VMware has recently released a new build of ESXi to fix a bug that causes ESXi to hang for a long period of time while it tries to connect to all iSCSI targets. I’ve personally seen this happen in my lab and it can take quite a long time for ESXi to boot as it will try 9 times to connect to each iSCSI target. VMware sees this as a serious enough issue that not only have they released a patch to fix the problem but they’ve also released a special patch express release of ESXi. So when you go to download ESXi 5.0 now you will see two options for the ESXi ISO: one for systems without software iSCSI configured and one for systems with software iSCSI configured. If you are already using software iSCSI or plan on it at some point you should choose the ISO image for systems with software iSCSI. You can read more about this issue in this VMware KB article. Here is the details on the two ESXi builds:
- Original release: Version 5.0.0 - Release Date 8/24/11 - Build 469512
- iSCSI patch release: Version 5.0.0 - Release Date 11/10/11 - Build 504890
ESXi 4.1 brought changes to the patching process. Previously, the Host Update utility — an application included with the vSphere Client — could patch ESXi 4.0 hosts. VMware removed Host Update from ESXi 4.1, presumably to encourage users to upgrade to paid versions that are managed and patched with vCenter Server’s Update Manager. As a result, the only method left to patch the free version of ESXi is with the vihostupdate command-line utility, which is included in the vSphere Command-Line Interface (CLI).
Before using this method, it’s important to understand how the patches work and where to find them.
Read the full article at searchvmware.com…
VMware announced that ESXi will be the exclusive hypervisor of vSphere 5. As such, we will likely see a greater adoption of VMware’s smaller hypervisor.
ESXi can be either embedded on a server (boot from flash) or installed on existing servers, using the Installable version. The free version of ESXi, the VMware vSphere Hypervisor, includes support for virtual symmetric multiprocessing (vSMP) and thin provisioning. No additional features are included, which means the free version of ESXi cannot be managed by vCenter Server, because it does not include a vCenter Server agent. To gain additional features and a vCenter Server agent, you need to upgrade your ESXi license.
The ESXi installation uses about 5 GB of space. Any remaining space on the drive is automatically formatted as a Virtual Machine File System (VMFS) partition. The hypervisor needs roughly 32 MB; the additional space is used for VMware Tools as well as swap and core dump partitions.
If you already have existing licenses for ESX, you can also choose to deploy ESXi in place of ESX on a server. Simply download ESXi installable. Install it and then license it with vCenter Server, as you would a traditional ESX server. Follow the steps below to install and configure ESXi.
Read the full article at searchvmware.com…
Since VMware first introduced its ESXi hypervisor at the end of 2007, the ESX-vs.-ESXi debate has escalated. But now that VMware plans to phase out ESX and switch to ESXi, migrating to ESXi has become increasingly important.
But the reality is that many VMware shops still run the ESX hypervisor. ESXi has a radically different management approach, and many ESX shops have avoided ESXi because it lacked the power of ESX’s service console. Additionally, several ESX features were not available in early ESXi iterations.
But ESXi has steadily matured, and now the consensus is that the stripped-down hypervisor is on par with ESX’s features and management. But many IT shops still run ESX because they are used to it, and the transition to ESXi can be time-consuming and difficult.
Now that ESXi will replace ESX, you may be ready to switch hypervisors. But you might have to convince your boss and coworkers to get on board. To end the ESX vs. ESXi debate for good, this sample letter should help you make a convincing argument for migrating to ESXi.
Read the full article at searchvmware.com…
The next release of vSphere won’t include VMware ESX, so you may be unsure how to upgrade your ESX hosts to ESXi hosts. Unfortunately there is no magic bullet, and as with all upgrades, you should not rush into it without being prepared. In this article, I will provide a suggested methodology.
1. Understand the differences between ESX and ESXi
First, you need a good understanding of the differences between ESX and ESXi. The two hypervisors run the same VMkernel, but managing ESXi is different from management ESX. ( VMware provides a basic ESX vs. ESXi comparison on its website and a more detailed one in the ESX vs. ESXi 4.1 KnowledgeBase article.) ESX and ESXi used to differ considerably, but vSphere 4.1 addressed most of them and the two hypervisors are now on par with each other.
Read the full article at searchvmware.com…
VMware has long claimed that ESXi will one day be the Palo Alto-based company’s main hypervisor, and the time has come for ESX to begin to gracefully make its exit. The recent release of VMware vSphere 4.1 will be the last release to include the ESX version of VMware’s hypervisor, which may not make ESX fanboys happy. The improvements in ESX 4.1, however, demonstrate that the time to start switching is now.
In a recent Virtualization Viewpoints column, I wrote about drawbacks of VMware ESXi and why widespread adoption of ESXi is not a reality. Some of the problems with ESXi included:
- No official support for booting ESXi from a storage area network (SAN),
- no Web-based console to manage virtual machines (VMs),
- no support for scriptable installations, and
- no support for Active Directory (AD) integration.
The article also outlined several suggestions for making ESXi more attractive to administrators used to working with ESX. While I have always preferred ESX over ESXi, I am now recommending that you start using ESXi and plan on migrating all of your current ESX installations to the ESXi platform.
Read the full article at searchvmware.com…
