====== VMware Tips ======
This article describes the installation of vmware components using a sample system architecture as shown in the next figure.
{{:terra4d:t4d_architecture_vmware2.svg?500|}}

===== Required vmware Products =====
For a failover configuration as described in the previous chapter ([[terra4d:hwsetup|Hardware Requirements and Virtualisation Environments]]) the following vmware software modules are required:
  * vSphere/ESXi
  * vCenter

These modules are covered by following license schemes:
  * vSphere Standard
  * vSphere Essential plus

Remark: information above is based on vmware products and licensing in 2021. For most updated information please refer to the vmware website.

===== Hardware Comments =====
The two servers shown in the above figure should have a similar hardware configuration.

=== Network ===
The network connection should have at least 2.5 GBit but better 10 GBit bandwidth.
The network should be fully redundant to avoid single point of failures.

=== Storage ===
The storage hardware should be a SAN system. The figure shows two storage systems to achieve also there a high availability. If the storage system is already redundant in itself it can be acceptable to use only one storage system. 
Alternatives to the SAM storage are:
  - vmware vSAN:
    * requires at least 2 SSD and additional 10GB RAM per host
    * requires minimal 2 full nodes and a low performance witness node
    * more information: [[https://core.vmware.com/resource/vmware-vsan-design-guide]]
  - NAS (data throughput performance is lower than SAN)

===== Software Installation =====
An account on vmware customer connect center is required to download the software packages: [[https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/]]
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On Server 1:
  * install vSphere/ESXi
  * install vCenter (e.g. ISO image Vmware-VCSA-all-7.0.2-17694817.iso from vmware)

On Server 2:
  * clone Server A installation

=== Configure vCenter ===
  * start vCenter on both servers
  * configure data centre shared storage (must be accessible by both servers)
  * create VMs on shared storage
  * install OS on VMs or use an image
  * enable CPU virtualisation support in the VMs! otherwise ESXi will not run VMs
  * on the vSwitch enable in ‘security’ all options! (enable Promiscuous Mode and Forged Transmit)
  * switch on HA for all VMs


=== Configure VMs ===
  * add 3 new VMs, and install ESXi on them, standard installation with additional HD Storage 100 GByte for cluster storage

=== Configure vCenter ===
  * create cluster with cluster storage, add the 2 VMs, do not enable HA first
  * add HA to the cluster
  * enable VM Monitoring and Application Monitoring
  * create VM with HA enabled

=== Configure vSphere ===
  * configure shared storage

More information can be found here:
  * [[https://docs.vmware.com/|vmware documentation website]]
  * {{:terra4d:vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-702-availability-guide.pdf|vSphere-Availability-Guide}}
  * {{:terra4d:vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-702-storage-guide.pdf | vSphere-Storage-Guide}}