To install GitHub Enterprise on VMWare, you must download the VMWare vSphere client, and then download and deploy the GitHub Enterprise software.

Requirements

Software

  • VMware vSphere ESXi Hypervisor - Applied to a bare metal machine that will run your GitHub Enterprise instances. We support versions 5.0, 5.1, 5.5, and 6.0. The ESXi Hypervisor is free and does not include the (optional) vCenter Server.
  • VMware vCenter Server - (Optional) For managing multiple ESXi hosts. Provides hypervisor clustering features, such as VMware HA for automatic failover. Requires a paid license.
  • GitHub Enterprise Virtual Appliance (OVA) and license files - The appliance and license required to run GitHub Enterprise. These are available from the GitHub Enterprise download page.

Hardware

  • Root Disk - An 80 GB virtual disk.
  • Attached Storage - A high-performance SAN or local SSDs.

Based on your seat count, we recommend this hardware configuration:

Seats vCPUs Memory Attached Storage Root Storage
10-500 2 16 GB 100 GB 80 GB
500-3000 4 32 GB 250 GB 80 GB
3000-5000 8 64 GB 500 GB 100 GB
5000-8000 12 72 GB 750 GB 120 GB
8000-10000+ 16 128 GB 1000 GB 140 GB

These are minimum recommendations. More resources may be required depending on your usage, such as user activity and selected integrations.

Note: The root disk cannot be resized.

Warning: We recommend you use webhooks to fetch repository changes for continuous integration (CI) or similar systems. Regular automatic checks, or polling, will significantly reduce the scalability of your instance.

Step 1. Download the vSphere Client

Note: If you are deploying to a vCenter cluster, you do not need to download the vSphere Client (as of vSphere 5.1). To connect to the vCenter cluster, simply navigate to the IP address of the vCenter server in your web browser.

  1. In a browser, navigate to the IP address of the ESXi host.
  2. Download the vSphere Client if you do not already have it.
  3. Once you have the client, use it to connect to the ESXi host.

Step 2. Download your GitHub Enterprise software

  • Download the GitHub Enterprise virtual appliance (OVA) from the GitHub Enterprise download page.

  • Have your license file ready, as you will be uploading it shortly. If you are running a trial installation, you should have received a link to download your license from the GitHub Enterprise Sales team after you started the trial.

Step 3. Deploy GitHub Enterprise

  1. Upload your recently downloaded OVA file by selecting File -> Deploy OVF Template in the vSphere Windows Client, or in the vCenter Web Client, select vCenter on the left pane, then click Actions -> Deploy OVF Template.

  2. Next, you will have to:

    • Identify the source of the OVA file.
    • Acknowledge the template details.
    • Name your appliance. We recommend specifying the version of GitHub Enterprise you have uploaded.

  3. If you aren't familiar with the minimum hardware specifications recommended for your instance size, see our hardware requirements.

    The OVA will create an 80GB root virtual disk. The root disk cannot be resized.

  4. Select a datastore with sufficient space to host the VM's disks. We recommend:

    • A high-performance data storage method, whether that be a SAN or local storage.
    • Thick provisioning with lazy zeroing.

  5. Leave the Power on after deployment box unchecked, as you will need to add additional block storage for your repository data after provisioning the VM.

  6. Review the summary and accept the settings to provision the VM.

  7. Once your instance is running, visit its IP address in your web browser and upload your GitHub license.

  8. Create a password for the Enterprise Management Console. You won't need to upload your license again to access the Management Console; you will only need this password. (You can change it later, though.)

  9. Configure your instance. See the Basic Configuration guide for recommended configuration settings.