ESXi 5 32GB vRAM limitation

[skot999]

Hi All  - I have a Dell PowerEdge R710, Xeon 5620 x2, 64GB RAM.

I was unaware of the limitation introduced with ESXi 5 and installed it on this server and registered the license. (free).  I've have 4 VM's running, each with 12 GB RAM.  This limitation is a total of 32GB of RAM on the physical server, correct? Or 32GB per VM?

If it's a total of 32GB, why would the vSphere client allow me to start all VM's since it goes over the 32GB mark?  Currently, under the summary tab the memory usage says 42 GB.

Any advice is much appreciated...as I need to know if I'll have to rebuild with ESXi 4.1 or purchase a license that allows for more memory.

Thanks!!!!

[weinstein5]

For the free license it is 32 GB per physical host - it is because you can over commit memory that is why you are showing more than 32 GB assigned

[skot999]

Thanks Weinstein - So are you saying that it is a 32 GB limit, but it is not enforced?

[Troy_Clavell]

correct... it's a soft limit

[skot999]

Ok, just so I'm clear then:

If I go over and use more than 32 GB I'm breaking the license agreement, but, they no longer enforce this because it is a soft limit.  So I could effectively use all 64 GB and processing power until I have a chance to upgrade the license. 

Do I have this correct?  This is critical because I currently have production servers on this box.

[Troy_Clavell]

correct, it's a soft limit and correct you are violating the EULA.  At some point, if all your vRAM is used, you may not be able to power on any guests.  What that limit is, I'm not sure.

[cmcminn]

It is a soft limit.  in theory, you will not be able to power on other virtual machines until you have gone below the stated limit in the licensing agreement.  Hope that helps.

[admin]

The original poster is asking about the free version of ESXi 5.  Those licenses should have a hard limit of 32GB - you should not be able to power on VMs whose total configred vRAM exceeds 32GB.

See http://sostech.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/vsphere-licensing-part-8-esxi-free-32gb-hard-limit/ for a demonstration.  If the OP can exceed 32GB powered on that would be very interesting!

All other vSphere licensing have a soft limits enforced via EULA.  Note that Essentials/Essentials Plus have been rumored to have a 192GB hard limit but I don't have any clients with at least 128GB RAM and ESS/ESS+ to test that.

[admin]

Doh!  I had run into a datastore limit not a vRAM limit. I've repeated the test and verified I can power on more than 32GB of VMs.

[skot999]

I just purchased the Essentials Kit...$500 and you get vCenter, 3 ESXi hosts, and 192GB or RAM.  Not a bad deal.