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Nested ESXi Installation & Configuration

The term nested is running a hypervisor, such as ESXi, or Hyper-V under another hypervisor. Running a nested ESXi server, on another ESXi server, is not supported by VMware, but it is an excellent way to experiment, and explore setting up a VMware Environment. In this blog will cover how to install and configure nested ESXi 6.7.

This operating system is not supported, see below VMware KB of “Unsupported”

http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2015161

ESXi 6.7 Virtual Machine

Create a new virtual machine on your existing cluster or host

Create a new virtual machine. Click Next

Provide new virtual machine name and Click Next

Select cluster or host on which you want to deploy this virtual machine. Click Next

Select datastore for virtual machine. Click Next

Select virtual machine compatibility. Click Next

Assign a name, select compatibility, OS Family, OS Version, and click Next

Make any Guest resource changes as desired.

Expand CPU and enable “Expose hardware assisted virtualization to the guest OS”

Expand Network and change Adaptor type to “VMXNET 3”

Click on VM Options and change Firmware to “EFI (recommended)” and Enable Secure boot.

Click Finish to deploy the virtual machine

Power On the virtual machine and connect ESXi 6.7 iso image to boot with

ESXi will start boot from ISO

Press F11 to accept the EULA

The installer will search and find the local storage, select and press Enter to continue

Select keyboard layout, press Enter to continue

Provide the root password, and verify

 Press F11 to install

Press Enter to Reboot and disconnect the ISO from virtual machine

Once ESXi virtual machine comes up Press F2 and Enter the root password

Select Configure Management Network and IPv4 Configuration

Select Set Static IP address, and enter the IP information

Select DNS Configuration. Select Use the Following Addresses, enter DNS Server IP’s, and assign a hostname

Select Custom DNS Suffixes

Press ESC, and Yes to apply and restart ESXi host.

Once the host comes up you can access it with host web URL as below with FQDN / IP

Thanks,

If you have any comments, please drop me a line.
I hope this article was informative, and don’t forget to buy me a coffee if you found this worth reading.



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