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How to Download and Install ESXi 6.7

If you are looking for a reliable and efficient way to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical server, you might want to consider using VMware ESXi, a popular hypervisor from VMware. In this article, I will show you how to download and install ESXi 6.7, the latest version of this hypervisor. I will also explain what ESXi is, what are its benefits, and how it compares to other hypervisors such as Proxmox and KVM.

What is ESXi and what are its features?

ESXi is a type-1 hypervisor, meaning it runs directly on system hardware without requiring an operating system. It is part of the VMware vSphere virtualization suite, along with the vSphere management portal and vCenter Server. As a VMkernel-based hypervisor, it helps IT teams virtualize servers while using less space than other hypervisors.

Some of the features of ESXi are:

• Small footprint: With a size of just 150MB, ESXi minimizes security threats and reduces patching frequency.
• Ecosystem excellence: It supports a broad range of hardware vendors, technology partners, applications, and guest operating systems.
• Reliable performance: It can accommodate applications of any size, with up to 128 virtual CPUs, 6 TB of RAM, and 120 devices per virtual machine.
• User-friendly experience: It offers a built-in web interface based on HTML5 standards, as well as a command-line interface and REST-based APIs for automation.
• Enhanced security: It protects sensitive virtual machine data with encryption capabilities, role-based access control, logging, and auditing.

What are the benefits of using ESXi for server virtualization?

Using ESXi for server virtualization can bring many benefits to your organization, such as:

• Consolidate hardware: By running multiple virtual machines on fewer physical devices, you can reduce space, power, cooling, and maintenance costs.
• Increase performance: By allocating resources dynamically and efficiently among virtual machines, you can improve application availability and responsiveness.
• Streamline administration: By managing all your virtual machines from a centralized console or web browser, you can simplify tasks such as provisioning, monitoring, backup, recovery, migration, and automation.
• Reduce capital and operational expenses: By leveraging existing hardware investments and reducing hardware purchases, you can lower your total cost of ownership.
• Minimize hardware resources: By requiring fewer patches and less memory than its predecessor able USB drive from the ESXi ISO image. Rufus is a free and portable tool that can create bootable USB drives from various types of image files, such as ISO, IMG, VHD, and others. You can download Rufus from its official website: https://rufus.ie/

  To create a bootable USB drive from the ESXi ISO image using Rufus, follow these steps:

  1. Insert a blank USB drive into your computer. Make sure it has enough space to hold the ESXi ISO image (at least 300MB).
  2. Launch Rufus and select your USB drive from the Device drop-down menu.
  3. Click on the Select button and browse to the location of the ESXi ISO image file on your computer.
  4. Make sure the Boot selection option is set to Disk or ISO image (Please select) and the Image option is set to Standard Windows installation.
  5. Leave the other options as default or adjust them according to your preferences.
  6. Click on the Start button and wait for Rufus to create the bootable USB drive.
  7. When Rufus finishes, you will see a Ready message at the bottom of the window. You can now safely eject the USB drive from your computer.

  Booting from the USB installation media and starting the ESXi installer

  After you have created the bootable USB drive from the ESXi ISO image, you can use it to install ESXi on your server. To do this, you will need to boot your server from the USB drive and start the ESXi installer. Follow these steps:

  1. Insert the bootable USB drive into your server and power it on.
  2. Press the appropriate key to enter the BIOS or UEFI settings of your server. The key may vary depending on your server model and manufacturer, but it is usually one of these: F2, F10, F12, Del, Esc, or Enter.
  3. Navigate to the Boot menu and change the boot order so that the USB drive is the first option. Save and exit the BIOS or UEFI settings.
  4. Your server will reboot and load the ESXi installer from the USB drive. You will see a screen with a VMware logo and a progress bar.
  5. When the progress bar reaches 100%, you will see a welcome screen with a message: Welcome to VMware ESXi 6.7 Installation. Press Enter to continue.

  Accepting the license agreement and selecting the destination drive

  The next step in installing ESXi is to accept the license agreement and select the destination drive where you want to install ESXi. Follow these steps:

  1. On the welcome screen, press Enter to continue.
  2. You will see a screen with a VMware End User License Agreement (EULA). Read it carefully and press F11 to accept it and continue.
  3. You will see a screen with a list of available drives on your server. Select the drive where you want to install ESXi and press Enter to continue. Note that all data on this drive will be erased during the installation process.

