IBM Hardware for VMWare environment

[jrenton]

I am currently creating the spec for my new VMWare environment. My experience is with HP hardware but the company I am working with require IBM servers instead.

In an HP world I would use DL580G5 hosts with an MSA1500 / MSA30 combination for the storage (4 socket quad core hosts with fibre attached SCSI storage)

Does anyone know what the equivalent IBM hardware is?

John

[dkfbp]

Hi,

We are running most of our esx envrioment on IBM hardware. To put it short:

4 physical socket system: IBM x3850M2

2 physical socket system: IBM x3650

You could choose to run it on a IBM DS3400 SAN.

[dkfbp]

double post

Message was edited by: dkfbp

[ssahadev2 · Accepted solution]

To begin with check the supported list IBM Servers in VMware[Systems Compatibility Guide|http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_systems_guide.pdf]

Then go to IBM Enterprise Server site select Server system x3755 and click on Buy and choose customize.

http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/x/hardware/enterprise/index.html

[jrenton]

Thanks for your helpful answers. One thing I did find very useful on the IBM site was this:

This is a sample configuration guide for the DS4xxx series enclosures.

[Full_Halsey]

You need to check the IBM proven website. I have jumped the gun a little too quick in the past and was denied support from IBM because a particular version of ESX wasn't on their proven site. See the link below. The x3850 M2 is currently not on the proven list for ESX 3.5.

[mreferre]

This is the same, usual, frustrating issue of aligning all of the HCL's available on the various web sites.

The 3850 M2 is indeed on the VMware HCL and that should be enough. In reality it is very stupid in my opinion to maintain two HCL's for the very same thing ....especially when they say opposite things.

Massimo.

[Full_Halsey]

I hear you dude, but when I had an issue with a x3850 last year and a particular Intel Quad-port NIC, IBM tech support didn't care what was on VMware's HCL. I made it all the way to their top level support folks, an engineer in Raleigh, NC, and he shot me down because it wasn't on their proven list, even though it was on VMware's HCL. I'm not making a commentary but relating a personal experience that cost me several weeks and thousands of dollars to reconfigure hardware because I didn't check IBM's proven website.

[mreferre]

I understand.

Based on my experience it really depends who you get on the phone. At the end of the day when there is confusion it always boils down to interepretation .... and interpretation is by definition a personal thing ....

I can only tell you that I would (PERSONALLY) shutdown the ServerProven web site (or any other redundant HCL out there from HP / Dell / any other vendor) just to avoid this confusion. It's ok to have a site saying what works and what doesn't ... but as soon as you have 2 or more sites saying that .... it becomes confusing (and useless).

I know this is "academy" and what you care about, as end-users, it's someone over the phone to help you in case of problems period.

Massimo.

[Snr_Whippy]

particular Intel Quad-port NIC?

what particular one was that and why was it a problem?

It wasnt one of the cards on the IBM configurator was it?