MS-A2 Deployment Readiness Checklist

Hardware Inventory Verification

MS-A2 Unit 1

  • MINISFORUM MS-A2 (AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX)
  • Crucial 128GB DDR5-5600 (2x64GB modules)
  • Samsung 980 Pro 500GB NVMe SSD
  • Samsung 990 PRO 4TB NVMe SSD
  • WD_BLACK SN850X 4TB NVMe SSD

MS-A2 Unit 2

  • MINISFORUM MS-A2 (AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX)
  • Crucial 128GB DDR5-5600 (2x64GB modules)
  • Samsung 980 Pro 500GB NVMe SSD
  • Samsung 990 PRO 4TB NVMe SSD
  • WD_BLACK SN850X 4TB NVMe SSD

Pre-Deployment Tasks

1. Firmware Updates

  • Download latest MINISFORUM BIOS
  • Download Samsung Magician for SSD firmware
  • Download WD Dashboard for SN850X firmware
  • Create firmware update USB media

2. Hardware Installation

  • Install 128GB DDR5 memory (both units)
  • Install all NVMe SSDs in correct slots
  • Verify all components detected in BIOS

3. BIOS Configuration

  • Update BIOS to latest version
  • Enable AMD-V virtualization
  • Enable IOMMU
  • Enable SR-IOV
  • Set PCIe 4.0 for M.2 slots 2 & 3
  • Disable Secure Boot
  • Set power profile to Performance

4. ESXi Installation Media

  • Download ESXi 8.0.3 ISO
  • Create bootable USB installer
  • Prepare network configuration details

Network Planning

MS-A2 Network Interfaces

Each MS-A2 has:

  • 2x 10G SFP+ ports (primary for vSAN/vMotion)
  • 2x 2.5G RJ45 ports (management/VM traffic)

IP Address Allocation 

MS-A2 Unit 1 (esxi-ms-a2-01):
- Management: 192.168.10.12
- vMotion: 192.168.20.12
- vSAN: 192.168.30.12

MS-A2 Unit 2 (esxi-ms-a2-02):
- Management: 192.168.10.13
- vMotion: 192.168.20.13
- vSAN: 192.168.30.13

VLAN Assignments

  • VLAN 10: Management Network
  • VLAN 20: vMotion
  • VLAN 30: vSAN
  • VLAN 40: NSX-T Overlay
  • VLAN 50: NSX-T Edge Uplink1
  • VLAN 100: TKG Management
  • VLAN 110: TKG Workload
  • VLAN 200: VM Network

Storage Configuration

Per Host Storage Layout 

Total Raw Storage: 8.5TB per host
- Boot/System: 500GB (Samsung 980 Pro)
- vSAN Capacity Tier: 8TB (990 PRO + SN850X)

Cluster Total (2 hosts):
- Raw Capacity: 17TB
- vSAN Usable (FTT=1): ~8TB

vSAN ESA Requirements

  • ✅ 128GB RAM per host (exceeds 32GB minimum)
  • ✅ 8TB NVMe storage per host
  • ✅ Class F or better SSDs (990 PRO & SN850X qualify)
  • ⚠️ 25Gbps networking recommended (using 2x10G bonded)

ESXi Installation Configuration

Boot Device Configuration

  • Primary Boot: Samsung 980 Pro 500GB (Slot 1)
  • Partition Layout:
    • Boot Bank 1: 4GB
    • Boot Bank 2: 4GB
    • ESX-OSData: 120GB
    • VMFS Local Datastore: ~370GB

Initial ESXi Settings 

# Hostname Configuration
esxi-ms-a2-01.markalston.net
esxi-ms-a2-02.markalston.net

# DNS Servers
Primary: 192.168.10.1
Secondary: 8.8.8.8

# NTP Servers
0.pool.ntp.org
1.pool.ntp.org

vCenter Integration

Cluster Configuration Options

Option 1: Separate MS-A2 Cluster

  • Create new cluster “MS-A2-Cluster”
  • Enable vSAN ESA
  • Configure HA/DRS
  • Ideal for VCF management domain

Option 2: Mixed Architecture Cluster

  • Add to existing “Intel-NUC-Cluster”
  • Enable EVC mode (if compatible)
  • Shared storage via iSCSI/NFS
  • Good for testing mixed workloads

vSAN Configuration

  • Enable vSAN ESA (Express Storage Architecture)
  • Configure disk groups:
    • Cache Tier: Not required for ESA
    • Capacity Tier: 990 PRO + SN850X
  • Set storage policy (FTT=1 for 2-node)
  • Enable deduplication/compression