  Configuring the network settings and setting the root password

  The next step in installing ESXi is to configure the network settings and set the root password for your ESXi host. Follow these steps:

  1. You will see a screen with a message: Please wait while the system scans for available network adapters. This may take a few moments.
  2. When the scan is complete, you will see a screen with a list of available network adapters on your server. Select the network adapter that you want to use for your ESXi host and press Enter to continue.
  3. You will see a screen with a message: Please wait while the system configures the network adapter. This may take a few moments.
  4. When the configuration is complete, you will see a screen with the network settings of your ESXi host, such as IP address, subnet mask, gateway, DNS, and hostname. You can either accept the default settings or customize them according to your preferences. To customize the settings, press F2 and follow the prompts on the screen. To accept the default settings, press Enter to continue.
  5. You will see a screen with a message: Please enter a root password for this host. The password must be at least 7 characters long and contain at least one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one digit, and one special character. Enter the password twice and press Enter to continue.

  Confirming the installation and rebooting the host

  The final step in installing ESXi is to confirm the installation and reboot the host. Follow these steps:

  1. You will see a screen with a summary of your installation settings, such as destination drive, network adapter, IP address, hostname, and root password. Review them carefully and press F11 to confirm and continue.
  2. You will see a screen with a message: Installing VMware ESXi 6.7.0 on . Please wait while the system installs VMware ESXi 6.7.0 on . This may take several minutes.
  3. When the installation is complete, you will see a screen with a message: Installation Complete. Remove the installation media before rebooting. Press Enter to reboot.
  4. Remove the bootable USB drive from your server and press Enter to reboot.
  5. Your server will reboot and load ESXi from the destination drive. You will see a screen with a VMware logo and a progress bar.
  6. When the progress bar reaches 100%, you will see a screen with a message: Welcome to VMware ESXi 6.7.0 . Press F2 to customize system or F12 to shut down or restart.

  Setting up ESXi after installation

  Congratulations! You have successfully installed ESXi on your server. However, your work is not done yet. You still need to set up some basic configurations and settings for your ESXi host before you can start creating and managing virtual machines on it. In this section, I will show you how to access the direct console user interface (DCUI) and enable SSH access, how to connect to the host using the vSphere Client or web browser, how to license the host and join it to a vCenter Server (optional), and how to back up and restore the ESXi configuration (recommended).

  Accessing the direct console user interface (DCUI) and enabling SSH access

  The direct console user interface (DCUI) is a text-based interface that allows you to perform basic administration tasks on your ESXi host, such as configuring network settings, changing passwords, enabling services, restarting or shutting down the host, and others. You can access the DCUI from your server’s physical console or remotely using an IPMI or KVM device.

  To access the DCUI from your server’s physical console, follow these steps:

  1. Connect a monitor and keyboard to your server.
  2. Power on your server and wait for it to load ESXi.
  3. On the welcome screen, press F2 to enter the DCUI.
  4. Enter your root username and password that you set during the installation process.

  To enable SSH access on your ESXi host, follow these steps:

  1. On the DCUI main menu, select Troubleshooting Options and press Enter.
  2. Select Enable SSH and press Enter.
  3. You will see a message: SSH service enabled on this host. Press any key to continue.
  4. Press any key to return to the Troubleshooting Options menu.
  5. Select Modify SSH Options and press Enter.
  6. Select Start and stop with host and press Spacebar to enable it.
  7. You will see an asterisk (*) next to the option, indicating that it is enabled. Press Enter to save the changes.
  8. You will see a message: SSH options updated successfully. Press any key to continue.
  9. Press any key to return to the Troubleshooting Options menu.
  10. Press Esc to exit the DCUI and return to the welcome screen.

  Now you have enabled SSH access on your ESXi host, which means you can connect to it remotely using an SSH client, such as PuTTY, WinSCP, or Terminal. To connect to your ESXi host using SSH, you will need to know its IP address and root password. You can find the IP address on the welcome screen or on the DCUI main menu. The root password is the one that you set during the installation process.

