VMware ESXi 6.5 Step by Step Installation and Configuration

Requirements:

1. We need to download the ESXi-6.5.0-4564106(Build 4564106) ISO from VMware. We can download from VMware. 
2. A host machine with at least 2 CPU cores (supports 64-bit x86 processors).
3. A host machine with at least 4 GB RAM.
4. Requires the NX/XD bit to be enabled for the CPU in the BIOS.
5. To support 64-bit virtual machines, support for hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD RVI) must be enabled on x64 CPUs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

vCenter Server New Maximums:

In this release we have a new maximums guide that can be found here: 
Note that these maximums are specific to vSphere 6.5 Update 1 and are _not_ retroactive. vSphere 6.5 releases prior to Update 1 are still bound by the maximums published here.

Here are some of the increased vSphere 6.5 Update 1 numbers:

• Maximum vCenter Servers per vSphere Domain: 15 (increased from 10)
• Maximum ESXi Hosts per vSphere Domain: 5000 (increased from 4000)
• Maximum Powered On VMs per vSphere Domain: 50,000 (increased from 30,000)
• Maximum Registered VMs per vSphere Domain: 70,000 (increased from 50,000)

Hopefully these new scale numbers are welcome improvements!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Step by Step Installation and Configuring of ESXi 6.5:

1. Boot from the downloaded ISO and the boot menu appears. Select VMware ESXi 6.5.0 installer from the menu.

2. Now the installer will load the files in preparation for the installation.

3. Setup now displays the welcome screen, press Enter to continue installation.

4. Accept the EULA.

5. Setup will scan for the hardware devices available.

6. Select the hard disk in which the ESXi to be installed. I have assigned 2 drives for the host.

7. Select the Keyboard layout US Default.

8. Now you need to set the root password for the host. Ensure that password meets the complexity criteria set by the system.

9. Installer will scan for additional components present in the machine.

10. Once we confirm the install here, the disk will be repartitioned and the installation will begin.

11. Now the installation is in progress.

12. Installation is now completed and its prompting for reboot. Press Enter to Reboot.

13. Reboot is completed and we now start the configuration of the host. Login using the root credentials. (Press F2 key to get the login prompt).

14. The DCUI(Direct Console User Interface) menu looks the same, there is no changes in submenus or design from the previous ESXi versions. Here we only need to concentrate on "Configure Management Network" option. Use arrow keys to navigate and hightlight the menu and press enter.

15. Under the Mangement Network Configuration, we have submenus and lets configure them one by one. IPv4 address, SubnetMask and Gateway is assigned.

16. I am choosing to disable IPv6 here as I am not using it in this environment.

17. Next assign the Primary and Secondary DNS Servers and the hostname for the ESXi.

18. Assign the DNS Suffix and we are done with the configuration part. Reboot once to complete the setup.

19. We have now successfully Installed and Configured an ESXi 6.5 host.

 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was a routine ESXi installation steps from the previous versions. There is no changes as to installation process, looks, menu options at all. The only changes we can see is the capactiy of the ESXi host (I have given the new numbers at the top). 

Thanks.  Please share your feedback and comments.