files.

The vSphere client is officially end of life for vSphere 6.5, with no official support, while legacy versions offer limited unofficial support and 6.0 can still connect to older hosts.

Log in and manage ESXi hosts with the vSphere client 6.0, using root credentials and ESXi host access; note the Windows-only limitation for non-Microsoft devices and newer virtual hardware support.

Log into the vSphere client to connect to an ESXi host, explore components like local inventory, VMs, hosts, and resource pools, and review rules and system logs.

Explore the ESXi host client, a modern web interface for directly managing a standalone ESXi 6.5 host, including login to the host and access to features beyond the deprecated client.

Explore the ESXi host client home view, navigate between host, management, monitoring, VM, networking, and storage functions, and review quick stats and hardware details.

Explore the ESXi default local users and the rule-based access model that requires an account and role to interact with the host. Learn about administrator, read-only, and no access rules.

Join the ESXi 6.5 host to an Active Directory domain to simplify permissions for domain users and avoid replicating local accounts.

Sync the ESXi hardware clock with reliable NTP servers to keep VM time accurate. Enable NTP in the host settings and point to trusted servers to prevent drift.

Learn how ESXi 6.5 licensing works, from a 60-day evaluation with all features to signing a 25-character key that unlocks licensed features directly or via the center server.

Tour the host client to view hardware health through monitor, hardware, and sensors, detailing temperatures, fans, and power; note virtual machines lack sensors and SIM enables error propagation.

Inspect four physical network adapters on the ESXi host, named 0 through 3, with auto negotiated gigabit links, MAC addresses, and the VMkernel management ports shown in the network view.

Review and harden an ESXi host by using the firewall tab in networking to inspect service names, inbound/outbound rules, ports, and protocols.

Configure ESXi firewall to restrict source networks and isolate management traffic from production networks. Define allowed IP ranges or subnet blocks in host client firewall rules to enforce access.

Maximize physical cpu capability by selecting servers with strong processors, emphasizing cores, speed, and cache, while leveraging hyper-threading and vmkernel scheduling for better throughput.

Explain how ESXi memory works, including the 4 gigabytes startup minimum and kernel memory reservation. Show how overcommit allocates memory on demand, suggesting 20–40 percent overcommit for typical workloads.

Master ESXi networking concepts, balancing virtual and physical networking with virtual switches and uplinked NICs, and optimize cpu resources through benchmarking for network-sensitive workloads.

Explore ESXi storage options—fiber channel SAN, iSCSI SAN, and local storage—and how multipath improves reliability and performance with active standby or active-active paths and drivers.

Explore the host client's limitations as a web-based ESXi management tool, including feature gaps and stability issues, and note updates from the DMARDs download site released about every three months.

Access a remote lab for vmware vsphere 6.5 using rdp or web access to two replicated esxi hosts and Windows desktops, with active directory, DNS, DHCP, and isolated lab environments.

Install ESXi 6.5 on a dedicated host, power on via remote access, then verify, download, and install the host version, and complete post-install configuration with the DCUI and host client.

Access the remote lab to install esxi 6.5 and learn remote setup. Download the vSphere client, connect to the esxi host, and run the installer.

Install esxi 6.5 via hands-on lab, verify hardware compatibility, accept the eula, select boot volume, and complete a destructive install, then access dcui for post-install configuration and management network setup.

Tour your ESXi host with the vSphere client to review hardware, memory, networking, storage, and licensing in evaluation mode. Update and install the latest host client via FileZilla and PuTTY.

Explore configuring an ESXi 6.5 host with host client, including data store rename, user creation with read-only permissions, and joining an Active Directory domain for domain accounts.

Configure ESXi 6.5 time synchronization with AP network time protocol to keep VM clocks accurate; set high performance CPU policy and restart management agents via the direct console.

Introduction to virtual networking on ESX, exploring virtual and physical networking in the vSphere 6.5 training for Isak's lab.

Follow the project plan to set up the ESX host, configure virtual networking with virtual switches, and connect NIC uplinks to physical switches for peer communication.

Outline virtual networking concepts, including virtual NICs, virtual switches, uplinks, and port groups, and explain single physical NIC uplink paths, and brief multi NIC uplink options.

Explore vNetwork switches, including single-host standard switches (VSS) and multi-host distributed switches, managed via vCenter, and learn how traffic types such as vm, vmkernel, and IP storage are handled.