  Connecting to the host using the vSphere Client or web browser

  The vSphere Client is a Windows-based application that allows you to manage and configure your ESXi host and its virtual machines. You can download the vSphere Client from the VMware website or from your ESXi host’s web interface. The vSphere Client requires a Windows operating system and .NET Framework 4.5 or later to run.

  The web browser is another option for managing and configuring your ESXi host and its virtual machines. You can use any modern web browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, to access your ESXi host’s web interface. The web interface is based on HTML5 standards and does not require any plugins or extensions to run.

  To connect to your ESXi host using the vSphere Client or web browser, follow these steps:

  1. Launch the vSphere Client or open a web browser on your computer.
  2. Enter the IP address or hostname of your ESXi host in the address bar and press Enter.
  3. You will see a security warning that the connection is not secure. This is because your ESXi host uses a self-signed certificate by default, which is not trusted by your computer. You can either ignore the warning and proceed with the connection, or install a trusted certificate on your ESXi host (recommended). To ignore the warning and proceed with the connection, click on Advanced (in Chrome) or Add Exception (in Firefox) and then click on Proceed (in Chrome) or Confirm Security Exception (in Firefox).
  4. You will see a login screen where you need to enter your username and password for your ESXi host. The default username is root and the password is the one that you set during the installation process.
  5. Click on Login or press Enter to log in to your ESXi host.
  6. If you are using the vSphere Client, you will see a window with a list of tabs and menus that allow you to manage and configure your ESXi host and its virtual machines. If you are using a web browser, you will see a web page with a navigation bar and a dashboard that allow you to manage and configure your ESXi host and its virtual machines.

  Licensing the host and joining it to a vCenter Server (optional)

  By default, your ESXi host operates in evaluation mode for 60 days after installation. During this period, you can use all the features and functions of ESXi without any limitations. However, after 60 days, your ESXi host will stop working unless you apply a valid license key. You can obtain a license key from VMware or your OEM vendor, depending on the edition of ESXi that you want to use.

  To license your ESXi host using the vSphere Client or web browser, follow these steps:

  1. Connect to your ESXi host using the vSphere Client or web browser as described in the previous section.
  2. If you are using the vSphere Client, click on Configuration > Licensed Features > Edit. If you are using a web browser, click on Manage > Licensing > Assign license.
  3. Enter your license key in the text box and click on OK (in vSphere Client) or Assign license (in web browser).
  4. You will see a message that confirms that your license key has been applied successfully. Click on OK (in vSphere Client) or Close (in web browser) to close the message.

  If you have multiple ESXi hosts in your environment, you might want to join them to a vCenter Server for centralized management and configuration. A vCenter Server is a server that runs VMware’s management software that allows you to create and manage clusters of ESXi hosts and their virtual machines. You can also use vCenter Server to enable advanced features such as high availability, distributed resource scheduler, fault tolerance, storage vMotion, and others.

  To join your ESXi host to a vCenter Server using in vSphere Client) or Join (in web browser).

• You will see a message that confirms that your ESXi host has joined the domain successfully. Click on OK (in vSphere Client) or Close (in web browser) to close the message.
• Restart your ESXi host for the changes to take effect.

Backing up and restoring the ESXi configuration (recommended)

After you have installed and configured your ESXi host, it is recommended that you back up its configuration in case you need to restore it in the future. The configuration of your ESXi host includes settings such as network, storage, security, license, and others. You can back up and restore the configuration using the vSphere Client, web browser, or command-line interface.

To back up the ESXi configuration using the vSphere Client or web browser, follow these steps:

1. Connect to your ESXi host using the vSphere Client or web browser as described in the previous section.
2. If you are using the vSphere Client, click on File > Export > Export Host Profile. If you are using a web browser, click on Host Profiles > Actions > Export Host Profile.
3. Enter a name and description for the host profile and click on Save (in vSphere Client) or Export (in web browser).
4. Select a location on your computer where you want to save the host profile file and click on Save. The host profile file has a .vpf extension and contains the configuration settings of your ESXi host.

