Setup a VLC VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) nested lab with a standalone ESXi host

The whole purpose of setting up an VLC VCF lab because it automates the build of VCF, builds it with minimal resources required and it is all nested.

Nested meaning virtual ESXi host, running virtual machines, running on a physical esxi hosts. The VLC VCF build can be modified for a more manual build, but I will not cover this in the blog.

I have an Poweredge R720 rack mount server with 320gb ddr3 memory, 2tb SSD Samsung evo, 16cores and ESXi 7u3 what I will use for this walk through.

Minimum resources you will need is 128gb memory, 800gb ssd, 12cores, esxi 7.0 + but more resources the better it will run.

High-Level Steps

STEP 1 – Setup your virtual switch and port group on your standalone ESXi physical host

STEP 2 – Setup your windows virtual machine on the physical ESXi host

STEP 3 – Download VLC, download VCF (cloud builder) and copy it to your virtual machine

STEP 4 – Modify your JSON file with your license keys

STEP 5 – Run VLC to start the deployment of VCF

STEP 1

Make sure your physical ESXi host is not managed by vCenter

Create your standard virtual switch

vSwitch Name – VLC

MTU 9000

Security setting as all accept

select your physical adapter (not required but if your trunking your switches and want it routable across your network)

Create a port group

Name – VLC-PG

VLAN ID – 4095 (trunks all vlans)

Select your virtual switch you created in the previous task

Change security setting to accept for all

STEP 2

Setup a Windows 10, 2016 or 2019 jump box on your physical ESXi host. You’re going to use for VCF deployment.

Required software

Powershell 5.1+ should already be installed
PowerCLI 12.1+

https://developer.vmware.com/web/tool/12.7.0/vmware-powercli

OVFTool 4.4+

https://developer.vmware.com/web/tool/4.4.0/ovf

https://customerconnect.vmware.com/downloads/get-download?downloadGroup=OVFTOOL443

.Net Framework – might already be installed

https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet-framework

Browser either chrome or firefox

https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/all/#product-desktop-release

Two VMXNET3 NICs – one on your esxi mgmt network and one on the new port group you setup (VLC-PG)

Settings

Copy software to the windows 10 jumpbox and install it

All the above software installation are straight forward but powercli you will need to copy the zip extracts (VMware-PowerCLI-12.7.0-20091289.zip) to the module’s location

Open powershell and type $env:PSModulePath

Copy files from the zip extract to the folders listed