FreeNAS Installation

I need FreeNAS provides shared NFS storage for ESXi hosts to enable advanced features such as HA or vMotion. I gave 1GB RAM, 4 vCPU and 2GB local disk to FreeNAS virtual machine. DNS name is FreeNAS.contoso.com.

1. Don’t forget mount FreeNAS ISO file when you create FreeNAS virtual machine.
2. Power on and wait till FreeNAS setup console, then select Install/Upgrade.
3. Keep default setting on rest of screens till installation complete.
4. Click OK button to back main screen, then select Reboot System to reboot virtual machine. (Don’t forget unmounts ISO file.)
5. FreeNAS installation is completed when you see console menu of FreeNAS.

Domain and DNS services installation

I think most enterprises use Microsoft Active Directory, same to me. To save resource, I built domain controller and DNS services on same Windows Server 2012 R2 virtual machine. It’s 256MB RAM, 1 vCPU and 60GB local disk, DNS is DC01.contoso.com.

1. After complete Windows Server 2012 R2 standard version installation, you should rename computer name, set static IP address. Don’t set DNS address, then restart computer. (You should run command C:windowsSystem32SysprepSysprep.exe /generalize /reboot /oobe if the virtual machine is cloned)
2. Open Server Manager, open Add Roles and Features. Keep all options default and add Active Directory Domain Services role.
3. Don’t close wizard. Click Promote this server to a domain controller when installation is completed.
4. Choose Add a new forest, and set CONTOSO.COM as root domain name.
5. Keep all options default, it only request you enter DSRM password.
6. Keep all options default till installation starts. You may see some warning message, it can be ignored. Windows automatically reboot when Active Directory and DNS services are installed.
7. Try ping contoso.com. Domain and DNS services are installed if it solve the IP address of DC01.

vCenter Server installation

My vCenter Server installed on Windows Server 2008 R2. Please make sure the server joined domain before installing vCenter Server. You should run command C:windowsSystem32SysprepSysprep.exe /generalize /reboot /oobe
if it’s cloned. It’s 6GB RAM, 2 vCPU and 40GB disk. DNS is VC01.contoso.com

1. Mount vCenter Server image and run installation.
2. I used Simple Install for LAB. Please don’t forget install SQL Native Client and set ODBC if you use remote SQL server.
3. The only thing you need to do is enter password of Administrator@vSphere.local when use Simple Install mode. Please keep all other options default.
4. You may see stop script warning (Stop running this script?) during installation, please make sure you select No, otherwise you have to install rest of components manually and separately.
5. Wait vCenter Server installation complete, then continue install VMware vSphere Client, same keep default setting.
6. Once completed, try connect VC01.contoso.com by vSphere Client and account Administrator@vSphere.local.
7. Install Flash Player.
8. Install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Management Studio Express.
9. Okay! vCenter Server installed.

ESXI installation

Please mount ESXi 5.5 Update 2 image when you create virtual machine, VMware Workstation can automatically detects what OS you intend to install on the virtual machine. I gave 6GB RAM, 4 vCPU and 6GB disk for each ESXi host, totally 3 hosts. I suggest don’t use cloned ESXi virtual machine since it can cause weird problem. ESXi 5.5 installation is very simple, just make sure you keep default settings. DNS are ESX01.contoso.com、ESX02.contoso.com、ESX03.contoso.com。

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Serials of How to build/configure vCAC 6.2 LAB on VMware Workstation 11 (系列文章):

How to Build vCAC 6.2 LAB on VMware Workstation 11 – Part 1
How to Build vCAC 6.2 LAB on VMware Workstation 11 – Part 2
How to Build vCAC 6.2 LAB on VMware Workstation 11 – Part 3

How to configure vCAC 6.2 LAB on VMware Workstation 11 – Part 1
How to configure vCAC 6.2 LAB on VMware Workstation 11 – Part 2
How to configure vCAC 6.2 LAB on VMware Workstation 11 – Part 3

