This post is a part of a multi-series on how-to - Introduction
This post will focus on creating or first VM and installing the base for our future clones.
We doing this so we can build our Virtual Infrastructure services. This will consist of af bunch of VMs hosting Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, ...
We will use Windows 2012 R2 as the base OS for these VMs. We will use the Linked Clones technology of VMware Workstation to put those VMs in the smallest space possible.
To make it short, we'll install one "Base VM" with Windows 2012 R2 including all the patches. Then we create lined clone for each of our VMs. The linked clone contains only the differences between the Base VM and the linked clone.
So let get started. Start up VMware Workstation and click Create a New Virtual Machine to create your first VM.
Pick Custom (advancded).
The Hardware Compatibility must be Workstation 11.0 (default).
Select I will install the operating system later.
Pick Windows Server 2012 as the Guest operating system
Name it Windows2012R2_Base and store it under the VM folder on your SSD drive.
Do NOT store it on your HDD!!! Thise Base VM will get a LOT of Read IO.
Choose your Firmware Type - I went with EFI
One CPU/Core will be sufficient.
Memory size of 2048 MB.
Set the Network Type to Do not use a network connection.
LSI Logic SAS controller.
SCSI disk type.
Create a new virtual disk
Select Store virtual disk as a single file. These days everybody uses NTFS so we will not get any issue with big files.
60 GB disk size is fine. They are thin provisioned so only used space will be allocated.
Accept the default Disk File.
You can check your settings here and press Finish to create the VM.
It will appear in the VMware Workstation console after.
Edit the virtual machine settings
We will do some minor changes on the VM.
First, remove the Printer, Sound Card, USB Controller device. We won't be needing them and they only consume unnecessary resources.
Next. click the Add button and add a Network Adapter.
Select Custom - VMnet0 as the network connection. This will allow the VM to get Internet access.
Click on the CD/DVD (SATA) drive and attach the Windows 2012 R2 ISO file to it.
It best to store your ISO files on the HDD as you only need it only once.
Click Power on this virtual machine.
This will boot up your VM from the ISO mounted and the installation of Windows will begins.
Pick the corret regional settings and install it.
Select Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard (Server with a GUI) x64 and pres Next
Accept the license terms and press Next.
When the Windows installation is done.
Log on the server and create a password for the Administrator account.
When you are logged in and see the desktop. Click on the VM panel and choose Reinstall VMware Tools...
An Autoplay will popup in the VM. Click Run Setup64.exe and perform a Typical Installation.
Reboot the VM after.
Before running Windows Update on the VM. we will install .NET Framework first.
Open Server Manager and click the Manage and choose the Add Roles and features.
Select the NET. Framework 3.5 Features and press Next, Next, ... Install to install it.
Next, we will check for Windows Update to bring the VM up-to-date. You can go ahead and install all the updates.
After installing all available updates the size of our vmdk file have grown from 9 GB to 17,4 GB
To clean a bit up you can run this command from an elevated command prompt:
WARNING - All existing service packs and updates cannot be uninstalled after this command is completed. This will not block the uninstallation of futre service packs or updates.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase
Now the VM is ready to be used as a Template.
From an elevated prompt navigate to C:\windows\system32\sysprep\
run this command: sysprep.exe /oobe /generalize /shutdown
The machine will begin sysprep and shutdown when done.
That's it for now! The next post we will start deploying our first VM which will be the Domain Controller.
- Building a VMware Workstation Homelab - Part 01: Introduction
- Building a VMware Workstation Homelab - Part 02: VMware Workstation 11
- Building a VMware Workstation Homelab - Part 03: Base Template
- Building a VMware Workstation Homelab - Part 04: Prepare the Template for Clones
- Building a VMware Workstation Homelab - Part 05: Domain Controller
- Building a VMware Workstation Homelab - Part 06: Gateway to the Internet
- Building a VMware Workstation Homelab - Part 07: Mail Server - Exchange 2010 SP2 on Windows 2012 R2
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