EVC and CPU Compatibility issues

[LucianoPatrão]

Hi

We have 2 VMware cluster with this CPU:

VMware host01 and VMware hos02

HP Proliant DL360 G5

8 CPUs x 2 GHz

Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5405 @ 2.00GHZ

Hyperthreading Inactive

Vmware EVC Mode: EVC NOT SUPPORTED

Now we have acquire a new one with this CPU

VMware host03

NC Express5800/R120a-2

8 CPUs x 2 GHz

Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU E5504 @ 2.00GHZ

Hyperthreading Inactive

Vmware EVC Mode: Disable

Now when I add the VMware host03 and try vmotion I get:

host bits: 0000:0000:1001:1000:0010:0010:0000:0001

required: x000:0x00:00x0:1x00:xxx0:0x1x:xxxx:xx01.

Mismatch detected for these features:

*SSE4.1; refer to KB article 1993 for a possible solution

I know this is a CPU compatibility issue, and I know that we can use VMware EVC. But my host01 and host02 the EVC is not Supported.

When I try to create a EVC Cluster I get that host01 and host02 is not EVC compatible(I add a screenshot)

So my question is, is there any way that I can get this host(1, 2 and 3) work together?

I have read some VMware documentation, but I cant find any doc that says what to do when have one CPU that support EVC, and have other CPU that do not support EVC

Any ideas?

Thank You

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JailBreak

IT Network Manager

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[RParker]

So my question is, is there any way that I can get this host(1, 2 and 3) work together?

Yes turn OFF EVC. If you have 2 different CPU it will NOT work, that's why EVC is there, to prevent dissimilar CPU. This ensures vMotion compatibility...

Intel CPU 5405 and 5504 are NOT the SAME

[LucianoPatrão]

Hi

Yes this why EVC is disable.

So there no way I can put this 3 hosts(with this CPUs) in the same cluster?

Thank You for your reply.

JailBreak

IT Network Manager

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[RParker]

Yes this why EVC is disable.

The CLUSTER settings have EVC enabled, nothing to do with the hardware.

Right click (or select the cluster). Click edit, you will clearly see EVC is ENABLED for the cluster. You need to disable the CLUSTER EVC.

You can put ANY CPU in the same cluster, AMD, P4, Xeon, doesn't matter, if ESX is running ANY host can be in the same cluster. You just can't use vMotion ...

[LucianoPatrão]

Hi

No the EVC is disable, that screenshot is just to show the type of message that I get if try to enable.

And yes I know that I can add any host to the cluster(for testing I have disable HA and add all the hosts to the cluster)

In this case, since I cannot add the host03, I will create another cluster with just this host. And and move the VMs that are not critical. This is my only option.

Before we buy this server, we ask to VMware seller if is this server was compatible with the server that we already have, and they say it was

Thank for your help

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JailBreak

IT Network Manager

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[JeffSabotin]

I don't know if you ever figured out your situation or not, but I had the same thing happen. It was actually very confusing and difficult to figure it out.

You need to go into the BIOS on the DL360 and set the Execution Protection (I think) to enabled or to the opposite selection. This is on the CPU features, I think.

There isn't much docs on this, but saw something when trying to turn on the EVC.

After I did this the DL360 worked like a champ. Hope this helps.