To restore the ESXi configuration using the vSphere Client or web browser, follow these steps:

1. Connect to your ESXi host using the vSphere Client or web browser as described in the previous section.
2. If you are using the vSphere Client, click on File > Import > Import Host Profile. If you are using a web browser, click on Host Profiles > Actions > Import Host Profile.
3. Browse to the location of the host profile file that you want to restore and click on Open (in vSphere Client) or Import (in web browser).
4. Select the host profile that you want to apply and click on Next (in vSphere Client) or Apply (in web browser).
5. Review the changes that will be made to your ESXi host and click on Finish (in vSphere Client) or Apply (in web browser).
6. Restart your ESXi host for the changes to take effect.

Conclusion

In this article, I have shown you how to download and install ESXi 6.7, a popular hypervisor from VMware. I have also explained what ESXi is, what are its benefits, and how it compares to other hypervisors such as Proxmox and KVM. I have also shown you how to set up some basic configurations and settings for your ESXi host after installation, such as licensing, joining to a vCenter Server, and backing up and restoring the configuration.

I hope you have found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Thank you for reading!

FAQs

What are the hardware and software requirements for installing ESXi 6.7?

The hardware and software requirements for installing ESXi 6.7 are as follows:

Hardware/Software	Requirement
CPU	64-bit x86 processor with at least two cores and support for hardware virtualization extensions (Intel VT-x or AMD-V)
RAM	At least 4 GB of memory
Disk space	At least 1 GB of disk space for booting from USB drive or CD/DVD At least 5.2 GB of disk space for installing on local disk At least 1 GB of disk space for each VMFS datastore
Network adapter	At least one Gigabit Ethernet adapter with support for PXE booting A list of supported network adapters can be found here: https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php?deviceCategory=io&productid=489&releaseid=487&deviceTypes=6&details=1&releases=487&keyword=&page=1&display_interval=10&sortColumn=Partner&sortOrder=Asc
Bios/UEFI settings	Enable hardware virtualization extensions (Intel VT-x or AMD-V ) and disable execution prevention (Intel XD bit or AMD NX bit)
Operating system	None required, as ESXi runs directly on system hardware
Installation media	A USB drive or CD/DVD with the ESXi installer (ISO image or offline bundle)

What are the differences between ESXi and vSphere?

ESXi and vSphere are both products from VMware that are related to server virtualization. However, they are not the same thing. ESXi is a hypervisor that runs directly on system hardware and allows you to create and run virtual machines on a single physical server. vSphere is a virtualization suite that includes ESXi and other components, such as vCenter Server, vSphere management portal, vSphere Client, and others. vSphere allows you to manage and configure multiple ESXi hosts and their virtual machines from a centralized console or web browser. vSphere also enables advanced features and functions, such as high availability, distributed resource scheduler, fault tolerance, storage vMotion, and others.

What are the advantages of using a scripted installation or vSphere Auto Deploy for installing ESXi?

A scripted installation or vSphere Auto Deploy are alternative methods for installing ESXi on your server. A scripted installation is when you use a configuration file that contains the installation settings and commands for your ESXi host. You can use a scripted installation to automate the installation process and ensure consistency across multiple hosts. vSphere Auto Deploy is a feature of vSphere that allows you to provision and deploy ESXi hosts from a central server using PXE booting and host profiles. You can use vSphere Auto Deploy to simplify the installation process and reduce the maintenance costs of your hosts.

Some of the advantages of using a scripted installation or vSphere Auto Deploy for installing ESXi are:

• They save time and effort by eliminating the need for manual input and interaction during the installation process.
• They ensure accuracy and uniformity by applying the same configuration settings and commands to all hosts.
• They facilitate scalability and flexibility by allowing you to add, remove, or modify hosts easily and quickly.
• They enhance security and compliance by enforcing the desired configuration state and policies on all hosts.

How to upgrade from an older version of ESXi to ESXi 6.7?

If you have an older version of ESXi on your server, such as ESXi 5.x or 6.x, you can upgrade it to ESXi 6.7 using various methods, such as interactive upgrade, scripted upgrade, vSphere Update Manager, or esxcli commands. The method that you choose depends on your preferences, environment, and requirements.

