VMware Communities: ESX 3i Installable now released, can only be installed to hard drive?

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9 Replies Last post: Feb 4, 2008 7:45 PM by pbraren

ESX 3i Installable now released, can only be installed to hard drive?

Dec 21, 2007 3:11 AM

sgmess 6 posts since
Nov 21, 2007

Hello all,

I've seen that ESX 3i Installable has just been released but is only installable to hard drives, will there be a version released in the future that can be installed to USB keys?

I'm aware a beta version was given away at VMWorld on a USB key and HP indicated that all their new servers came with internal USB ports for using this type of functionality.

Thanks

Tags: 3i, embedded, usb, installable

Reply Re: ESX 3i Installable now released, can only be installed to hard drive? Dec 21, 2007 3:59 AM

ZippyDaMCT 1,406 posts since
Jun 3, 2005

wooo hooooo got it cheers for the heads up ;0)

Reply Re: ESX 3i Installable now released, can only be installed to hard drive? Dec 21, 2007 5:31 AM

jayolsen 547 posts since
Jul 31, 2006

From the 3i setup guide, page 19.

You use the ESX Server 3i CD‐ROM to install the ESX Server 3i software onto a SATA,

SAS, or SCSI hard drive. Installing on a USB drive, an IDE/ATA drive, or a SAN‐based

drive, such as FC SAN or iSCSI SAN, is currently not supported.

Reply Re: ESX 3i Installable now released, can only be installed to hard drive? Dec 21, 2007 8:56 AM

king@it.ibm.com 2,921 posts since
Jan 16, 2004

Don't confuse the installable version with the 3i that will come pre-loaded with some selected hardware platforms from system vendors. The installable version (at least right now) is only installable on standard local drive media. The "embedded" release will be provided by system vendors on an internal USB key.

I think there is a bit of confusion there (and as far as I can say VMware is confusing people too with some of their messages).

Massimo.

Reply Re: ESX 3i Installable now released, can only be installed to hard drive? Dec 21, 2007 9:42 AM

in response to: king@it.ibm.com

ZippyDaMCT 1,406 posts since
Jun 3, 2005

Well it seems to work in VMware Workstation 6.0.2 Build 59824 pretty well as a WS6 VM, see pics.

Attachments:

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Reply Re: ESX 3i Installable now released, can only be installed to hard drive? Dec 21, 2007 10:10 AM

in response to: king@it.ibm.com

doubleH 531 posts since
Dec 23, 2006

i'm a little confused. so what is the difference from the local install of 3.5 and 3i? i understand 3i will come embedded from the server vendors.

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Reply Re: ESX 3i Installable now released, can only be installed to hard drive? Dec 21, 2007 10:17 AM

in response to: doubleH

Dave.Mishchenko 8,867 posts since
Nov 15, 2005 Moderator

3i comes in both an embedded version and one that can be installed to a supported hard drive. Basically 3i is 3.5 without the service console. 3i will have the Remote Command Line Interface (Remote CLI) instead of the SC and that will allow the footprint to drop to 32 MB (I believe the HD install only requires 750 MB).

Reply Re: ESX 3i Installable now released, can only be installed to hard drive? Dec 21, 2007 10:21 AM

in response to: Dave.Mishchenko

petedr 1,406 posts since
Mar 18, 2006

looks like limited hardware being supported so far as well.

From the web site

+ESX Server 3i Installable is supported only on Dell 2950 (full support) and on
HP DL380 G5 (experimental support)+

Reply Re: ESX 3i Installable now released, can only be installed to hard drive? Dec 21, 2007 10:25 AM

in response to: Dave.Mishchenko

doubleH 531 posts since
Dec 23, 2006

great. thanks dave.

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Reply Re: ESX 3i Installable now released, can only be installed to hard drive? Feb 4, 2008 7:45 PM

in response to: Dave.Mishchenko

pbraren 52 posts since
Jun 14, 2005

Glad to say that 3i installable can be made to work on a USB key (although it's not supported by VMware):

http://communities.vmware.com/blogs/Knorrhane/2008/01/21/installing-esx-3i-on-usb-stick#cf

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