Graphics card, Virtualization?

[beckham007fifa]

can graphics card be virtualized over ESX 4.0 hypervisor, i mean to ask can we create many VM's and over a high configuration machine(desktop and servers) for playing high quality games?

[ChrisDearden]

While you can virtualise desktops with a rich user experience using VMware view PCoIP , I dont think that would stretch to High end gaming style for graphics.

The closest solution to your needs would be the RemoteFX tecknology built into Hyper-V , which requires high end graphics cards to be fitted to the host.

note that RemoteFX will only work over the LAN.

What are you attempting to achieve?

[beckham007fifa]

I am thinking of utilizing a desktop in the office which is not in use for another 3-4 months. Its with good nvidia card.

vmware view is also requires ESX right? As far as I know we have to install vmware composer on vc server and view client on the vm's and the machine from where we are going to access.

I wonder if we would have diffrent drivers for ATI , nvidia with Vmware and which gets installed with the vm installation.

here i can see vmware svga as the adapter.

[ChrisDearden]

I do not believe you can present that Card to any VM's as anything other than a VMware SVGA Card. As I said you might be able to do something with RemoteFX & HyperV

[AndreTheGiant]

With vSphere 4.x actually is not possible.

Andre

[idle-jam]

it is not possible but it could be in future (you might want to check out with your local vmware rep) on this ..

[beckham007fifa]

then Vmware must have to work on this, hehehehe.......thanks for your help guys...

[golddiggie]

It might happen in a future release... But you might be looking at sometime in the next decade/century... :smileyshocked:

[DSTAVERT]

It has been done using VMdirectpath and presenting the graphics card to a VM. There are many issues but possible.

http://communities.vmware.com/message/1673954

http://www.vm-help.com/esx40i/VMDirectPath/passthru_config.php

[golddiggie]

But doesn't that lock in the card to just one VM? I believe the OP was looking to get multiple VM's to use the resources of the single video card in the host server...

This might be something that could be done vial VMware Workstation... I've not tried it [yet], so it might not work as desired either.

[DSTAVERT]

Yes it would lock the card to a specific VM and I don't know that Workstation would provide any advantage.