Go to the directory where the script is located:

cd /home/tftpboot/bin

 

Execute the media loading and "Install Instance" creation script:

sh esx-create-install-instance.sh

 

You will typically run the first part of the script (extracting the media from the ISO file) only once per ISO, and run the second part of the script any number of times to create one or more multiple Install Instances.

 

Each Install Instance will contain a link to the ISO media along with customizable templates and a customizable "first boot" script. This will enable you to maintain distinct, customized Install Instances of any version of ESXi.

For example:

•ESXi 5.1.0 generic, for a base ESXi installation using the defaults supplied by Cisco

•ESXi 5.1.0 tuned for Cisco UCS with SAN installation

•ESXi 5.5.0 generic, for a base ESXi installation using the defaults supplied by Cisco

 

 

Part 1: Load the ISO media

 

Select 'ESX4, ESXi4, or ESXi5'

 

----> type response and press enter, "q" will quit the process

Read above, select ESX4, ESXi4, or ESXi5, then press Enter: ESXi5

... using NIC: eth1

^^^^^^^^^^ networking values are not on the same subnet in: /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth1

................................................................................

# Intel Corporation 82545EM Gigabit Ethernet Controller (Copper)

TYPE=Ethernet

ONBOOT=yes

BOOTPROTO=none

DEVICE=eth1

HWADDR=00:50:56:00:00:CC

IPADDR=212.49.49.1

NETWORK=212.49.49.0

NETMASK=255.255.255.0

BROADCAST=212.49.49.255

GATEWAY=192.168.0.254

DNS=68.87.76.178

................................................................................

Please read these ESX and ESXi exceptions to the usual BMP provisioning process carefully:

 

* When using the API to manage MAC Specific Roles, after moving the system

to another vLAN or setting a static IP outside the BMP range, issuing

a force "freeip" transaction will allow the PXE Event IP to be reclaimed for reuse.

The PXE Event State and reserved IP are obtained with the API 'Read' action.

 

* MAC Independent provisioning of ESX set as the 'Default' is not supported.

MAC Independent provisioning requires console access to the system being provisioned.

Provisioning is with dynamic DHCP. ESX generates a new MAC which is unknown to BMP DHCP

and is denied DHCP service on the BMP subnet. It is then no longer accessible via any IP.

This requires console access to set the networking values.

 

* MAC Specific provisioning of ESX and ESXi set the MAC Specific Role networking values

for a post PXE event static IP that includes these items:

Host Name, Domain Name, IP Address, Net Mask, Domain Name Server, and Gateway

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

^^^^^^^^^^ Please read above exceptions carefully.

----> type response and press enter, "q" will quit the process

Key "accept" to accept these exceptions, key "quit" to quit, then press Enter: accept

................................................................................

 

Select ESXi5 media directory from /home/tftpboot/pub/esxiMedia :

1) Create new ESXi5 media directory from a VMware-supplied ISO

2) Remove an ESXi5 Install Instance

----> type response and press enter, "q" will quit the process

No ESXi5 media directories found, press enter to load new media [1 Create new ESXi5 media directory from a VMware-supplied ISO]: 1

................................................................................

 

Extract ESXi5 media from a VMware source ISO

 

Select a VMware-supplied ISO from /home/tftpboot/ISOs/esxi:

1) VMware-VMvisor-Installer-4.1.0-260247_Cisco.iso

2) VMware-VMvisor-Installer-4.1.0-260247.x86_64.iso

3) VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.0.0-469512.x86_64.iso (NOT RECOMMENDED)

4) VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.0.0.update01-623860.x86_64.iso (NOT RECOMMENDED)

5) VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.1.0-799733.x86_64.iso (RECOMMENDED)

6) VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.1.0.update01-1065491.x86_64.iso (RECOMMENDED)

7) Type in an ISO path and file name as /path/file.iso

8) Find all .iso files on this server excluding LinMin-ready ISOs

9) Return to ESX media directory selection

----> type response and press enter, "q" will quit the process

Enter number of the ISO or option: 5

 

................................................................................

Checking VMware-supplied ISO: /home/tftpboot/ISOs/esxi/VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.1.0-799733.x86_64.iso

2012-08-01 20:53:17 .....         2180         2180  VMWARE-ESX-BASE-README

2012-08-01 20:53:18 .....        80008        80008  MBOOT.C32

2012-08-01 20:53:24 .....         1366         1366  BOOT.CFG

... checking ESXi5 source: VMWARE-ESX-BASE-README

... checking ESXi5 source: mboot.c32

... checking ESXi5 source: boot.cfg

 

7-Zip 9.04 beta  Copyright (c) 1999-2009 Igor Pavlov  2009-05-30

p7zip Version 9.04 (locale=en_US.UTF-8,Utf16=on,HugeFiles=on,2 CPUs)

 

Processing archive: /home/tftpboot/ISOs/esxi/VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.1.0-799733.x86_64.iso

 

Extracting  VMWARE-ESX-BASE-README

 

Everything is Ok

 

Size:       2180

Compressed: 315185152

 

................................................................................

