Cluster RAM available vs ESX Host(s) RAM available

[mikelane]

I have downloaded ESXi 4.0 to play with HA & DRS etc on some not very new hardware that I have managed to cobble together. I have two ESX hosts, Virtual Center and a NAS box.

Unfortunately the ESX hosts only have 2Gb of RAM each.

When I put the hosts in the cluster and look at the available cluster resources I only have 319Mb of RAM available - even though there are no VMs running.

Each ESX host has more than 1Gb of RAM available - I am wondering what the disconnect is here?

This apparent lack or RAM means that HA does not have enough resources to configure a HA cluster for example ...

[AndreTheGiant]

Check for memory reservation.

I've got the same problem with the beta, but I've resolved using more RAM (with 3-4 GB works fine).

Remember also that the new vmkernel use more RAM than version 3.x.

Andre

[AntonVZhbankov · Accepted solution]

ESXi 4 requires 2GB for itself. Actually some less than 2GB, but make it as a starting point.

All the memory you plan to give to VMs - should be above 2GB.

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VMware vExpert '2009

http://blog.vadmin.ru

[TomHowarth]

This is to be expected as the VMkernel is now 64bit and uses 2GB

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Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert

VMware Communities User Moderator

Blog: www.planetvm.net

Contributing author for the upcoming book "[VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment|http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9780136083214]”. Currently available on roughcuts

[mikelane]

Thanks for the replies everyone - I thought that 4.0 might use more RAM but was not aware that this was close to the 2Gb mark.

I'll just have to try again when I have boxes that are up to the job