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2Intel Prep
3Install ESX in Graphical Mode
4VMware ESX 4.0 Installed
5Add Host Wizard
6Create a Profile
The theory here appears to be much the same as that used in OS imaging systems: Create a “golden” image and then use that image to mass-distribute standard configuration ESX host systems. This function can also be used to determine if a host has deviated from the standard configuration—and in what way—to assist in troubleshooting and compliance activities.
7vNetwork Distributed Switch
The first step in creating a vNetwork Distributed Switch is to give it a name and specify the maximum number of physical adapters per host. Although most of my host systems have only two adapters, some have four. The vNetwork Distributed Switch worked well in my tests with this configuration running across my test hosts.
8Enhanced VMotion Gets a Facelift
My newly created cluster of VMware hosts uses Enhanced VMotion Compatibility, or EVC. VMware has had EVC for some time, but it has always dumbed down processors to make them fit in. Here, you see that I’ve created a VMotion EVC that enables all the processor functionality of the Xeon 5500 family of processors, especially the hardware virtualization extensions. It’s easy to configure the EVC mode (highlighted in the top third of the screen) to support previous versions of Intel and AMD processors.
9Linked Mode
10Connect vCenter
11VMware vSphere 4 Welcome
12Install vSphere Host Update
For very small vSphere installations (10 or fewer hosts, no vCenter Server), this host update utility should do the trick for keeping hosts up-to-date and helping to upgrade ESX 3.5 servers to Version 4.0. IT managers with larger installations should get familiar with vOrchestrator, which I’ll examine as I evaluate vSphere 4 further.