Once you install ESX Server on one system, you can set up a script necessary for performing a scripted installation of ESX Server on other systems.

When setting up the script, you must choose the networking method for the server on which you will install ESX Server. You can specify unique network identification information, including the static IP address and host name of each system or you can use DHCP initially to quickly set up a number of ESX Server systems.

You can use DHCP initially to create one installation script that is used to deploy new ESX Server systems from the same floppy image. You must then configure each system separately and assign a unique host name and IP address. This is in addition to configuring the server with the management interface wizard.

Otherwise, you can create multiple floppy images, each containing unique network identification information you specify when you set up the script.

You must copy the script and other essential files to a floppy disk at the end of the setup process, so make sure you have a formatted floppy disk handy. You need a program to write the script to the floppy disk, such as dd, rawwritewin or rawrite. Make sure the program works with the operating system of the client on which you are creating the floppy disk.

In addition, you need access to the ESX Server installation files. The files can be on the ESX Server CD-ROM, which you can leave in the CD-ROM drive of the system on which you originally installed ESX Server, or you can use the CD-ROM to install each new system. In addition, the files can be stored on a separate server and accessed across the network.

To set up the script, complete the following steps:

1. Launch a supported Web browser and enter the URL for the VMware Management Interface.

   http://<hostname>

   Where <hostname> is the name assigned to the server during installation.

2. The Login page appears. Log in to the VMware Management Interface as root. The Status Monitor page appears.
3. Click the Options tab. The Options page appears.
4. Click Scripted Installation. ESX Server checks your system for the required scripted installation components. If ESX Server is not properly configured, a page appears and displays the steps needed to set up your ESX Server. To learn how to prepare your server, see Configuring ESX Server for Scripted Installations.
5. The Scripted Install page appears. Enter the information for the script to use to configure another ESX Server system.

   

6. In the Installation Type list, select Initial Install if you are going to perform a new installation; select Upgrade if you are going to upgrade an existing ESX Server system.
7. In the Installation Method list, select from the following options:
   • Choose Network to perform a network installation from the initial ESX Server system. ESX Server detects and uses the URL from the server. For example, if the initial ESX Server system is esx21.vmware.com, the URL is:

     http://esx21.vmware.com:8555

   • Choose Remote to perform a remote network install from a server separate from the ESX Server system that still contains the ESX Server installation files. In the Remote Server URL field, enter the port number along with the name of the server that contains the ESX Server installation files, like this:

     http://<hostname>:8555/

     Where <hostname> is the name assigned to the ESX Server.

   • Select CD-ROM to install from the CD-ROM on the local CD-ROM drive on the new system.
8. In the Network Method list, select DHCP if the ESX Server system is going to have a dynamic IP address; select Static IP if the ESX Server system is going to have a static IP address.

   Note: VMware recommends each ESX Server system has its own static IP address. However, you can use DHCP to deploy new ESX Server systems from the same floppy image, then configure each system separately and assign a unique host name and IP address. Or you can create multiple floppy images containing the network identification information you specify here.

9. In the Time Zone list, select the time zone for the server you are about to install. The list defaults to setting of the original ESX Server machine.
10. In the Reboot After Installation list, select Yes only if the new system will eject the floppy disk automatically.
11. Under Root Password, specify the root password. Enter the root password in the Password field. Enter this password a second time in the Again field.
12. Click Next to continue. If the ESX Server system is going to have a static IP address, the Networking Options page appears.
13. Enter the information for networking.

    

14. Enter the host name in the Hostname field, the IP address in the IP Address field, the netmask in the Netmask field, the network gateway in the Gateway field and the domain name server in the Nameserver field.

    Note: Be sure to include the full domain name if you are running with domains.

15. Click Next to continue. The next Scripted Install screen appears.

    

16. Read through the end user license agreement and check I have read and accept the terms in the license agreement.
17. Enter the ESX Server serial number in the VMware ESX Server field.

    If you have a license for VMware Virtual SMP for ESX Server, enter that serial number in the VMware Virtual SMP for ESX Server to configure your virtual machines with more than one virtual processor. Entering the serial number installs Vmware Virtual SMP for ESX Server.

18. Select the Advanced Configuration option if you would like to configure PCI device allocation.

    Note: Configuring PCI devices is not a required step for configuring the ESX Server scripted installation script. If you decide skip this step, you will be prompted to configure PCI devices the first time you log in to the VMware Management Interface.

19. Click Next to continue. If you selected to configure PCI device allocation, the Set PCI device allocation page appears.

    

20. Allocate memory to the service console and select PCI devices assignments.

    In the Service Console list, choose the amount of memory reserved for the service console.

    The default amount for memory reserved for the service console, 192MB, is sufficient for managing up to eight virtual machines concurrently. Change this to 272MB for up to 16 virtual machines., 384MB for up to 32 virtual machines or 512MB for more than 32 virtual machines. Choose 800MB if the service console requires additional memory for installations.

    Allocate the PCI devices. Specify the following:

    • Enter the Bus, Slot, and Function values using hexadecimal numbers.
    • Choose the assignment for each device as Service Console, Virtual Machines or Shared.

      Note: For more information on allocating PCI devices, refer to the VMware ESX Server Administration Guide.

21. Select Next to continue. The Partition Configuration page appears.

    

22. Under Partition Configuration, specify the following for each partition in the service console:
    • In the Drive list, select from the list of disks.
    • In the Mount Point field, specify the mount point. You should specify at minimum boot (/boot), root (/) and swap (swap) mount points.
    • In the Size field, specify the size of the partition in megabytes (MB).
    • In the Type list, select the type of file system. Choose from ext3 and swap. Select swap if the partition is a swap partition.
    • Check the Grow check box if you want the partition to grow until it fills the disk. VMware recommends you do not make your boot and swap partitions growable.
23. When you are satisfied with your choices, click Next to continue. The next Scripted Install screen appears and provides two options:
    • Download Floppy Image — this option creates a disk image of a VMware ESX Server scripted installation boot disk. It is used to begin an automated, unattended installation of ESX Server on another server machine.
    • Download Kickstart Image — choose this option if you use third party deployment tools to create kickstart images.
24. Click Download Floppy Image to create a floppy disk image.
    • Save the file as an image with a .img extension. If you are creating more than one floppy image (for example, you are not using DHCP in the initial configuration and you want to specify the host name and IP address for each new ESX Server system), change the settings as appropriate and create a new floppy image with a unique name.
    • Use the dd, rawwritewin or rawrite program to copy the image file (.img) to the floppy disk. For each floppy image you created, create a new floppy disk.

      Note: The rawrite program is available for download from this page. Click the link to begin the download process.

    • Now you can put the floppy disk into the floppy drive of another machine, power the machine on and let the installation run.
25. Click Download Kickstart File to create a kickstart definition file.