download only client for win7

[randyqx]

i am having someone stick an esxi cd-rom in a server in seattle, set the root password, set the ip/mask/defaultroute/dns. then i plan to log in and run it from a win7 netbook in tokyo. the win7 notebook has no cd-rom and will not be directly connected to the esxi host. how do i get the management client to the netbook? should i just buy a usb cd-rom drive for the netbook? i have no other windoze systems.

also, how do i get start-up freebsd-8 and ubunto images to the server? more cd-roms that i have to talk remote hands through mounting for me?

thanks

randy

[R-Sommer]

As you aren't directly connected to the ESXi host why dou you need the VI client?

Let someone in seattle open a web client, connect to the ESXi host, download the VI client and send it to you.

[Jackobli]

Hello and welcome to the VMware ESX 4 community forum.

You are writing, that notebook is not directly connected? What does that mean, in case of VI-Client, your ESXi needs to be on a public ip address and the firewall have to be open on the ports used by VI-Client. If your ESXi is reachable, you may point your browser to it's IP address or hostname and download the VI-Client.

As for your future guests, you should create a place on the datastore of ESXi to store the ISO-Images of Ubuntu and *BSD. This is even faster for installing new systems. While creating a new guest, you may choose "Boot from Image" and choose the place, where the ISOs are stored.

Please take notice, that exposing the management network to the internet is not a recommanded situation.

[randyqx]

i think i need the vi client because all the docs i find are for driving esxi4 with the vi client. i would like to find the docco for driving it command line over ssh.

as the esci4 will be on the public net (i have no non-public net), it sounds as if i will be able to download vi using the browser on the netbook. that makes sense if it works.

but this conversation now makes me nervous about the security of the vi-esxi connection. is it not ssl/tls at least?

[schepp]

You can download the vSphere Client (management client) from the webserver of the ESX Host, so type the ip of the ESX in your webbrowser and click download.

Images can be copied to the Server over ssh with scp.

[randyqx]

As for your future guests, you should create a place on the datastore of ESXi to store the ISO-Images of Ubuntu and *BSD

this sounds like a plan he said diving for the storage section of the docco

[Jackobli]

i think i need the vi client because all the docs i find are for driving esxi4 with the vi client. i would like to find the docco for driving it command line over ssh.

See Dave's site about whiteboxes and other hints, especially the section about "Managing ESxi without VI-Client".

Be aware, that some commands may need a paid version of ESXi.

as the esci4 will be on the public net (i have no non-public net), it sounds as if i will be able to download vi using the browser on the netbook. that makes sense if it works.

If there is no firewall blocking the traffic, it should work.

but this conversation now makes me nervous about the security of the vi-esxi connection. is it not ssl/tls at least?

It is, but there may be vulnerabilities. Making the interface "public available" also makes it also prone to DOS/DDOS.

Depends, what your are doing with that server. If possible, I would go for a public interface for the virtual server that need to be reachable and a management network, that is available through some sort of VPN.

[Jackobli]

this sounds like a plan he said diving for the storage section of the docco.

It's quite easy, create a directory on the main datastore or create a separate datastore and save the iso to it. While creating a virtual machine, you may chose between physical drive on server, local drive or an iso file an a reachable filesystem.

Go anyway and read. There should be some planning. Think about a test machine to avoid problems (like VMware Workstation with an ESXi inside to learn and test). To have a probably misconfigured server in Seattle and beeing in Tokyo sounds like a kind of nightmare for me

[randyqx]

dave's site looks great. thanks! i am reading madly, docco too.

yes, it would be nice to have a local scratch host. but i am not really a net geek, but rather a test passenger on star alliance:). all i have is my laptop and various racks scattered around the world. the seattle host is as close as i am gonna get to a scratch system. i guess i can acl the esxi4 management ip/port at the border routers if i need to do so.

to change $subject:, drives are gonna fail. how do i get drive redundancy at the esxi4 level, as it would seem silly to do it at the level of each guest? "ESXi Configuration Guide" covers a lot of storage stuff, but, unless i misunderstand some of the nouns (e.g. duplicate datastores), i don't see it covered.

[Jackobli]

to change $subject:, drives are gonna fail. how do i get drive redundancy at the esxi4 level, as it would seem silly to do it at the level of each guest? "ESXi Configuration Guide" covers a lot of storage stuff, but, unless i misunderstand some of the nouns (e.g. duplicate datastores), i don't see it covered.

Guest level would be silly, rarely it's used this way for testing servers that are later used on a physical machine.

Storage is a common bottleneck. ESX(i) does not cache disk IO. So you should go and invest in either a separate SAN/NAS or use local disks on a raid controller with a battery backed write cache. Disks should be redundant, depending on your load and needs eg RAID10 or 6/50/60.