How to Set Up VMware vSphere 8 Cluster from Scratch
May 11, 2026
How to Set Up VMware vSphere 8 Cluster from Scratch
Setting up a VMware vSphere 8 cluster from scratch requires careful planning and the right hardware. In this guide I will walk you through exactly how I built a two-server enterprise-grade VMware cluster in my lab — the same way I do it for real clients.
Step 1 — Prepare Your Hardware
You need two physical servers. I used two Fujitsu servers with enough RAM and CPU for virtualization. Make sure both servers have at least 32GB RAM and a fast network card.
Step 2 — Install VMware ESXi 8.0
Download ESXi 8.0 from VMware. Boot each server from USB and follow the installation wizard. Set a strong root password and configure a static IP address on each host.
Step 3 — Deploy vCenter Server
Deploy vCenter Server 8.0.3 on one of your ESXi hosts. This is the management layer that controls your entire cluster. Use the vCenter installer and follow the two-stage deployment process.
Step 4 — Create a Datacenter and Cluster
In vCenter, create a new Datacenter object, then create a Cluster inside it. Enable High Availability (HA) and DRS when creating the cluster.
Step 5 — Add Both ESXi Hosts
Add both ESXi hosts to your cluster. vCenter will manage them together as one unit.
Step 6 — Set Up Shared NFS Storage
Both servers need access to shared storage so virtual machines can move between hosts. Set up an NFS share and connect it to both ESXi hosts as a datastore.
Step 7 — Configure High Availability
With HA enabled, if one host fails, all virtual machines automatically restart on the surviving host. Test this by deliberately powering off one host and watching the VMs restart.
Step 8 — Test vMotion
vMotion allows you to move a running virtual machine from one host to another with zero downtime. Test it by migrating a VM while it is running — it should complete without any interruption.
The result is a fully enterprise-grade VMware cluster that works exactly like what you would find in a large company datacenter. I built this same setup for JDW Group across multiple sites in 2017 — and it is still running today.
