Scripted install ESXi 4.1 (partition size)
I am building a scripted installation for a customer. The last time i did this it was for ESX4.0 and i have never done a scripted install with the ESXi implementation until now. When I made a scripted install for ESX i always customize the partitions for the installation like this in the KS.CFG file:
part /boot –fstype=ext3 –size=1100 –onfirstdisk
part None –fstype=vmkcore –size=110 –onfirstdisk
part [Hostname]-LocalStorage –fstype=vmfs3 –size=18000 –grow –onfirstdisk
virtualdisk localdisk1 –size=[disksize] –onvmfs=[Hostname]-LocalStorage
part / –fstype=ext3 –size=6000 –grow –onvirtualdisk=localdisk1
part /home –fstype ext3 –size=2048 –onvirtualdisk=localdisk1
part swap –fstype=swap –size=1600 –onvirtualdisk=localdisk1
part /var –fstype=ext3 –size=4096 –onvirtualdisk=localdisk1
part /tmp –fstype=ext3 –size=2048 –onvirtualdisk=localdisk1
part /opt –fstype=ext3 –size=2048 –onvirtualdisk=localdisk1
This are sizes that are common in the community. So when i started to make a new installation script for the ESXi 4.1 i opened a ESX 4.0 ks.CFG file and modified some data en went for a dry run in VMware workstation with a CD installation and found out that i got a lot of warnings.So here’s a tip one start a new KS.cfg file don’t use the old KS.cfg file even if it is been prepared for ESX version 4 the some things have change.
I went looking for a best practices for the partitioning of ESXi but i found nothing! The only thing i found was this post http://communities.vmware.com/message/1620970 And looking at this i was not the only one in search of answers. The manual gives us the option to set some options for datastores.
I found this rule for the installation script ( Ks.cfg) autopart –firstdisk –overwritevmfs
there are some options en please remember to disconnect every LUN form the host because you may end up with some unwanted free storage. The sequence that is with this rule, used for looking at the available storage, is local disk and then remote disk but when you use a blade system the disk are seen as a remote disk and than this is tricky because what is the first remote disk? The storage you thought or the LUN with you’re Virtual Machines. So specify witch storage you like to use or disconnect the LUN form your to install ESXi host.
It seems that the Jason over at http://boche.net/blog/ is right ESX partitioning is a lost art when moving to ESXi
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