Книга: Mastering VMware® Infrastructure3

Installation Best Practices

Installation Best Practices

The following best practice suggestions are derived from the full details outlined in Chapters 2 and 13.

? Review your architecture needs to determine if ESX Server 3.5 or ESXi is the right foundation for your virtual infrastructure. Identify the answers to questions like:

 ? Do I have a need for the console operating system?

 ? Do I have a need to minimize the footprint on the physical server?

 ? Do I want to install any third-party applications that require the service console?

? Always consult the ESX Server compatibility guides before purchasing any new hardware. Even if you are successful at installing on unsupported hardware, be aware that using hardware not listed on the compatibility guides will force any support calls to end abruptly. Ensure that you review the appropriate compatibility guide for the product you have chosen to install.

? Plan the Service Console management methods before installing. Identify the answers to questions like:

 ? Will the Service Console be on a dedicated management network or on the same network as virtual machines?

 ? Will I be using VLANs or physical hardware to segment the Service Console?

 ? How will I provide redundancy for the Service Console communication?

? If you're installing ESX Server 3.5, construct a Service Console security plan. Ensure limited access to the Service Console by minimizing the number of administrators with local user accounts or knowledge of the root password.

? Create user accounts for each administrative user who requires direct access to an ESX Server host.

? Establish strong user account policies in the Service Console by integrating ESX Server with Active Directory or by deploying a Linux-based security module.

? Establish growth projections and plan the ESX Server partition strategy accordingly.

? Increase /root partition size to provide ample room for growth and/or the installation of third-party applications. If the root of the file system runs out of space, there will most certainly be issues to address.

? Increase /swap partition size to address any projected increases in the amount of RAM provided to the Service Console. The /swap should be twice the amount of RAM that will be allocated to the Service Console.

? Change /var/log to /var and increase partition size to provide ample room for logs and the ESX Server patch management process that writes to the /var directory during the process.

? Unless performing a boot from SAN, detach ESX Server hosts from the external storage devices to prevent overwriting existing data. At minimum, don't present LUNs to a new ESX Server host until the installation is complete.

? When reinstalling ESX Server on a physical server, be careful not to initiate LUNs with existing data. Once again, disconnecting a host from the SAN during the reinstall process will eliminate the threat of erasing data.

? Configure a time synchronization strategy that synchronizes all ESX Server hosts with the same external time server.

? Ensure the security of console access by guaranteeing the physical security of the box. If the server is configured with a remote console adapter, like the Dell Remote Access Controller (DRAC), ensure the default password has been changed and that the DRAC network is not readily accessible to other network segments.

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