Using ESXi & VMware Go – Part 1 Download & Install

Having just pulled down and installed ESXi, I figured that now is a good time to see what all of the noise around VMware Go was about. Well, perhaps not what it is about, there is plenty of marketing literature for that. Rather, how it works. Time to dig in:

What is VMware Go?

While there is some marketing info, it is still helpful to have a basic understanding when we begin. Here is my take: VMware Go, the beta anyways, is a VMware web service to help new customers during their initial ramp up into the world of virtualization.

Getting Started

First you’ll need to register or sign into the VMware Go website. From there you’ll want to watch the introductory video. Really.

Done? That fast? No? Well, I’ll wait. After getting through the video, we step into the “New ESXi” section, and are prompted for some software installation:

After clicking “Install Now” and accepting the various Windows security warnings, you’ll proceed through a download and install:

The installer will download and install any missing components as it progresses. Once the install is successful you can then start digging in with the VMware Go wizard. Beginning with step 1, testing an old Windows host:

Out of curiosity, I ran the test against the VM in which Windows was running… it more or less spun in place for the better part of an hour. Not sure if that was because it was against a VM, or part of “Go” being in beta. Skipping this step we’re presented with:

I’ll wait while you pull down the ISO and get it installed… This may take a bit, and will require you to run their download manager. I’ll wait.
 

Once downloaded, the app prompts you to burn the ISO to a disk:

Once you get this taken care of, you’re good to get the install flowing. Once installed, we connect it to VMware Go using the discovery:

After connecting, VMware Go will give your server a once over and make some recommendations:

That’s it for getting downloaded and installed. They’ll be another shortly on adding VMs and performing basic management. As always, drop us a line in the comments if you have any questions.