Why ESXi?

Why ESXi?
-Smaller hypervisor means faster deployment times
-Smaller hypervisor means less code vulnerability, risk to the environment, and time spent patching the hypervisor
-Smaller hypervisors can be embedded in server hardware
-ESXi free edition lends itself well to rapid and wide spread implementation
-Automation efforts are moving away from the COS (PowerShell, Host Profiles, Distributed Virtual Switch, etc.)
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vCenter Server 4.x installation

During a vCenter Server 4.x installation, verify the vCenter SQL account has DBO rights to the MSDB, vCenter, & Update Manager databases.

During the vCenter 2.5 upgrade process, DBO is needed on the MSDB database only. Granting DBO on the vCenter database in VC 2.5 would typically result in a new parallel set of tables being created in the database & empty Datacenter when all is said & done.
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VMware vSphere 4.1

What's New in VMware vSphere 4.1

Start saying goodbye to ESX and Service Console only dependent tools. VMware vSphere 4.1 and its subsequent update and patch releases are the last releases to include both ESX and ESXi hypervisor architectures. Future major releases of VMware vSphere will include only the VMware ESXi architecture.

http://bit.ly/9S97Ic
http://www.vmware.com/go/upgradetoesxi
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Configuring ESX(i)

When configuring ESX(i) host hardware, if you're forced to make a decision on how to populate card slots when only a limited number of PCIe slots are available, you are best suited to place storage controllers (ie. HBAs) in the PCIe slots and NIC cards in the slower slots (ie. PCI-X). Storage needs the burst in I/O performance whereas the bus speed of a NIC will rarely be an issue.
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VM boot order

The default vSphere VM boot order is:
1. Removable Devices
2. Hard Disk (virtual)
3. CD-ROM
4. Network
A VM with no OS will attempt to boot from Removable Devices, CD-ROM, or Network, in that order. During POST, you may change the boot order temporarily with [ESC] or [F12] and permanently with [F2]
You can also modify the VM settings (Options tab|Boot Options) to force the VM to boot into the BIOS or delay the boot.
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Adding an ESX(i) host

When adding an ESX(i) host to vCenter Server, the specified root credentials are used temporarily for the purpose of adding the host only. Once the host is added, vCenter establishes its own set of credentials (vpxuser + 32-character complex password) for host communication. This allows the root password on hosts to be changed regularly (a security best practice) without disrupting vCenter management of the host.
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On this day in 2003

On this day in 2003, Hopkinton, Mass. based EMC Corporation announced its plans to purchase VMware, Inc. for $635 million. The purchase was completed January 9th 2004 for $625 million in cash.
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