... VMware-supplied ESXi5 ISO identification:

================================================================================

 

                               VMware ESXi 5.1

 

                           Distribution CD - README

================================================================================

 

----> type response and press enter, "q" will quit the process

Enter "OK" to accept media or type "r" to return to VMware-supplied ISO selection: OK

 

... processing VMware-supplied ISO: /home/tftpboot/ISOs/esxi/VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.1.0-799733.x86_64.iso

 

A name for the ESXi5 media directory is required

----> type response and press enter, "q" will quit the process

Enter ESXi5 media directory name or type "l" to list existing directories: esxi51_media

 

... extracting VMware-supplied ISO: /home/tftpboot/ISOs/esxi/VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.1.0-799733.x86_64.iso

...... to /home/tftpboot/pub/esxiMedia/esxi51_media

... this may take some time...

 

7-Zip 9.04 beta  Copyright (c) 1999-2009 Igor Pavlov  2009-05-30

p7zip Version 9.04 (locale=en_US.UTF-8,Utf16=on,HugeFiles=on,2 CPUs)

 

Processing archive: /home/tftpboot/ISOs/esxi/VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.1.0-799733.x86_64.iso

Extracting  A.B00

Extracting  ATA_PATA.V00

.

.     Note: Additional files being extracted are listed here

.

Extracting  XORG.V00

Extracting  [BOOT]/Bootable_NoEmulation.img

 

Everything is Ok

 

Folders: 3

Files: 98

Size:       315033969

Compressed: 315185152

...... rename: MBOOT.C32 to: mboot.c32

...... rename: BOOT.CFG to: boot.cfg

... Extracted VMware-supplied ISO: /home/tftpboot/ISOs/esxi/VMware-VMvisor-Installer-5.1.0-799733.x86_64.iso

...... to ESX media dir: /home/tftpboot/pub/esxiMedia/esxi51_media

................................................................................

 

 

Your ESX media is now ready for use by multiple Install Instances. The media is located at:

/home/tftpboot/pub/esxiMedia/esxi51_media

 

 

Part 2: Create an Install Instance

 

 

Select ESXi5 media directory from /home/tftpboot/pub/esxiMedia :

1) esxi51_media

2) Create new ESXi5 media directory from a VMware-supplied ISO

3) Remove an ESXi5 Install Instance

----> type response and press enter, "q" will quit the process

Enter number of Directory or Option to select [1 esxi51_media]: 1

................................................................................

 

Create ESXi5 Install Instance Short Name --

ESXi5 source media directory is: esxi51_media

 

Provide an Install Instance Unique short name (start with esxi5, Esxi5, or ESXi5, recommended max length 25)

----> type response and press enter, "q" will quit the process

Short Name or "l" to list existing names: esxi51_installinstance

................................................................................

 

Create ESXi5 Install Instance Description --

ESXi5 media directory is: esxi51_media

Install Instance short name is: esxi51_installinstance

 

Provide a description of this Install Instance, e.g. "ESX 4.1.1 or ESXi 4.1.0, ESXi 5.0.0, ESXi 5.1.0"

Note: This description will show in the GUI selections

----> type response and press enter, "q" will quit the process

Instance Brief Description (recommended max length 60): ESXi 5.1

................................................................................

 

Review selections:

 

ESX_Media_Dir = esxi51_media

Install_Instance = esxi51_installinstance

Install_Instance_Description = ESXi 5.1

----> type response and press enter, "q" will quit the process

Accept selections yes/no: yes

................................................................................

 

* Creating unique Install Instance directory and files for: esxi51_installinstance

... link ESXi5 media dir

... copy CFG files

... create MAC Specific template

... prepare template for:static, from:/home/tftpboot/esxiFiles/esxi5.tmpl, to:/home/tftpboot/pub/esxi51_installinstance/esxi51_installinstance.tmpl

... establish MAC Specific template link

... list Install Instance dir to log: /home/tftpboot/bin/esx-create-install-instance.log

... create MAC Independent template

... prepare template for:dynamic, from:/home/tftpboot/esxiFiles/esxi5.tmpl, to:/home/tftpboot/pub/esxi51_installinstance/esxi51_installinstance.cfg

... prep BMPboot.cfg file

 

* New Install Instance created: /home/tftpboot/pub/esxi51_installinstance

Create another ESX Install Instance y/n [n] : n

 

You have now created your first ESXi Install Instance located at:

/home/tftpboot/pub/esxi51_installinstance

 

In this directory, you will find:

esxi51_installinstance.cfg                MAC-Independent template file

esxi51_installinstance.tmpl                MAC-Specific template file

esxInstallFirstBoot.sh                        Customizable script executed upon first boot

media -> ../esxiMedia/esxi51_media        Symbolic Link to the ESXi Media

 

Learn how to Customize your ESX Install Instance.