Has anyone tried to use VMWare ESX 3.5 on desktop chipsets like Intel P35, X38,X48 or Nvidia 600 or 700 series? I want to learn how to use Infrastructure 3 on Desktop hardware? I can't afford a server just to study vmware.
ESX is very picky about what it will successfully install on. They do this to ensure stability in the Enterprise. It wont even install well on all server hardware . I bought a dell Poweredge 2900 and it wont install on that.
You have a couple possible "maybe it will work" options. I haven't tried any of this myself.
1. Get a SCSI adapter and NIC from the ESX HCL and a SCSI disk. This should work in my mind, but it is possible that there is something else that would cause issues.
2. Install it as a VM in workstation and/or server 2.0 beta (not sure about this). There are a few catches to this, you must use workstation 6.0 (server 2 beta MAY work also), ESX 3.5 doesn't work on Intel CPUs in a VM and you need to modify the vmx file with some special flags. This has info: http://communities.vmware.com/thread/86877 As far as I know AMD quadcore WILL work with ESX 3.5 in a VM. there are a few other threads on vmware communities discussing this.
Works on a 2900. You might have an HBA that's not on there. It would have to be a specific piece of hardware, probably one you didn't get with a standard order from Dell. But it will definitely work on a poweredge 2900.
Originally posted by: ktwebb
Works on a 2900. You might have an HBA that's not on there. It would have to be a specific piece of hardware, probably one you didn't get with a standard order from Dell. But it will definitely work on a poweredge 2900.
I actually installed it on an old P4 2.8ghz i had with an onboard intel SATA controller. It just worked, I didnt do anything crazy to make it work. Some SATA controllers do work, check the hardware compatiblity guides, they are very detailed.
I have a lab server here at work that is a Dell 2950 with SAS drives and it works fine.
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