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You can create new virtual machines from within the VMware Management Interface. The process sets up a new configuration for each virtual machine you create this way.

Note: You can only use ASCII characters in the entry fields when creating a virtual machine with the management interface. Thus, the virtual machine's display name and path cannot contain non-ASCII characters.

The Add Virtual Machine wizard guides you through the basic steps needed to create a virtual machine on your server. Any user who has an account on the server's service console may log in to the wizard and create a virtual machine. If you are logged in as root, you may wish to log out at this point, then log in again as a user authorized to manage the new virtual machine.

Note: Check for any VMkernel ALERT messages in the warning log files before creating a new virtual machine.

To log in to the management interface, use this URL:

http://<hostname>

1. On the management interface login page, enter your user name and password, then click Login.

   The Status Monitor page appears.

2. Click Add Virtual Machine. The Add Virtual Machine wizard starts.

   

3. Choose the guest operating system for your virtual machine. Corresponding default entries appear for the name of the virtual machine and the name of its configuration file. You can change these settings.

   The name you enter in the Display Name field is the name that is listed in the VMware Management Interface. Be sure to enter a name that allows you to distinguish this virtual machine from others you have created or plan to create.

   Be sure that the entry in the Location field is unique. The default path and filename are based on the guest operating system you have chosen. If other virtual machines have been created on this server, you must change the path to create a new, unique directory for the new virtual machine.

   The Location field contains the name of the configuration file (this file has a .vmx extension; this directory also contains other virtual machine files).

   Note: Configuration files for virtual machines created with VMware ESX Server 2.0 use the .vmx extension. Earlier versions of ESX Server used the .cfg extension. Virtual machine configuration files with a .cfg extension can be accessed by ESX Server 2.0 normally.

   When you are ready to proceed, click Next.

   

4. In the Processors list, choose the number of virtual CPUs in your virtual machine. You may choose 1 or 2 virtual CPUs, but they must be less than or equal to the number of physical CPUs on your server.

   Note: Some guest operating systems, such as Windows NT, can be configured with a single processor only. If you are configuring such a virtual machine, a note indicates this and you cannot select more than one virtual CPU.

   Note: You can create dual-virtual CPU virtual machines only if you have purchased the VMware Virtual SMP for ESX Server product. For more information on this product, contact VMware, Inc. or your authorized sales representative.

   The default setting in the Memory entry field depends on the guest operating system you have selected. You may need to change it to meet the demands of applications you plan to run in the virtual machine. You may change this setting later, on the virtual machine's Memory tab in the management interface. See Managing Memory Resources from the Management Interface.

   For background on allocating memory to virtual machines, see Sizing Memory on the Server.

   When you are ready to proceed, click Next.

   

5. Choose the type of virtual disk you want to add to the virtual machine.

   The setup process allows you to create one virtual disk for your virtual machine. You can add more virtual disks later, using the virtual machine's Hardware in the management interface. See Configuring a Virtual Machine's Virtual Disks.

   • Click Blank to create a new virtual disk. Then specify the following.

     

   1. Choose the location for the new virtual disk. In the VMFS Volume list, choose the volume on which to locate the virtual disk. The amount of free space is listed next to the volume name, so you know how large you can make the virtual disk.
   2. Give the virtual disk a name. In the VMware Disk Image entry field, specify the disk name, making sure the file has a .dsk extension.
   3. Specify the size of the virtual disk. In the Capacity entry field, specify the size of the virtual disk in MB. The default entry indicates the lesser of either 4000MB or the amount of free space available on the volume.
   4. Specify the virtual device node. Select the appropriate SCSI ID in the Virtual SCSI Node list.
   5. Choose the disk mode. Under Disk Mode, click Persistent, Nonpersistent, Undoable or Append. For a discussion of disk modes, see Using Disk Modes.

      Note: A new virtual machine with a blank virtual disk is like a new computer with a blank hard disk. You must install a guest operating system before you can use the virtual machine. See Installing a Guest Operating System and VMware Tools.

      • Click Existing to add an existing virtual disk to the virtual machine. Then specify the following.

        

   6. Choose the location of the virtual disk you want to use. In the VMFS Volume list, choose the volume on which the virtual disk is located.
   7. In the VMware Disk Image list, select the virtual disk you want. The size of the virtual disk appears in the Capacity field; you cannot change this value.
   8. Specify the virtual device node. Select the appropriate SCSI ID in the Virtual SCSI Node list.
   9. Choose the disk mode. Under Disk Mode, click Persistent, Nonpersistent, Undoable or Append. For a discussion of disk modes, see Using Disk Modes.
      • Click System LUN/Disk to allow the virtual machine to access a physical disk stored on a LUN. Then specify the following.

        

   10. Choose the LUN you want to use in the Storage Controller LUN list.
   11. Specify the virtual device node. Select the appropriate SCSI ID in the Virtual SCSI Node list.
6. When you are finished configuring the virtual disk, click Next. The Hardware tab for this virtual machine appears.

   

   You can change any of the default settings ESX Server assigned to the virtual machine (such as the disk mode, network card, color depth and any removable devices) or configuration items you specified as you create the virtual machine. To change any hardware, see Configuring a Virtual Machine's Hardware.