Post-Installation Tasks

ESXi Host Configuration

  • Configure NTP synchronization
  • Enable SSH (temporary for setup)
  • Install VMware Tools repository
  • Configure syslog server
  • Set up SNMP monitoring

Network Configuration

  • Create distributed vSwitch
  • Configure port groups for all VLANs
  • Set up LACP for 10G ports
  • Configure jumbo frames (9000 MTU)
  • Test network connectivity

Storage Validation

  • Verify all NVMe drives detected
  • Create local VMFS datastore
  • Configure vSAN disk groups
  • Test vSAN health
  • Verify storage performance

vCenter Tasks

  • Add hosts to inventory
  • Assign licenses
  • Configure cluster settings
  • Create resource pools
  • Set up alarms

Performance Baselines

Expected Performance Metrics 

CPU:
- Cores: 16 physical (32 logical with HT)
- Base Clock: 2.5 GHz
- Boost Clock: 5.4 GHz

Memory:
- Capacity: 128GB DDR5-5600
- Bandwidth: ~89.6 GB/s

Storage (per drive):
- Samsung 990 PRO: 7,450/6,900 MB/s read/write
- WD SN850X: 7,300/6,600 MB/s read/write
- Samsung 980 Pro: 6,900/5,000 MB/s read/write

Network:
- 10G SFP+: 2x 10Gbps (20Gbps bonded)
- 2.5G RJ45: 2x 2.5Gbps (5Gbps bonded)

Deployment Sequence

Phase 1: Hardware Setup (Day 1)

  1. Update firmware on both units
  2. Install memory and SSDs
  3. Configure BIOS settings
  4. Verify POST and temperatures

Phase 2: ESXi Installation (Day 1)

  1. Install ESXi on MS-A2-01
  2. Configure networking
  3. Install ESXi on MS-A2-02
  4. Configure networking

Phase 3: vCenter Integration (Day 1-2)

  1. Add hosts to vCenter
  2. Create/configure cluster
  3. Set up distributed switching
  4. Configure vSAN

Phase 4: Validation (Day 2)

  1. Run vSAN health checks
  2. Test vMotion
  3. Verify HA functionality
  4. Performance testing

Troubleshooting Quick Reference

Common Issues

No Network Connectivity

  • Check SFP+ modules seated properly
  • Verify VLAN configuration
  • Check switch port configuration
  • Ensure link speed negotiation

Storage Not Detected

  • Verify PCIe 4.0 enabled in BIOS
  • Check NVMe secure erase state
  • Reseat NVMe drives
  • Update SSD firmware

High Temperatures

  • Check fan operation
  • Verify thermal pads on SSDs
  • Check ambient temperature
  • Review power settings

vSAN Issues

  • Verify network multicast
  • Check MTU settings (9000)
  • Confirm disk group configuration
  • Review vSAN health alerts

Documentation Requirements

Record for Each Host

  • Serial numbers (system & components)
  • MAC addresses (all NICs)
  • BIOS version
  • ESXi build number
  • vSAN disk UUIDs
  • License keys

Network Documentation

  • IP addresses assigned
  • VLAN memberships
  • Switch port mappings
  • SFP+ module types
  • Cable types and lengths

Success Criteria

Functional Requirements

  • Both hosts accessible via vCenter
  • vMotion working between hosts
  • vSAN health check passes
  • Network redundancy verified
  • Storage performance meets expectations

Performance Targets

  • CPU ready < 5%
  • Memory utilization < 80%
  • Storage latency < 1ms
  • Network throughput > 9Gbps
  • vSAN resync < 1 hour

Next Steps After Deployment

Immediate

  1. Deploy vCLS VMs
  2. Configure backup solution
  3. Set up monitoring
  4. Document configuration

Short Term (Week 1)

  1. Deploy test VMs
  2. Configure NSX-T
  3. Set up content library
  4. Performance tuning

Medium Term (Month 1)

  1. Deploy TKG
  2. Configure Cloud Foundation
  3. Implement automation
  4. Disaster recovery setup

Notes

vSAN ESA Considerations

With 128GB RAM and 8TB NVMe per host, these systems exceed vSAN ESA requirements. Consider:

  • Single-tier architecture (no cache tier needed)
  • Native snapshots support
  • Improved compression ratios
  • Better performance predictability

Future Expansion

Consider adding PCIe HBA card for:

  • Additional NVMe via adapter card
  • SAS/SATA drives for capacity tier
  • External JBOD expansion
  • Backup target storage

10G Network Optimization

Since 25G isn’t available, optimize 10G:

  • Use LACP for 20Gbps aggregate
  • Enable jumbo frames
  • Separate vSAN and vMotion traffic
  • Consider RDMA if supported

This project is for educational and home lab purposes.