Explore standard vSwitches (VSS) inside a single ESXi host, enabling VM-to-VM networking on the same or multiple LAN segments, VMkernel to external networks, and management traffic via switch 0.

Explore the ESXi 6.5 physical network setup, where the VMkernel manages NICs, supports NIC teaming via LACP and uplink port groups, VLAN tagging, and driver-based device limits, emphasizing hardware compatibility.

VMware vSphere 6.5 expands ultra high end networking with QLogic and Intel NICs up to 100 gbps, and ConnectX adapters delivering 40–100 gbps bandwidth.

Choose the right virtual NIC for your ESXi VM, from Intel 1000 or 1000e emulations to VMXNET3 for high throughput, and rely on automatic port assignment when powering on.

Compare virtual switches and distributed virtual switches, and outline per-host limits: up to 4,096 ports across all switches and up to 248 switches per host, with uplinks to physical networks.

Learn how ESXi networking uses standard virtual switches, with isolated, single uplink, and NIC-teamed uplinks to deliver VM-to-VM traffic and external connectivity.

Explore isolated virtual networking using a switch with no physical uplinks. Create an internal lan where vms exchange traffic without external access, ideal for test networks and distributed applications.

Understand outbound virtual networking in vSphere 6.5, linking the virtual switch to an uplinked physical switch, MAC addresses, promiscuous mode, and frames without an IP stack on the NIC.

Create a teamed network by joining two to eight physical NICs to improve throughput and resilience, with port-based or IP hash load balancing across active and standby NICs.

The vSwitch forwards frames internally between VMs via port groups and virtual NICs, or externally via uplink NICs to physical peers, with performance governed by memory speed and physical network.

Explore vSwitch connection types by configuring VMkernel ports and port groups, assigning VMkernel NICs with IP and subnet settings for management, vMotion, and virtual machine networking.

Port groups are named collections of virtual switch ports for VMs; powered-on VMs receive a port, off VMs release it, and groups inherit or customize security and traffic shaping.

Create a new vSwitch to separate management and production networks. Configure MTU, assign a physical NIC, and enable Cisco and link layer discovery protocols with custom security policies.

Discover how vSphere 6.5 uses three independent tcp/ip stacks—production, vMotion, and provisioning—enabling isolated traffic, network boot via auto deploy, image builder, and host profiles for cross-site vMotion.

Configure a new port group on the vSphere switch by naming it, assigning a VPN tag, selecting its switch, and optionally overriding default security settings.

Navigate to the networking icon, open virtual switches, and review a vSwitch's properties, including mtu, Cisco discovery protocol settings, and NIC teaming policies with load balancing by originating port ID.

Create or update a pnic team by adding a second uplink to the virtual switch to boost vm kernel ports and vm traffic; review traffic shaping policies and save.

Enable Cisco discovery protocol to advertise your device, listen for others, or both (or none) on your switch, ensuring compatibility with Cisco management tools.

Discover rules for virtual switches, including exclusive physical NIC ownership, uplink constraints, and trunking. Learn how virtual NICs connect to port groups for most virtual machines.

Configure virtual machines to use vmxnet3 NICs for higher throughput than e1000 on the same network, unless the OS or application requires a specific NIC such as e1000/e1000e.

Review ESXi default switch properties, create a standard switch with a vMotion kernel port and an uplink NIC, and enable Cisco discovery protocol on switch one.

Explore network attached storage and the network file system in VMware vSphere 6.5, demonstrating how a host acts as an NFS client to access a fileshare.

Connect the esx host to the nfl server's file shares via virtual networking, using them as data stores for vms and install media, enabling high availability and load balancing.

Explore network attached storage as the lowest cost shared storage option for ESXi, learn how to connect to shares, and use NFS shares with performance tips and best practices.

Examine local storage challenges in vSphere, including host failure impacts on VMs and the costly storage vMotion, and learn why NAS shared storage enables HA and load balancing.

Learn how network attached storage enables smb, nfs, and samba file shares from Windows and Linux, and ESXi’s eight concurrent nfs limit.

Explore nas/nfs use cases in VMware vSphere 6.5, using nas shares as data stores, as a repository for templates and backups, and enabling vMotion across fs storage with high availability.

