Max RAM in ESX Server?

[ejlion]

Hi,

I have some Dell R900s with 128gb of RAM.

My understanding is that 3.5 is the minimum version of ESX Server that will support > 64gb.

Is this true? Or is there a patch path from 3.0.2 that will enable me to support this RAM?

Thanks!

[MR-T]

You could configure 64GB in ESX 3.0.x , 128GB is now supported in ESX 3.5 and you can actually have 256GB unsupported if you make the right changes to the system before it boots.

[weinstein5]

actually 256 GB is officially supported in 3.5 - check out

[VMwareSME · Accepted solution]

According to this link.

http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vi_pages/vi_pubs_302_301.html

64 GB max

And I got that link from this link.

http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vi_pages/vi_pubs_302_301.html

So it includes 3.0.2.

And there is nothing on the release notes for any support for 128 GB of RAM.

http://www.vmware.com/support/vi3/doc/releasenotes_esx302.html#whatsnew

[weinstein5]

These are all docs for 3.0x - which did have a limit of 64 GB - it is my understanding that 3.5 always had a limit of 256 GB - I am not sure where the 128 GB cam form -

[azn2kew]

The limitation from ESX 3.5 is 256GB but in order to fully see 128GB on R900 server, you must disable the following in ESX Configuration tab-> advanced settings and modify vmkernel.boot.force36BitMTRRMask to disable it.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful". Thanks!!!

Regards,

Stefan Nguyen

iGeek Systems Inc.

VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant

[jhanekom]

At (or just before) the time of ESX 3.5's release, 128GB was the official new limit stated in the "new features", with 256GB being labeled "experimental." This was, I believe, also the case throughout the beta's and release candidates.

VMware changed this to "256GB supported" silently either at launch or shortly after.