On a client computer:

• Go to: https://www.vmware.com/go/evaluate-vsphere-en
  • I Have an Account
  • Sign in to VMware account
  • Register for the evaluation
  • Download the installation ISO
  • Use Rufus or Ventoy to set up an ESXI installation USB

On the server:

• Disconnect any drives other than the drive intended for ESXi to be installed on
• Boot from the installation USB on the desired server
• Follow the steps, selecting the desired drive to install to
• Remove the installation USB when prompted and restart
• Wait for the server to fully boot then visit the provided management URL on another computer

On a client computer:

• Visit the provided management URL from the server
• Log in as root with the password given earlier
• Deselect Join the VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program
• Manage:
  • Licensing > Assign license > Enter your license key
  • Security & Users > Users > Add User
    • Add your user with a secure password and enable shell access
• Host > Actions > Permissions > Add user > Add the new user with admin permissions to this host
• root@ip in top right > Log out > Log in as the new user
• Host > Actions > Permissions > root > Assign role > No access
  • (Make sure that you can log in as the new user first and that it has administrator permissions.)
• Manage:
  • Services:
    • TSM-SSH:
      • Enable
      • Actions > Policy > Start and stop with host
    • lbtd (Optionally disable the Load Base Teaming service if not using network load balancing):
      • Disable
      • Actions > Policy > Start and stop manually
  • System >
    • Advanced Settings:
      • UserVars.SuppressShellWarning > 1
      • UserVars.HostClientSessionTimeout > 3600
    • Time & date > Edit NTP Settings > Use Network Time Protocol:
      • NTP service startup policy > Start and stop with host
      • NTP servers > 0.au.pool.ntp.org,1.au.pool.ntp.org
      • Save
• Networking > TCP/IP stacks > Default TCP/IP stack > Edit settings:
  • Enable Use DHCP DNS services from the following adapter and make sure the right management interface is selected

: Add Synology backup account and connect to Synology

Add web management page to the Caddy reverse proxy using GitHub
: Add a section in the Caddy page to import here and other pages on how to add something

: Figure out how to change the ssh port to 50001

• Check for any possible compatibility issues with new updates
• Stop any running VMs on the ESXi host
• Enter Maintenance Mode
• Download the latest Offline Bundle from: https://support.broadcom.com/group/ecx/solutionfiles?displayGroup=VMware%20vSphere%20-%20Standard&os=&release=8.0&solution=VMware%20vSphere%20-%20Standard&subfamily=VMware%20vSphere
• Using the Datastore Browser upload the VMware ESXI offline bundle to a datastore with enough space available
• SSH to the host and perform the following commands:

  esxcli software sources profile list -d /vmfs/volumes/<datastore>/<ESXofflinebundle.zip>
  # Fill in using the standard profile from the last command:
  esxcli software profile update -d /vmfs/volumes/<datastore>/<ESXiOfflineBundle.zip> -p <Image profile>

• When the upgrade is completed successfully, reboot the ESXi host
• Log in and exit the maintenance mode on the ESXi host

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR-b2q7PuLU
• https://www.ivobeerens.nl/2020/04/09/nvme-ssds-are-not-recognized-anymore-after-upgrading-to-vmware-esxi-7/
• https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/8.0/vsphere-esxi-80-upgrade-guide.pdf

Drives bigger than 128GB that ESXi is installed on will also create a datastore for VMs on that drive with the remaining space.

Use TERM=xterm esxtop in SSH to see useful stats:

• https://www.virten.net/vmware/esxtop/
• https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1008205
• Press v to see the disk usage of the virtual machines
• Press s then 2 to set the update interval to 2 seconds

How to transfer datastore to USB drive for migration:

• https://www.virten.net/2023/07/how-to-use-usb-drives-as-vmfs-datastore-in-vsphere-esxi-8-0/

Optiplex 7050:

CW-ADLN-6L:

• Followed the Additional Information section of https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/318928/vmk0-management-network-mac-address-is-n.html to set the nic to vmnic3 since I'm using the top ethernet port (#6) and I want the management nic to take its MAC address.

• The TPM2 in the CW-ADLN-6L is CRB, ESXi 8 requires TIS/FIFO
• This would probably also be required if TIS/FIFO could be enabled:
  • Enter the bios > Security > Secure Boot > Custom > Key Management > Enrol Efi Image > Enrol the ESXi boot.efi file
• Or create a VTPM by following https://williamlam.com/2023/10/support-for-virtual-trusted-platform-module-vtpm-on-esxi-without-vcenter-server.html