ESX 4.0 Question ...

[surfup]

Hi all,

Have anyone know is there an upgrade path from ESX 3.5 to ESX 4.0 when it come out? Or, it's a fresh install ESX 4.0 and migrating the existing VMs over. Thanks.

Cheers,

[mcowger]

Everyone who knows the answer for a fact is bound by an NDA not to reveal it

--Matt

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Moved to Enterprise Strategy and Planning forum.....

VMware has a very strict NDA, so questions about the functionality, packaging, licensing, etc of the next release of ESX can not be discussed. I would contact your VMware Sales Rep directly, they may be able to give you more information.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[RParker]

Have anyone know is there an upgrade path from ESX 3.5 to ESX 4.0 when it come out?

Google: ESX 4.0. that will tell you EVERY thing you need. WE can't say anything officially because there isn't much to say, some of us went to VM World last year, but there aren't any official announcements from VM Ware, but there are hundreds and hundreds of blogs and websites that are discussing it, it's all there. Search your favorite search engine.

Also I am SURE there will be an upgrade path. That would be rediculous if there weren't. There are MANY new features (most of them speculation) about what they will have in ESX 4.0, the ONLY confirmed feature that I know of is ESX 4.0 will be 64-bit ONLY.

[surfup]

Thanks. I had Google it but could not find the answer. Since we are rolling out with ESX 3.5 and one of the head huncho just want to know if there is an upgrade path to ESX 4.0. Well, talking to the VMware "sales rep" did not go too far!

Cheers,

[Jasemccarty]

I will just say this...

When I went from 1.5 to 2.0, I did a fresh install

When I went from 2.0 to 2.5, I did a fresh install

When I went from 2.5 to 3.0, I did a fresh install

When I went from 3.0 to 3.5, I did a fresh install

When I go from 3.5 to 4.0 (or whatever it is called) I will do a fresh install.

Jase McCarty

http://www.jasemccarty.com

Co-Author of VMware ESX Essentials in the Virtual Data Center

(ISBN:1420070274) from Auerbach

_{Please consider awarding points if this post was helpful or correct}

[RParker]

When I went from 3.0 to 3.5, I did a fresh install

Yes but even doing a fresh install you probably have a mixed mode of 3.5 and 3.0 servers on the same SAN. So there has to be some overlap. Another issue is cost. I am pretty sure ESX 4.0 will be ALL new licenses, I am fairly certain VM Ware isn't going to just let us install 4.0 without some added money, so upgrade may also mean using existing Virtual Center / License server keys, and I don't think it will work, so upgrading may be just that.

I agree with new installs, but even the smallest of data centers probably have some older ESX along side current version/patches and maybe 1 or 2 test servers. And since 4.0 will be a brand new technology we need a way to move VM's seemless between current and future versions, I think that's ultimately what he is looking for.

[RParker]

head huncho just want to know if there is an upgrade path to ESX 4.0

Ever heard of iPhone 3G? Heard of FIOS? How about HDTV / LCD TV? These are all current buzz words in technology.

Trust me when I tell you NONE of these will compare to what VM Ware will do to promote 4.0 ESX, probably why VM Ware is rather quiet of late. ESX 4.0 will be a revolutionary new product, and the features they even hinted at will be astounding, so I am certain there are MANY features we probably can't even fathom.

So your boss has to wait like the rest of us to see what's new on the horizon. BTW, when was the last time a SALES guy knew anything? SALES are the LAST people to know about new products. They should be concentrating on sales not teasing people with new products, you can't sell very much that way if you tell people that the new version is only 2 months away.. IF you want to know something you need to talk to a software engineer. They will know, or perhaps even a big 3rd party vendor, like Vizioncore. Those would be the people to hammer, but ESX 4.0 is locked tighter than Charles Manson during a parole hearing.

[RParker]

Thanks. I had Google it but could not find the answer.

Well here are a few to get you started:

http://www.virtualization.info/2008/09/what-to-expect-at-vmworld-esx-40-beta.html

This guy says his products are ALREADY running on ESX 4.0 (someone has to test it first):

http://www.internetworkexpert.org/2009/01/01/nexus-1000v-with-fcoe-cna-and-vmware-esx-40-deployment-...

