vSphere Client (5.5) on DC *workaround*

jibbajabba

Right, I know it is bad practice, however, what if you got a lab, like in my case, where the only available Windows Server at the moment of installation, is your DC ?

How do you connect to your hosts in order to install a non-DC ? You cannot officially. Sure you could argue you will have SOME windows server SOMEWHERE, but not me.. I am currently working on my lab from the office and the only windows jump box to that network is a terminal server. The Terminal server's vCenter client cannot be upgraded so at the moment, until I have the actual infrastructure working (including VPN), I am unable to connect to the hosts.

However, there is a workaround

.\VMware-viclient-all-5.5.0-1281650.exe  /VSKIP_OS_CHECKS="1"

Will skip the OS check.

On the VMware forums someone posted a response from VMware

We did this deliberately to enforce a Microsoft standard that our guys agree with - don't install software on a DC, but they made that decision in isolation. Nothing more than that. So use the workaround safely and hopefully we can undo this in the future.

So thought I share that, in case someone has a requirement to do that too.

Asif Dasl

Thanks for this, it may come in handy once I redesign my physical lab. I was thinking of VPN'ing in to the DC and running the vSphere client from within VMware workstation but this might work on the DC instead.. it might be faster to access it directly on the DC as well.

jibbajabba

Once I got the infrastructure up and running I will have more Windows VMs of course (vCenter to start with) but the initial setup is somewhat tricky if your only Windows server is the DC :d

Asif Dasl

My Future ESXi Lab.pdf

This is how I'm going to setup my future physical lab, I have a decent lab at the moment which I will break up but I will have that problem of the only Windows Server being the DC, iSCSI target and VPN. I'm going to host the vCenter Server in VMware Workstation instead of on the ESXi hosts, just because there is alot of RAM on that machine. Mind you, I need to get the funds for all of this! I think I'll have to rob a bank or something..

jibbajabba

Just started rebuilding my lab for the VCAP .. so much fun

tstrip007

Asif did you do that diagram in visio?

Asif Dasl

Yeah, Visio 2013.. just using the standard icons

SimonD.

Any reason you went for the 3770K's rather than the plain old 3770? You're missing the chance of playing with VT-d

Asif Dasl

Ooops! That's a typo copied and pasted 2 times. I'd be kicking myself if I got the K processors. Thanks for that!