Sakthi's Blogs

Tag: vsphere

  • VMware Operations

    Sure! Here’s a step-by-step procedure document for basic VMware operations, which can serve as a reference for common tasks in a vSphere/VMware environment.

    📘 VMware Operations Procedure Document

    🔧 Prerequisites:

    • Access to VMware vSphere Client or vCenter Server
    • Admin privileges or appropriate roles assigned
    • Network access to the ESXi host or vCenter

    1. Logging into VMware vSphere Client

    Steps:

    1. Open a web browser.
    2. Navigate to: https://<vcenter-server-IP-or-Hostname>/ui
    3. Enter your username and password.
    4. Click Login.

    2. Creating a New Virtual Machine (VM)

    Steps:

    1. In vSphere Client, go to Hosts and Clusters.
    2. Right-click on the host or cluster → select New Virtual Machine.
    3. Choose Create a new virtual machine → Click Next.
    4. Enter a name for the VM.
    5. Select a compute resource (host or cluster).
    6. Choose a datastore.
    7. Select a compatibility level (ESXi version).
    8. Choose a guest OS (e.g., Windows/Linux).
    9. Customize hardware settings (CPU, RAM, HDD, NIC).
    10. Click Finish.

    3. Powering On/Off a VM

    Steps:

    1. Navigate to the desired VM in the inventory.
    2. Right-click the VM → Choose Power > Power On or Power Off.

    4. Taking a Snapshot of a VM

    Steps:

    1. Right-click the VM → Select Snapshots > Take Snapshot.
    2. Provide:
    • Snapshot Name
    • Description (optional)
    • Decide whether to include memory and quiesce the file system.
    1. Click OK.

    5. Reverting to a Snapshot

    Steps:

    1. Right-click the VM → Select Snapshots > Manage Snapshots.
    2. Choose the snapshot to revert to.
    3. Click Revert To → Confirm action.

    6. Migrating a VM (vMotion)

    Ensure vMotion is configured.

    Steps:

    1. Right-click the VM → Select Migrate.
    2. Choose:
    • Change compute resource only OR
    • Change storage only OR
    • Change both compute and storage
    1. Select destination host/datastore.
    2. Review and click Finish.

    7. Cloning a VM

    Steps:

    1. Right-click the VM → Select Clone > Clone to Virtual Machine.
    2. Name the clone.
    3. Choose the target folder, host/cluster, and datastore.
    4. Customize the hardware (optional).
    5. Click Finish.

    8. Creating a VM Template

    Steps:

    1. Right-click the VM → Select Template > Convert to Template.
    2. Template will now appear in the VMs and Templates view.

    9. Deploying VM from a Template

    Steps:

    1. Right-click the template → Select New VM from This Template.
    2. Enter a name and select destination.
    3. Choose compute resource and datastore.
    4. Customize as needed.
    5. Click Finish.

    10. Monitoring VM Performance

    Steps:

    1. Select the VM.
    2. Go to the Monitor tab.
    3. Choose Performance > Overview.
    4. View metrics such as CPU, memory, disk, and network usage.

    11. VMware Tools Installation

    Steps:

    1. Select the VM.
    2. Go to Actions > Guest OS > Install VMware Tools.
    3. Follow prompts inside the VM to install.

    12. Accessing VM Console

    Steps:

    1. Select the VM.
    2. Click Launch Web Console or Launch Remote Console.

    13. Shutting Down or Restarting Guest OS

    Steps:

    1. Right-click the VM → Select Guest OS > Shutdown / Restart.
    2. VMware Tools must be installed for this to work gracefully.

    14. Deleting a VM

    Steps:

    1. Right-click the VM → Select Delete from Disk.
    2. Confirm deletion.

    ⚠️ This removes the VM and its data permanently.

    ✅ Best Practices

    • Always take a snapshot before major changes.
    • Monitor resource utilization regularly.
    • Keep VMware Tools up to date.
    • Use templates for consistent VM deployments.
    • Maintain proper tagging and naming conventions.