How to easily install VMware ESXi 6.0 on an Intel Xeon D Supermicro SuperServer

Posted by Paul Braren on Jun 3 2016 (updated on Jun 18 2016) in
  • HowTo
  • Virtualization
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    • 11 Comments

    This is a basic overview document, highlighting the steps that I walk you right through in the accompanying video below. The video features my live recording last week, as I was preparing the fresh server for a virtualization conference I was flying to later that same day. The video is a bit casual, and somewhat rough around the edges. There's even a ESXi Host Client HTML5 UI bug that bites me in the middle. Worry not, despite the minor glitch, you will learn some stuff, and the install and initial configuration procedure is quite straight forward, especially if this isn't your first ESXi install, and/or your first time using the HTML5 client.

    SuperServer Bundles owners haven't been asking me any questions about how to install ESXi on this system because it's quite simple, especially now that the days of fiddling with CDs/DVDs burners are well behind us.

    Prerequisites

    1. a workstation or laptop with a browser and an OS, such as Linux or Windows
    2. a Supermicro SuperServer with an Intel Xeon D-1500 processor, such as the Xeon D-1540 based SYS-5028D-TN4T Bundle 2 featured in the video below
    3. the ISO file you'll be using to install from, already downloaded from VMware, such as
      VMware-VMvisor-Installer-6.0.0.update02-3620759.x86_64.iso
      featured in the video below
    4. a USB thumb drive to install to, such as the SanDisk Ultra Fit featured in the video below, included with any SuperServer Bundle
    5. at least one available hard drive or SSD, for VMware's VMFS filesystem where your VMs will live, such as the insanely fast Samsung 950 PRO M.2 NVMe

    Stuff that's not required

    since you have that nifty IPMI management feature, you don't need

    1. a monitor attached directly to the server
    2. a keyboard attached directly to the server
    3. a mouse attached directly to the server, see also
      Little secret those new to virtualization often miss - ESXi 6.0 continues to be mostly headless, just as it was for all prior VMware hypervisor releases

    Step-by-step

    1. use your browser to connect to your SuperServer's IPMI management features using your browser (the IP address that you point your browser to is displayed if you temporarily connect a VGA monitor, shortly after power on)
    2. launch the Remote Console feature, aka, iKVM, the Java (or soon HTML5) based view of the SuperServer itself
    3. enter BIOS Configuration and configure it for UEFI, as described in detail here, note, if you bought a SuperServer Bundle, you can skip this step, since you have a turn-key solution that's ready for ESXi as-is
    4. click the iKVM Virtual Media menu option
    5. click the iKVM Virtual Storage menu option
    6. change Logical Drive Type to ISO File
    7. click Open Image to navigate to your ESXi installation ISO file, such as
      VMware-VMvisor-Installer-6.0.0.update02-3620759.x86_64.iso
    8. click the Plug in button, then the OK button
    9. click the Power Control to restart the server
    10. press F11 to invoke Boot Menu
    11. from the Please select boot device menu, select UEFI: SanDisk then press Enter
    12. proceed with a normal ESX installation
    13. from the Select a Disk to Install or Upgrade menu, choose
      SanDisk Ultra Fit (mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0) (or similar)
    14. when prompted to Remove the installation disc before rebooting, click the iKVM Virtual Media / Virtual Storage menu option, then click the Plug Out button then click OK
    15. you may now hit Enter to Reboot
    16. once the newly installed ESXi is booted off USB, it will show you the hostname or IP address that you can point your browser to, then type root and the password you configured during install
    17. now that you're authenticated, click on the Open the VMware Host Client seen at the top left of the VMware ESXi Welcome page, which launches the new HTML5 interface of VMware's future, all the basic features needed to format a datastore and create your first VMs are there for you

    You may notice that I get briefly tripped up at the 29 minute and 47 second mark, where hitting F2 to Customize System doesn't work as expected. Easy to fix, I just need to change iKVM's default keyboard mappings.

