4.5

Table 4-1. Custom Configuration Parameters
(Continued)
Parameter
Description and Recommendations
CPUs
The number of virtual processors in the virtual machine.
For most guest operating systems, a single processor is
sufficient.
Memory
The amount of memory to allocate to the virtual machine.
In most cases, 512MB is sufficient.
Network
The number of virtual network adapters (NICs) in the virtual
machine.
One NIC is usually sufficient. The network name should be
consistent across virtual infrastructures. An incorrect
network name in a template can cause failures during the
instance customization phases.
When you install View Agent on a virtual machine that has
more than one NIC, you must configure the subnet that View
Agent uses. See “Configure a Virtual Machine with Multiple
NICs for View Agent,” on page 54 for more information.
SCSI Controller
The type of SCSI adapter to use with the virtual machine.
For Windows 7 and Windows XP guest operating systems,
you should specify the LSI Logic adapter. The LSI Logic
adapter has improved performance and works better with
generic SCSI devices.
LSI Logic SAS is available only for virtual machines with
hardware version 7.
NOTE Windows XP does not include a driver for the LSI
Logic adapter. You must download the driver from the LSI
Logic Web site.
Select a Disk
The disk to use with the virtual machine.
Create a new virtual disk based on the amount of local
storage that you decide to allocate to each user. Allow
enough storage space for the OS installation, patches, and
locally installed applications.
To reduce the need for disk space and management of local
data, you should store the user's information, profile, and
documents on network shares rather than on a local disk.
Install a Guest Operating System
After you create a virtual machine, you must install a guest operating system.
Prerequisites
n
Verify that an ISO image file of the guest operating system is on a datastore on your ESX server.
n
Verify that the CD/DVD drive in the virtual machine points to the ISO image file of the guest operating
system and that the CD/DVD drive is configured to connect at power on.
n
If
you are installing Windows XP and you selected the LSI Logic adapter for the virtual machine, download
the LSI20320-R controller driver from the LSI Logic Web site, create a floppy image (.flp) file that contains
the driver, and upload the file to a datastore on your ESX server.
Procedure
1 In vSphere Client, log in to the vCenter Server system where the virtual machine resides.
2 Right-click the virtual machine, select Power, and select Power On to start the virtual machine.
Because you configured the CD/DVD drive to point to the ISO image of the guest operating system and
to connect at power on, the guest operating system installation process begins automatically.
Chapter 4 Creating and Preparing Virtual Machines
VMware, Inc. 45