Upon initial power-on, ensure that the PlateSpin Forge Configuration dialog box is displayed.

Type root in the Login field and password in the Password field. Select OK.

The change default password dialog box is displayed. You must change the default password before proceeding.

Type a new password in the New password field and again in the Confirm Password field. Select OK.

The system confirms the password change.

Select OK.

You are logged out so that you can log back in with your new password.

Log back in.

The VMware ESX EULA dialog box is displayed. You must accept the end user license before continuing.

Select I accept the terms and conditions, then select OK.

See the VMware Web Site for the latest end user license agreement.

The PlateSpin Forge EULA dialog box is displayed.

Select I accept the terms and conditions, then select OK.

The PlateSpin Forge Host Configuration dialog box is displayed.

Specify the IP address, Netmask, and Gateway IP address you want to assign to the Appliance Host. Optionally, you can also enter a Hostname, but you will need to reboot the appliance.

You can also use DHCP, but assigning a static IP address is recommended. It is also highly recommended to assign hostnames to the appliances in multiple-appliance environments to avoid hostname conflicts.

Select Set Date, specify a date and time, select a Timezone, then select OK.

The PlateSpin Forge Host Credentials dialog box is displayed. This is where you enter the credentials you want to use to access the ESX server, which is the hypervisor layer of the appliance.

Specify a login name in the PlateSpin Forge Appliance Host login field, type a password, confirm by retyping the password, then select OK.

This creates a new ESX user that is a member of the root group. Unlike the root user, the new user has SSH permissions on ESX.

The Management VM network settings dialog box is displayed.

Deselect Use DHCP and provide the Management VM IP address, Netmask, Gateway address, and (optionally) a Hostname. The IP address entered here is used to access the PlateSpin Forge Web Client.

You can also use DHCP, but assigning a static IP address is recommended.

(Optional) Type the name of a DNS server in the DNS field and provide a DNS suffix.

Click OK.

The Appliance Configuration dialog box prompts whether or not to join a workgroup or domain.

Select Yes to open the Join PlateSpin Forge Management VM to Workgroup or Domain dialog box:

Joining a domain allows you to give selected domain users permissions for the application. See Setting Up User Authorization and Authentication in your Configuration Guide.

Do one of the following:

A Configuration Review dialog box is displayed with a summary of the parameters you have selected. Use the information to verify your settings.

If necessary, select Cancel to display an error message or to exit the configuration interface. Select Back to edit previous settings.

Select OK.

A configuration progress dialog box is displayed. Configuration can take several minutes. A final dialog box is displayed confirming the configuration’s success or failure. If the process is successful, the dialog box presents a URL you can use to access the PlateSpin Forge Web Client. Record this URL for future use.

Select OK.