An example method to install a hardware management system on a management switch includes in response to a power-on event of a management switch, executing a boot loader on the management switch to boot an operating system on the management switch. The example method also includes obtaining from a virtual imaging appliance in communication with the management switch a uniform resource locator of a network-accessible location of installer software to install the hardware management system. The virtual imaging appliance is to configure a physical rack of hardware for use as a virtual server rack. The hardware management system is to manage the hardware for use in the virtual server rack.