How to Install VMware ESXi and Create Your First VM

VMware ESXi is a lightweight virtualization platform that installs directly on a physical server and allows you to run several virtual machines on the same hardware. It’s widely used for virtualization in labs, businesses, and data centers.

This guide will walk you through the process of installing VMware ESXi from scratch, including checking hardware compatibility, preparing the installer, configuring storage and networking, and setting up your first virtual machine.

Prerequisites

To install VMware ESXI, make sure your system or setup meets the following requirements:

• A supported 64-bit x86 CPU (2+ cores)
• The system should have at least 4 GB RAM but 8 GB is recommended.
• Compatible network interface card (NIC)
• A USB drive with at least 8 GB capacity to use as installation media.
• VMware ESXi ISO image (from VMware’s website)
• A server or workstation listed in the VMware Hardware Compatibility Guide

Steps for VMware ESXi Installation

To set up a VMware ESXi server, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Verify Hardware Compatibility

Check your server model and hardware components. Make sure your server model appears on VMware’s Hardware Compatibility List (HCL).
Enable virtualization support (Intel VT-x or AMD-V) in BIOS/UEFI. Decide on storage — internal disk, RAID array, or SAN/NAS.

Step 2: Download the ESXi ISO

Create a VMware Customer Connect account or log in if you already have an account. After logging in, download the ESXi ISO file matching your hardware. Save this file to your workstation.

Step 3: Create a Bootable USB Installer

After downloading the ISO file, prepare a bootable USB drive using a tool like Rufus. This will allow you to install ESXi on your server.

1. First, insert a blank USB into your workstation.
2. Launch Rufus and choose your USB drive from the Device menu.
3. Under Boot selection, choose the ESXi ISO file.
4. Leave defaults as they are and click Start. Now, wait for Rufus to complete the process.

Step 4: Boot and Install ESXi

After creating a bootable drive, you can easily install VMware ESXI on your server by following these steps:

1. Plug the USB drive into your server.

2. Enter the BIOS/UEFI (often accessed by pressing F2, Del, or F12) and set USB as the primary boot device.

3. Boot into the ESXi installer.

4. Press Enter to continue the installation.

5. Accept the license agreement (F11).

6. Select the disk where ESXi will be installed (note: this will erase all existing data on the disk).

7. Select the Keyboard Layout from the list. Select US Default:

8. Set a root password.

9. Press F11 to start installation.

10. When done, remove the USB and reboot.

Step 5: Configure the Host (DCUI)

Once the server restarts, the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) will be displayed.

1. Press F2 and log in as root.

2. Select Configure Management Network.

3. Set:

• IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
• Subnet mask (255.255.255.0)
• Gateway (192.168.1.1)
• DNS server (8.8.8.8)

4. Save and restart the management network.

Step 6: Log in to the ESXi Web Client

After installing ESXi, you can log in to the ESXi web client. Make sure the PC is on the same network, and open a browser.

1. Go to https://<ESXi-IP> (e.g., https://192.168.1.100).
2. Accept the security warning.
3. Log in as root with your password.

After login, you will see the following screen:

Step 7: Create a Datastore

1. Go to Storage → Datastores.
2. Click New datastore.
3. Choose VMFS (or NFS/vSAN if needed).
4. Select the disk and give it a name (e.g., datastore1).
5. Decide between Thin provisioning, which uses storage as needed, or Thick provisioning, which reserves the full disk space upfront.
6. Save and confirm.

Step 8: Configure Networking

First, verify that the management network is correctly set up. By default, ESXi creates a management interface named vmk0. Make sure this interface exists and is assigned the correct management IP address you configured earlier.

Next, configure a network for your virtual machines. To do this, navigate to Networking in the web client, open the Port Groups section, and select Add port group. Enter a descriptive name such as VM-Network, choose an existing vSwitch, and, if your environment uses VLANs, specify the VLAN ID at this stage.

To improve both stability and speed, set up NIC teaming. This involves attaching multiple physical network adapters (NICs) to the same vSwitch so that if one NIC fails, network traffic continues through the other. This setup also helps with load balancing in larger environments.

Step 9: Create Your First Virtual Machine (Example: Ubuntu Server)

1. Navigate to Virtual Machines and then go to the Create / Register VM.
2. Choose Create a new virtual machine.
3. Enter a name (e.g., Ubuntu-Server).
4. Guest OS: Linux → Ubuntu Linux (64-bit).
5. Select your datastore.
6. Assign resources: 2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 100 GB disk.
7. Attach your VM to the VM-Network port group.
8. Mount the Ubuntu ISO from the datastore.
9. Finish and power on the VM.
10. Install Ubuntu following the prompts.

Make sure you should check the post-installation checklist:

• Set NTP for accurate time.
• Backup host configuration.
• Apply the latest ESXi patches.
• Monitor hardware health status in Monitor → Hardware.

Conclusion

You now have a fully functional ESXi installation with storage, networking, and your first VM up and running. From here, you can create more VMs, connect to shared storage, and explore advanced VMware features.

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