Installing VMware ESXi & VSphere Client on VMware Workstation

VMware ESXi is a good environment to run & network Virtual Machines inside a single entity. ESxi with virtual operationg systems like IOSv, IOS-XRv, IOS-XEv, ASAv etc can be used to create networking labs without simulators. ESxi is just like another server Operating System which you can install in a server or inside your VMware Workstation in your PC.

Here I am going to install ESXi 5.1 inside my VMware Workstation on my PC..

Installing VMware ESXi

Go to File > New Virtual Machine select Typical & hit Next. Browse for the Installer Disk Image file location and select the ESXi ISO image and hit Next. Now you will be asked to give a name for the virtual machine and the location to install. After entering those details, you will be asked to specify the disk capacity. On my machine, it showed 40 GB for maximum by default and I left it as it was and selected Split virtual disk in to multiple files and hit Next..

Additionally I added 3 more network cards to the virtual machine and gave the maximum recommended memory  which is about 6GBs. Now all the settings were like in the left side capture before I hit Finish. 

As soon as you hit Finish, It will start to boot and popup the following dialog box.

Boot from standard installer..












After few yellow screens it will stop at the following dialog box.

Hit Enter and Hit F11 for the Next dialog box to accept license agreements..







Now it will stop at the following dialog box.

Hit Enter to continue and you will be asked to select key board layout and a root password.

Give the credentials and hit Enter..

It will again ask for a confirmation to install ESXi, hit F11 to continue..
Now it will go fine with the installation..


After the installation is finished, a dialog box will popup, Hit Enter to reboot the VM..

Assign a Static IP Address to the VM

Bydefault ESXi will take a DHCP address but in most cases you will need it to have a static IP address in your labs.

After the reboot completed, Hit F2 to Customize System.. You will be asked to login as root; therefore give the credentials entered during the installation..

In System Configuration, go to Configure Management Network > IP Configuration

Select Set static IP address and network configuration & give an IP address inside your subnet.

Hit Enter and hit Escape to go to the 1st menu (Customize System), you will be asked to restart the management system because you have changed it's configuration..
Hit Y for yes..

Installing VSphere Client

Now go to your web browser and enter the IP address you gave to the ESXi VM..
You will be informed with a security warning from the browser because the webpage is not a HTTPS site. That's fine, go through it..

You can download VSphere Client from there..

After download, install and run the VSphere Client..

Give the IP address of the ESXi, username and passwords and hit Login.

You will be warned by a untrusted SSL connection, that's fine and Ignore the message.















Now ESXi is fully functioning, you can install new Virtual Machines inside ESXi and network the with the Virtual Switches from now on.. (click on the images to view in fullsize)