NVMe Passthrough - Does it still use VMware drivers?

[chrismatte]

Good Day everyone,

Question on using a device, specifically an NVMe device, and how it works as Passthrough.

If an NVMe storage devices is configured to be used as passthrough, will it still use the VMware NVMe driver?  Currently running ESXi 6.0, which uses the below driver for NVMe:

Name                           Version                                     Vendor     Acceptance Level       Install Date

----------------            ------------------------------------                       ------          ----------------                 ------------

nvme                  1.0e.0.35-1vmw.600.1.17.3029758       VMware  VMwareCertified            2015-10-20

I need to test a device, and make sure it uses the VMware driver, and I just want to make sure it either will or will not use the driver if passthrough.

Thanks!

Chris

[greco827]

You are referring to using passthrough on the host or on a specific VM?  I believe that either way the NVMe driver is leveraged.

[chrismatte]

I am assigning the NVMe devices as passthrough on the hosts, and then adding it as a PCIe devices on a single VM.