Compare nas protocols by evaluating smb/cifs and nfs, noting smb’s proprietary, vendor-closed model versus nfs’s vendor-neutral, open standards and open source implementations.

Configure a linux-based NFS server to publish shares, connect the ESXi host to a dedicated, isolated NAS network, mount the NFS share, and use it for storage.

Define nfs shares on linux by editing /etc/exports, share under the templates directory, restrict access by IP address, set rw or ro, and disable root squashing for esxi hosts.

Configure a nas/nfs vmkernel port in vSphere 6.5 to route nas/nfs traffic, add the port via storage view if needed, and isolate the NFL LAN segment in labs.

Connect the ESXi host to an NFS data store using the new datastore wizard, mount the NFS data store, and provide the interface mount details.

Explore the data store roster to view all NFS shares, displaying raw, used, and free capacity and thin provisioning status; note the ESX host consumes storage, not server-side share details.

Unmounts an NFS share by disconnecting the ESXi host, clarifying that delete removes only configuration, not data, and that remounting later requires the share's IP and full path.

Increase the number of concurrent NFS mounts on an ESXi host by editing NFS max volumes in advanced settings (default 8, up to 256), then reboot to apply changes.

Troubleshoot NFS shares by verifying server name or IP, enabled services, and share properties; preserve case in paths, use Unix slashes, check firewall and connectivity, and verify VMkernel reachability.

Compare nas/nfs pros and cons, highlighting free nas servers, shared storage benefits for proof of concept deployments, backup targets, high-density storage, and offloading tasks via vmware api for integration.

Assess NAS/NFS cons in vSphere 6.5: a single network path that limits throughput and outages that make shares go offline, while NAS lacks snapshots and storage pools.

Revisit nfs v3 multipathing and speed: it does not support multipath, so esxi uses a single network path and ip pair, limiting access speeds; cheap sata disks can bottleneck.

Provision fastest ethernet and an isolated LAN to maximize NFS 3 performance and reliability, use NIC bonding for redundancy with dedicated uplinks, and note it does not support load balancing.

Enable jumbo frames on supported hardware to improve NFS performance, and use separate read-only and read-write shares with sync for writes and caching for templates and ISO images.

Connect your ESXi host to a NAS/NFS share and access pre-populated media for vSphere 6.5. Browse another NAS share to locate ISO images and files for future labs.

Review concepts of shared storage and fs server functionality on vSphere, including ESXi host connections, VM kernel port configuration, and CMS share options like rewrite, no squash, and synchronous rates.

Configure a new VMkernel port for NFS connectivity on the ESXi host, then create data stores from two NFS shares—sphere 6.5 files and manifest ISOs—using the data store wizard.

Explore virtual hardware and virtual machines in VMware vSphere 6.5 training, gaining an in-depth look at how virtual hardware and virtual machines function.

Explore virtual machines from an introduction to the virtual hardware layer, to creating, powering on, and installing a guest OS, and understanding the role and mechanics of VMware Tools.

Build your first virtual machine on the esx host using virtual hardware that mirrors pc server hardware, and consider how cpu, memory, network, and storage bandwidth affect performance.

Explore how virtual machines rely on a virtual hardware layer that emulates common pc/server components, enabling guest operating systems to use native drivers and run as if physical.

Use the new virtual machine wizard to name the VM, set compatibility to the oldest ESX host, and select the guest OS family and version for proper VMware tools compatibility.

Explore virtual hardware version 13 in VMware vSphere 6.5, including advanced video, 3D support, USB, SATA and SCSI options, and NVMe via VME controllers.

Configure and customize the hardware for a new virtual machine in vSphere, adjusting cpu sockets and cores, memory, disk size, controllers, network adapters, and cd/dvd settings for optimal os deployment.

Explore the virtual hardware layer that emulates an Intel chipset and supports legacy to modern guest operating systems with flexible controllers (floppy, ide, sata) and enhanced 3d video capabilities.

Declare the virtual socket and core layout for your vm to define its vcpu. Power on the vm to see the default 1 socket 1 core and the 128-core ceiling.

Understand how physical CPUs relate to virtual CPUs in vSphere 6.5: virtual CPUs use independent sockets and cores, don’t map 1:1, and hyper-threading is not used.

