Clustering Help

[Yellowfin]

Folks.

Need your help ....

I have 3 servers ... all with the same HW config

i7

2 TB Raid 0

16 GB RAM

etc..

What I would like to do is cluster them using VMware products so that the 3 machines act like a mini cloud....

Perhaps my terminology is not correct, so I will explain ... I would like to have these 3 servers act like a single big machine, where VM's could be mounted to and the person who is mounting the VM, does not have to specify an individual machine .... its just runs on one of the 3.

1. Is this possible and if so ... what VMware software do I need to create this mini cloud to host the VM's ?

** I have got as far as understanding that I will need ESXi ... at some level as the host OPsys ....

2. What SW do I need to send unmounted VM's (templates) from a NAS to this new Cluster as a mounted VM ?

3. Any basic how to links you know of ......

4. Any technical challenges I should know about ....

5. Any FOC options for any of it ... or does the above require the paid versions ... either option is OK.

thanks in advance ....

Justin.

[virtualdive]

Hi Yellow,

Welcome to the community.

First of all the term you are using as 'mini cloud' is actually a cluster. You can add all the three servers to single group referred as 'Cluster' (Please don't confuse with Microsoft cluster technology MSCS). This cluster will act like what you said a 'single big machine' (incorrect word to use though) which will hold the total resources of all three hosts. Whenever you create a new Virtual Machine in this cluster the VM can goto any host in the cluster whichever is having enough resources (RAM/CPU etc...) available.

At this point I would recommend you to test this using the vSphere trial version. Once you are happy and confident, you can go ahead and purchase the license accordingly. Trial version will have all the features available for 60 days. Below is the link to the vSphere trial version,

VMware vSphere: Server Virtualization, Cloud Infrastructure | United States

Please let us know if you have more questions.

[Yellowfin]

Thanks V

Can you offer any links to a "How To" for clustering the ESXi servers ?  Or is it quite easy and simple to do ?

regards

Justin