The name ESX 4.0 has been changed to vShere:

http://www.dabcc.com/article.aspx?id=9451

[java_cat33]

Nice one RParker - I like your choice of wording! LOL :smileygrin:

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Even so, all information other than what was released at VMworld 08 is still under NDA. While we can speculate like the best of them. What will finally be in the product, its name, when it will be out, etc. will not be released until VMware is ready to release things. The only way currently to get this information is under NDA.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[RParker]

The only way currently to get this information is under NDA.

I respect your knowledge and understanding regarding VM Ware and NDA. All I was trying to point out was if you google 'ESX 4.0' there are LOTS of blogs and web sites and talk of features that released or not certainly seem to be genuine. So while you may not comment other people that already have the product are freely discussing their experiences and I can read between the lines, and sometimes it's pretty obvious what the features are. So some things that you may think are speculation (such as the name change) were released by VM Ware to a select group of people who maybe shouldn't have said, but did anyway, and they confirm the new name will be vSphere. So while some features may not be concrete and licensing may not be either, it doesn't take a Phd to figure out that VM Ware would be derelict in providing SOME sort of upgrade path. They also would be losing a lot of respect if they purposely hinted at features that didn't exist. So maybe YOU can't state officially that these features do or do not (or take the politician approach of 'no comment') actually exist, NOT saying anything is the sometimes the same as confirming what we already suspect.

So NDA shemDA ESX 4.0 is in full beta test, there plenty of people testing it (closed beta or not) and some confirmed features have been released. That's all I am demonstrating, there is plenty of information on the web, and it's all public if you know where to look. Besides we are still a community forum and we are simply engaging in conjecture, that's what a user forum is for. IF we can't discuss undisclosed new features, then what fun is it to be on a user forum?

[Cooldude09]

I guess we should keep our fingers crossed and wait till VMware kicks the product out....

Regards

Anil

Save the planet, Go Green

if you found my answer to be useful, feel free to mark it as Helpful or Correct.

[bhedlund]

This guy says his products are ALREADY running on ESX 4.0 (someone has to test it first):

http://www.internetworkexpert.org/2009/01/01/nexus-1000v-with-fcoe-cna-and-vmware-esx-40-deployment-...

Hey folks. This is my blog post. I'm a Cisco employee just running ESX 4 (vSphere I should say) in a lab environment only for the purposes of demonstrating Nexus 1000V.

http://www.internetworkexpert.org/2009/01/01/nexus-1000v-with-fcoe-cna-and-vmware-esx-40-deployment-...

We got a copy of ESX 4 from a local VMWare SE who is helping us out in our lab.

[Texiwill]

Hello,

You got this copy under NDA. Do not be fooled into thinking otherwise at this time.... Please refer to the terms of the NDA to see if you can post ANYTHING about the beta.

Best regards,
Edward L. Haletky
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.
Blue Gears and SearchVMware Pro Blogs -- Top Virtualization Security Links -- Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[admin]

Hey Brad --

While Cisco & VMware jointly talked about the Nexus 1000V at VMworld, we here at VMware are very sensitive to associating features with specific version numbers or dates because of our revenue recognition policies. It seems a little bit absurd to those of us actually working with the next-gen products, but that's the way it is.

We like to use the felicitous phrase "products that will be released in 2009," but I realize that this is hard to weave into blog headlines and text. Can you please remove all references to "ESX 4.0" in your blog post and replace with some sort of nonspecific moniker like "a future version of ESX" or "ESX v.Future"? Not much you can do with the URL unfortunately.

We'd appreciate it. Thanks.

For those of you IN a private beta, you are bound by the Master Software Beta Test Agreement (aka "the NDA") that you signed not to talk about anything in the beta. I call it "The Fight Club Rule" -- the first rule of Fight Club is YOU DON'T TALK ABOUT FIGHT CLUB. We know some things have leaked, but my advice is for you not to participate in any speculative discussions about what's in the new product, because it's way too easy to leak new information, even in a "nudge-nudge wink-wink say no more" sort of way.

These "products that will be released in 2009" are super cool, and they're super important to VMware. So we're serious about this: don't talk about a private beta if you're in it. Life's too short for me to go around being the VI4 cop.

Any questions, concerns, or rages against the machine can be sent to me privately at jtroyer@vmware.com

Thanks. Looking forward to playing with all our shiny new toys with you in public "sometime in 2009."

John

VMware Communities

Ministry of Silly Walks