Configure vCPU sockets and cores in the vSphere 6.5 wizard, favoring one socket with more cores to align with Windows licensing requirements and OS limits.

Declare VM memory, reported by BIOS to the guest OS, starting at 4 MB; multiples of 4 MB up to 6 TB, with on-demand page allocation.

Explore storage for new virtual machines: choose between software emulated controllers and para virtual SCSI, create thin-provisioned virtual disks on a data store, and manage disk modes and snapshots.

Explore the VMware paravirtual controller and PV SCSI driver for faster disk I/O, and learn to install them on Windows or Linux using VM images and floppy media during setup.

Attach a paravirtual floppy controller and drive to the VM, select the correct floppy media image for each OS, and boot to install the driver from the floppy.

Select the correct 32-bit or 64-bit driver for the OS architecture, then load the appropriate floppy image (i386 or amd64) to identify the storage controller and continue the install.

Complete the virtual machine hardware by adding virtual network adapters, LPT/parallel ports, and a USB controller. Map COM ports to the physical host and note guest OS USB drivers.

Use the remote console to manage a VMware vSphere 6.5 virtual machine, including power operations, snapshots, full-screen console, media changes, control-alt-delete delivery, and BIOS access during boot.

Learn how to use the virtual machine bios boot options to select boot devices (network, cd/dvd, hard disk) and set a 10-second boot delay for the on-screen boot menu.

Power on the virtual machine and install the guest OS by attaching an ISO image to the virtual CD/DVD reader, then boot from the CD/DVD, floppy, and finally PXE.

VMware tools replace guest OS drivers with virtual hardware drivers for better video, mouse, and disk performance and enable copy-paste between guest and host via VMCI and VMC messaging.

Discover how to hot add a USB controller to a running VM, then connect up to 20 USB devices from the ESXi host or a desktop pass-through to the VM.

Tune Windows performance on ESXi host by reducing resource footprint: disable visual effects, turn off screen savers, and require login on resume to protect virtual machine sessions.

Discover how to take and manage virtual machine snapshots to capture the running virtual machine's disk and memory state, add a description, and safely revert for testing, patching, and training.

Explain how snapshots create a delta disk that stores changes since the snapshot, while the base remains read-only, forcing reads to the delta first then the base.

Explore the snapshot manager for VMware vSphere 6.5 to manage base VM snapshots—take, restore, or delete them. Restoring returns to a prior snapshot; deleting commits changes.

Explore how a powered-off vm stores in a directory of files, including the vmx blueprint, vmdk disks, bios and ram data, logs, and snapshots.

Explore the spectrum of guest operating systems supported by VMware vSphere 6.5, including Windows server families, Linux Red Hat Ubuntu Debian, Mac OS X, Solaris, FreeBSD, SCO OpenServer, and UnixWare.

Explore virtual hardware versions from 8 to 13, their ESXi compatibility, and how cores per socket and RAM limits drive upgrade decisions.

Upgrade virtual hardware to modernize features, scalability, and performance—adding more ram, faster cpus, and better ports—while matching the hardware version to the oldest ESXi host in your environment.

Upgrade the virtual hardware version by installing the latest VMware Tools, shutting down normally, snapshotting, upgrading hardware, then booting and committing the snapshot if successful.

Create and configure a new virtual machine, install Windows Server 2008, and install essential tools. Verify internet access and, optionally, export the vm to ovf for re-import.

Virtual machine is a software object that emulates pc hardware, with a VM kernel handling storage and network io and VMware tools inside the guest providing optimized drivers.

Create a windows server 2008 32-bit VM on an ESXi 6.x host with paravirtual hardware. Enable memory plugs, boot delay, VM tools, and use the remote console for installation.

Demonstrates a hands-on virtual machine lab in VMware vSphere 6.5, powering on a Windows Server 2008 VM via remote console, loading drivers, and installing VMware Tools for optimal performance.

Demonstrates hands-on lab steps to configure a Windows Server 2008 VM: install VM tools, add software via ISO, set BG info wallpaper, rename, and optimize performance for rapid deployment.

Explore advanced vm management on an esx host by unregistering and re-registering vms, browsing the data stores, and managing snapshots. Export the configured vms to ovf/ova for migration.

Export a VM to an OVL archive, then import it back into the ESXi host via the host client, boot the VM, and outline moving VMs with USB for efficiency.