To upgrade from an older version of ESXi to ESXi 6.7 using an interactive upgrade, follow these steps:

1. Download the ESXi ISO image or offline bundle from VMware or your OEM vendor as described in the previous section.
2. Create a bootable USB drive or CD/DVD from the ESXi ISO image or offline bundle as described in the previous section.
3. Insert the bootable USB drive or CD/DVD into your server and power it on.
4. Press the appropriate key to enter the BIOS or UEFI settings of your server and change the boot order so that the USB drive or CD/DVD is the first option.
5. Your server will reboot and load the ESXi installer from the USB drive or CD/DVD. You will see a screen with a VMware logo and a progress bar.
6. When the progress bar reaches 100%, you will see a welcome screen with a message: Welcome to VMware ESXi 6.7 Installation. Press Enter to continue.
7. You will see a screen with a VMware End User License Agreement (EULA). Read it carefully and press F11 to accept it and continue.
8. You will see a screen with a list of available drives on your server. Select the drive where your existing ESXi installation is located and press Enter to continue.
9. You will see a screen with a message: An existing hypervisor has been detected on this system. Press F11 to confirm that you want to upgrade this hypervisor.
10. You will see a screen with a message: Upgrading VMware ESXi 6.x.x on . Please wait while the system upgrades VMware ESXi 6.x.x on . This may take several minutes.
11. When the upgrade is complete, you will see a screen with a message: Upgrade Complete. Remove the installation media before rebooting. Press Enter to reboot.
12. Remove the bootable USB drive or CD/DVD from your server and press Enter to reboot.
13. Your server will reboot and load ESXi 6.7 from the destination drive. You will see a screen with a message: Welcome to VMware ESXi 6.7.0 . Press F2 to customize system or F12 to shut down or restart.

How to uninstall or remove ESXi from a host?

If you want to uninstall or remove ESXi from your server, you can do so using various methods, such as booting from a Linux live CD/DVD or USB drive, using a partition manager tool, or using the dd command. The method that you choose depends on your preferences, environment, and requirements.

To uninstall or remove ESXi from your server using a Linux live CD/DVD or USB drive, follow these steps:

1. Download a Linux live CD/DVD or USB image from a reputable source, such as Ubuntu, Fedora, or Mint.
2. Create a bootable CD/DVD or USB drive from the Linux image using a tool such as Rufus, UNetbootin, Etcher, or others.
3. Insert the bootable CD/DVD or USB drive into your server and power it on.
4. Press the appropriate key to enter the BIOS or UEFI settings of your server and change the boot order so that the CD/DVD or USB drive is the first option.
5. Your server will reboot and load the Linux live environment from the CD/DVD or USB drive. You will see a desktop with various icons and menus.
6. Open a terminal window and run the following command to list the partitions on your server:

sudo fdisk -l

7. Identify the partition where ESXi is installed. It is usually the first partition on the disk and has a type of VMFS (VMware File System). Note down its device name, such as /dev/sda1, /dev/sdb1, or others.
8. Run the following command to delete the partition where ESXi is installed:

sudo fdisk /dev/sdX

where /dev/sdX is the disk where ESXi is installed, such as /dev/sda, /dev/sdb, or others.

9. You will see a prompt that says: Welcome to fdisk (util-linux 2.x). Changes will remain in memory only, until you decide to write them. Be careful before using the write command. Press Enter to continue.
10. You will see another prompt that says: Command (m for help): Type d and press Enter to delete a partition.
11. You will see another prompt that says: Partition number (1-4): Type the number of the partition where ESXi is installed and press Enter. For example, if ESXi is installed on /dev/sda1, type 1 and press Enter.
12. You will see a message that says: Partition 1 has been deleted. Press Enter to continue.
13. You will see another prompt that says: Command (m for help): Type w and press Enter to write the changes to disk and exit fdisk.
14. You will see a message that says: The partition table has been altered. Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table. Syncing disks. Press Enter to continue.
15. Close the terminal window and shut down your server.

You have successfully uninstalled or removed ESXi from your server. You can now use the disk space for other purposes or install another operating system on it.

This concludes my article on how to download and install ESXi 6.7. I hope you have enjoyed reading it and learned something new. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please let me know in the comments section below. Thank you for your time and attention!

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