    The rest of the video goes through me setting up the clock/NTP, uploading some ISO files for VM installs, and creating a Windows 10 VM Template.

    Once you get ESXi 6.0U2 squared away, perhaps you're also planning on installing VCSA (vCenter Server Appliance). If so, check out this popular article/video:

    Step-by-step Video

    Install and configure VMware ESXi 6 on a Xeon D-1540 Supermicro SuperServer SYS-5028D-TN4T

    See also at TinkerTry

    B00LLER2CS

    See also

    tinkertry-superserver-posterboard-may-25-2016-0228pm

    All Comments on This Article (11)

    Paul Braren | TinkerTry.com

    Early prototype sticker/label (not an ideal picture):
    https://twitter.com/letsv4real/status/905253558026723328
    If you're in the US, please email me if you'd like me to mail you one, at no charge:
    https://TinkerTry.com/contact#email

    Rudi Močnik

    Firstly I went with top left. That didn't work. Then I found the network settings and plugged the cable on the bottom left which is the first interface on the list (also has the lowest MAC). That seemed to be selected by default.

    Paul Braren | TinkerTry.com

    Cool, glad it worked out! Trying to make back plate labels, hopefully, some day, or at least a "getting started" page for Bundle buyers. By the way, of the cluster of 4 RJ45 jacks viewed from the rear, you went with the bottom left or top left for ESXi?

    Rudi Močnik

    Yeah they all get their IP DHCP as normal. The server is plugged in via IPMI port and one Ethernet port to the same switch as other computers on the network. IPMI is getting IP via DHCP reservation as expected so I am wondering what is stoping the ESXi. I am trying to install 6.5a ESXI version for the second time now.

    EDIT. Found the solution as I was writing this message [feeling so dumb].

    I had wrong network adapter selected in network settings by default. To fix it:
    1. Boot ESXi
    2. Press F2 and type in your username and password
    3. Configure Management Network
    4. Network adapters

    Select the one that says connected using Space. Reboot. See the wrong *interface selected on the screenshot.

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ee92671985b7a5ab967319196f3709b23a5813dd0b6ac5aaf2024a6120b6ad0f.png https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1c3e7a5325bead0db2c5fcdd9b6fd624a4d22ebb2d4335f30cde556a5e84dca0.png

    Paul Braren | TinkerTry.com

    Sorry for the delayed response, but I would check whether other devices on your network are getting DHCP leases. Do you still have an issue?

    Rudi Močnik

    I don't get an IP on reboot and I can confirm that there is DHCP running on the network. I have a X10SDV-TP8F. Is this a problem?

    Paul Braren | TinkerTry.com

    Done! Annotation added at 10 minute mark:
    https://youtu.be/HnUKh-bXbok?t=9m57s

    Paul Braren | TinkerTry.com

    Great tips, thanks for sharing! I need to update this article too:
    https://TinkerTry.com/easy-upgrade-to-esxi-60u2
    but I did hear that the same basic idea works fine with the new build.

    Paul Braren | TinkerTry.com

    Richard, you are so right, I should have mentioned (to non-iKVM/IPMI/BMC users) that Rufus is a very popular and elegant way to do this, see also:
    https://TinkerTry.com/rufus-takes-2-minutes-to-create-a-bootable-usb-flash-drive-for-esxi-installation
    I'll add that as a link overlay in the existing already-published video. Thank you!

    Richard Robbins

    As an alternative, you can copy the install image to your USB key (I use Rufus to do that), boot that key and then perform the installation to the very same key. The ESXi install does its thing from memory so installing to the boot drive works without a hitch. Even though I like the ability to boot from a virtual drive very much, I find the alternative I described to be even easier.

    S

    Just an FYI, an update was released in May for ESXi 6 that updates the build number to: 3825889

    I've started using this website to track ESXi changes:

    https://esxi-patches.v-front.de/ESXi-6.0.0.html

    Hope that helps someone!