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*** Chinese Version ***

FreeNAS安装

FreeNAS将用来给ESXi主机提供虚拟的NFS存储，这样ESXi主机就可以实现vMotion、HA等高级功能了。我分配了1GB内存、4 vCPU、2GB系统盘给FreeNAS，虚拟机DNS名：FreeNAS.contoso.com。

1. 在VMware Workstation中创建FreeNAS虚拟主机。在创建向导中记得选择FreeNAS的ISO文件。
2. 开机等待到FreeNAS安装画面，选择Install/Upgrade。
3. 一路默认直到安装开始。等待安装完毕出现成功信息。
4. 点OK按钮自动返回安装主界面。选择Reboot System按钮重启虚拟机。（记得卸载ISO文件）
5. 重启结束后会出现FreeNAS的Console菜单。FreeNAS到此安装完毕。

域控制器和DNS服务器安装

大部分企业环境下都会用到微软的活动目录，我的试验环境也不例外。为了节省资源，域控制器和DNS服务装在同一台Windows Server 2012 R2上，最终我只分配了256MB内存、1 vCPU、60GB磁盘，虚拟机DNS名：DC01.contoso.com。

1. 安装完标准版的Windows Server 2012 R2后启动到桌面（如果虚拟机是克隆的，必须先运行命令：C:windowsSystem32SysprepSysprep.exe /generalize /reboot /oobe），然后重命名计算机名，配置固定IP地址，不设定DNS地址，重启服务器。
2. 打开Server Manager，打开Add Roles and Features，全部保持默认选项，一路下一步，直到添加Active Directory Domain Services角色，然后开始安装。
3. 完成安装后不要关闭向导，点击Promote this server to a domain controller。
4. 选择Add a new forest选项。把CONTOSO.COM做为域。
5. 保持默认选项，只需要输入DRSM密码。
6. 全部保持 默认选项直到开始安装。中间可能会出现一些警告信息，可以忽略。完成后，Windows会自动重启。
7. 尝试ping contoso.com，如果解析的IP地址正确，域控制器和DNS服务到此安装完毕。

vCenter Server安装

我的vCenter Server是装在Windows Server 2008 R2上的，首先要确保这台服务器加了域，并且运行了C:windowsSystem32SysprepSysprep.exe /generalize /reboot /oobe
重建SID。我给了6GB内存、2 vCPU、40GB硬盘。虚拟机DNS名：VC01.contoso.com。

1. 加载vCenter光盘，运行安装程序。
2. 为了快速搭建环境，我采用Simple Install的方式，如果你要用分步安装并且使用外部数据库，记得先安装SQL Native Client并且配置ODBC。
3. Simple Install一切选项都保持默认，唯一需要输入的就是Administrator@vSphere.local的密码。
4. 安装过程中可能会出现需要停止脚本的提示（Stop running this script?），这里一定选择No，让脚本继续运行。如果你选择了Yes，则需要再次进行分步安装。
5. 剩下的步骤一路保持默认选项，等待最终提示vCenter的组件全部安装完毕后，继续安装VMware
   vSphere Client，老规矩一切默认设定。
6. 安装完毕后，用vSphere Client和帐号Administrator@vSphere.local连接VC01.contoso.com。
7. 安装Flash Player。
8. 安装Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Management Studio Express。
9. 至此vCenter Server安装完毕。

ESXi安装

ESXi 5.5 Update 2虚拟机在创建时一定要把ISO挂载上，这样VMware Workstation会自动检测到该虚拟机要运行ESXi系统。最终我给每台ESXi虚拟机6GB内存、4 vCPU、6GB本地磁盘，一共创建3台。特别注意，最好不要克隆ESXi虚拟机，据我所知会产生一些奇怪的问题。由于ESXi 5.5 Update 2的安装非常简单，在我的实验环境里也是遵循全部默认设定，所以这里我就不给出具体安装步骤了。虚拟机DNS名：ESX01.contoso.com、ESX02.contoso.com、ESX03.contoso.com。