Introduction to VMware vSphere 8 (Back to Basics)

What is VMware vSphere 8?

VMware vSphere is a virtualization platform that allows you to create and run virtual machines (VMs) on a single physical server. This can help you to improve server utilization, reduce costs, and increase IT agility.

vSphere 8 is the latest version of vSphere, and it includes several new features and enhancements. Some of the key new features in vSphere 8 include:

• vSphere Distributed Services Engine (DSE): vSphere Distributed Service Engine is a new feature that allows you to offload networking and storage services from your ESXi hosts to a dedicated DSE appliance. This can help to improve performance and scalability.
• vSphere with Tanzu: vSphere with Tanzu is a new feature that allows you to run Kubernetes on vSphere. This can help you to modernize your applications and take advantage of the benefits of containerization.
• vSphere AI/ML: vSphere AI/ML is a new feature that provides support for AI/ML workloads on vSphere. This can help you to accelerate the development and deployment of AI/ML applications.

If you’re interested in vSphere certification, check out this Clear and Simple vSphere 8 Professional – VMware VCP DCV course, it will help you pass the exam.

In addition to these new features, vSphere 8 also includes several enhancements to existing features. For example, vSphere 8 includes improved performance for vMotion, DRS, and HA.

If you are looking for a virtualization platform that can help you to improve your IT infrastructure, then vSphere 8 is a good option. vSphere 8 is a powerful and feature-rich platform that can help you to achieve your IT goals.

Read More: Top 50 VMware Interview Questions and Answers of 2023

Components of VMware vSphere 8

At the heart of VMware vSphere 8 lie two pivotal components: VMware ESXi 8 and VMware vCenter Server 8.

VMware ESXi 8

Think of VMware ESXi 8 as the bedrock of vSphere, a high-performance hypervisor that breathes life into your virtualized workloads. It guarantees efficient and secure operations for your virtual machines, providing a robust and scalable architecture that optimizes resources while maintaining peak performance. With ESXi 8, your virtual environment becomes a powerhouse of productivity.

VMware vCenter Server 8

In the bustling world of virtualization, VMware vCenter Server 8 plays the role of a central administrator, orchestrating ESXi hosts connected in a network. This dynamic service allows you to pool and manage resources from multiple hosts, streamlining the management of your virtualized environment. Through the deployment of the vCenter Server appliance – a preconfigured virtual machine – you gain an arsenal of tools to efficiently manage vSphere clusters, allocate resources with precision, and monitor the health and performance of your virtual infrastructure. With vCenter Server 8, you are the master conductor of your virtual symphony.

Installation of VMware vSphere 8

Embarking on a successful vSphere 8 deployment requires following a well-defined sequence of tasks during installation.

Figure: Thanks to VMware

• Read the vSphere release notes.
• Install ESXi 8.0.
  • Verify that your system meets the minimum hardware requirements. See ESXi Requirements.
  • Determine the ESXi installation option to use: interactive, scripted or by using vSphere Auto Deploy.
  • Determine where you want to locate and boot the ESXi installer. See Media Options for Booting the ESXi Installer. If you are using PXE to boot the installer, verify that your network PXE infrastructure is properly set up. See Network Booting the ESXi Installer.
  • Create a worksheet with the information you will need when you install ESXi. See Required Information for ESXi Installation.

VMware ESXi 8 Evaluation and Licensing Modes

Evaluation Mode

VMware ESXi 8 evaluation mode provides the full set of features for ESXi hosts, including vSphere vMotion, vSphere HA, vSphere DRS, and other features. This allows you to explore the entire set of features for ESXi hosts before you purchase a license.

The evaluation mode is available for 60 days. After the evaluation period expires, you will need to purchase a license to continue using vSphere.

Licensed Mode

When you purchase a vSphere license, you will receive a license key that you can use to activate vSphere on your ESXi hosts. The features that are included in your vSphere license will determine which features you can use in vSphere.

Converting Between Evaluation and Licensed Modes

You can convert between evaluation and licensed modes at any time during the 60-day evaluation period. If you convert from evaluation mode to licensed mode, you will need to enter your license key. If you convert from licensed mode to evaluation mode, the time remaining in your evaluation period will be decreased by the time that you have already used.

Expiration of Evaluation or License Period

If the evaluation period or license period for an ESXi host expires, the host will be disconnected from vCenter Server. All powered-on virtual machines on the host will continue to work, but you will not be able to power on any virtual machines that are powered off. You will also not be able to change the current configuration of the features that are in use or use any features that were not in use before the license expired.

Read More: 13 Best VM Backup Solutions in 2023, Features and Pricing

The evaluation and licensing modes for VMware ESXi 8 allow you to explore the entire set of features for ESXi hosts before you purchase a license. This can help you to determine which features are right for your organization and to avoid any surprises when the evaluation period expires.

Conclusion

In this inaugural part of our blog series, we’ve introduced you to the awe-inspiring VMware vSphere 8 virtualization platform. We explored its core components, VMware ESXi 8 and VMware vCenter Server 8, and how they work in harmony to virtualize and manage your IT infrastructure. Furthermore, we’ve provided insights into the installation process, ensuring your journey into the world of vSphere is both seamless and triumphant.

With VMware vSphere 8 as your guiding light, your organization can embark on a journey of modern and agile IT management, unlocking higher resource utilization, improving application availability, and simplifying infrastructure management. Stay tuned for the next part of our series, where we’ll journey deeper into the realms of vSphere 8, uncovering its advanced features and capabilities. It’s time to embrace the future of virtualization and unleash the power of vSphere 8.

If you’re interested in vSphere certification, check out this Clear and Simple vSphere 8 Professional – VMware VCP DCV course, it will help you pass the exam. Happy virtualization!