Laying the groundwork for ESXi deployment

When you buy server hardware from a chosen vendor you must make sure that the hardware features of the server meet the infrastructure design requirements and ESXi's hardware requirements. It is important to make sure that the make and model of the server hardware is listed as compatible in the VMware Compatibility Guide. Once that decision is made, and the servers are procured, you will need to prepare them for the hypervisor (ESXi) installation. The preparation will include buying licenses, configuring BIOS, and planning the locale for the hypervisor.

Note

VMware Compatibility Guide URL:  http://www.vmware.com/go/hcl

Licensing

VMware sells separate licenses for the hypervisor and the vCenter Server. Also, the Support and Subscription (Production or Basic) packages are sold separately. The vCenter Server is available in two editions, an Essential and a Standard Edition. Most of the features are licensed with the hypervisor. Hypervisor licenses...