Detailing the design and deployment of a VMware ESX Server environment, and written from the practical experience of proven VMware engineers, this book provides IT architects with the insight needed to tackle tough design issues such as ESX Server security, network and SAN design, host hardware selection, guest selection and configuration, management tool selection, ESX performance optimizations, and automated installs and provisioning. A linear progression is provided, starting at the basic architecture of ESX server and then moving on to server configurations, design alternatives for hardware, SAN configuration and management tools, the creation of guest operating systems, and strategy development for implementing this technology into a specific environment. Advanced topics such as unattended installs, integration with network management software, configuration options for high availability, and disaster recovery scenarios are also addressed.