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1 2 Previous Next 15 Replies Last post: Mar 23, 2007 8:38 AM by tlyczko  

What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX?? posted: Mar 23, 2007 5:47 AM

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tlyczko
532 posts since
Oct 20, 2005
The reason I ask this question is I'd like to try it out, "play" with it before it gets set up for real on our one forthcoming DL380 box.

Is it possible/reasonable to download it, get an eval key, make a vmdk or VM in Workstation and load/install the evaluation version??

I just want to see and work through the install process and point a VIC client to the host and see what it looks like, etc.

Thank you, Tom

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

1. Mar 23, 2007 5:54 AM in response to: tlyczko
Click to view mittell's profile Champion
mittell
3,096 posts since
Apr 25, 2006
Yes you can do this with Vmware Workstation 6 Beta, if you have an Intel VT processor (doesn't seem to work very well with AMD), you can do the install under 5.5, but the vmkernel won't load.

Take a look at this thread for tips on how to get it working.

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=67254&start=25&tstart=0

Alternatively I've managed to install ESX on some fairly cheap workstation hardware, an ASUS mb running the nForce500 chipset and an AMD 64 X2 4200+.

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

2. Mar 23, 2007 5:54 AM in response to: tlyczko
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wobbly1
387 posts since
Dec 1, 2004
.

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

3. Mar 23, 2007 5:57 AM in response to: tlyczko
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esiebert7625
6,796 posts since
Oct 23, 2006
Plus whatever hardware you install it on should be on the hardware compatibility list so it works properly. If you do not have a spare server, I'd play around with the free version (Server), alot of the same principles apply to it, you just do not have the advanced features of ESX.

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_systems_guide.pdf

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

4. Mar 23, 2007 5:57 AM in response to: mittell
Click to view tlyczko's profile Expert
tlyczko
532 posts since
Oct 20, 2005
Thanks mittell, unfortunately I don't have any other hardware handy to try it out on, only various PC-type boxes.

I was hoping something would be possible.

I wonder if one could run it as a guest in someone else's virtualization software, like, say, VirtualBox or Xen or something??

Oh well, so much for this idea, guess I have to wait.

Thank you, Tom

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

5. Mar 23, 2007 5:59 AM in response to: tlyczko
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mittell
3,096 posts since
Apr 25, 2006
Oh meant to say you can get a 30-day eval key from the products page. Here's the link.

http://www.vmware.com/download/vi/eval.html

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

6. Mar 23, 2007 5:59 AM in response to: esiebert7625
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tlyczko
532 posts since
Oct 20, 2005
I have used the Server version, in fact it installs very nicely on Ubuntu, what I wanted to do was observe ESX's actual install process since it seems rather different than either Server or Workstation, one has to tell it how much hard drive and memory space to allocate for different things etc.

Thank you everyone anyway.

Thank you, Tom

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

7. Mar 23, 2007 6:01 AM in response to: tlyczko
Click to view esiebert7625's profile Guru User Moderators vExpert
esiebert7625
6,796 posts since
Oct 23, 2006
Also don't forget to check out VMware player and alot of the pre-built virtual appliances. Some of them are good to use to get some Linux experience which is very handy to know for ESX.

http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/appliances/index.html

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

8. Mar 23, 2007 6:02 AM in response to: tlyczko
Click to view mittell's profile Champion
mittell
3,096 posts since
Apr 25, 2006
TBH an ESX install is almost identical to a RedHat/Fedora Core install. It uses the same installer, Anaconda, so if you're familiar with that you'll have no problems installing ESX.

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

9. Mar 23, 2007 6:03 AM in response to: tlyczko
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oreeh
9,985 posts since
Nov 30, 2005
What PC-type boxes do you have?

BTW: HP (I assume other manufacturers too) will borrow you test-systems - you only have to ask them

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

10. Mar 23, 2007 6:04 AM in response to: oreeh
Click to view tlyczko's profile Expert
tlyczko
532 posts since
Oct 20, 2005
Just little Dell boxes with 512MB RAM, 80gb HDD, Intel chips
But a test Red Hat install I can do in a VM easily...

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

11. Mar 23, 2007 6:07 AM in response to: tlyczko
Click to view esiebert7625's profile Guru User Moderators vExpert
esiebert7625
6,796 posts since
Oct 23, 2006
Ha, I have a whole big pile of old HP servers that I replaced with Vmware I'll sell you cheap ;-)

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

12. Mar 23, 2007 6:19 AM in response to: tlyczko
Click to view Ken.Cline's profile Champion VMware Employees User Moderators vExpert
Ken.Cline
5,156 posts since
Jul 7, 2004
what I wanted to do was observe ESX's actual
install process since it seems
rather different than either Server or Workstation,
one has to tell it how much hard drive and memory
space to allocate for different things etc.


ESX will install on almost anything - including a Workstation 4/5 VM...just don't expect the vmkernel to start and run. Lots of people have used WS to document the install process and to develop scripts for ESX, but since there's no supported NIC and no supported disk controller, the vmkernel won't start.

So...you can meet your objective by just downloading the eval and installing in WS (or probably on one of your old Dell desktop boxes)

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

13. Mar 23, 2007 6:31 AM in response to: Ken.Cline
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tlyczko
532 posts since
Oct 20, 2005
Hi Ken, I should have marked *your* answer as Correct but I went too fast and gave the Correct to another post, my apologies.

It sounds like the install will run, then whenever it stops or refuses to do whatever is as far as I can go...that will help a lot to understand what's in the manuals etc.

Thank you, Tom

Re: What's the easiest/best way to just evaluate/try ESX??

14. Mar 23, 2007 8:17 AM in response to: tlyczko
Click to view mittell's profile Champion
mittell
3,096 posts since
Apr 25, 2006
That's exactly what I said in my first reply to you. You can install under Vmware Workstation 5, but the vmkernel won't load so you can't run any VMs or connec the VI client.

If you use workstation 6 Beta as per the link I posted above, you can get ESX to work fully as a VM.
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