Installing ESX Server 3.5 on a Laptop SAS Drive

[Hagen_Finley]

I have a Dell M1710 with a 200GB 7200K SAS drive. I know installing ESX onto this drive is supported but that according to the documentation I will not be able to install VMFS and or any VMs onto that local drive. My questions is:

1. Is this the creation of a VMFS on a local SAS drive blocked or is it simply not supported?

2. Is there a workaround for this that allows me to install and run VMs on this local drive?

In my situation I would like to run two small VMs on an ESX base and so I am willing to experiment with the implied performance issues. However, before I go through the trouble of walking down that path, I wanted to benefit by the communities experience in this arena.

Thanks,

Hagen Finley

Boulder, CO

[Troy_Clavell]

you may want to do it by installing VMware workstation and then installing ESX 3.0.2 as a workaround...

http://www.xtravirt.com/index.php?option=com_remository&Itemid=75&func=fileinfo&id=11

[Hagen_Finley]

My intention is to perform an ESX bare metal install and then load my two VMs on top of that. From what I can determine, the Workstation approach allows one to run ESX but only as a VM. Did I get that right?

[Dave_Mishchenko · Accepted solution]

Hello Hagen, I have a 1710 and have installed ESX 3i onto it. I didn't get around to running VMs on it but the local drive was recognize and a VMFS datastore was created by the install. I don't think you would have any problem with ESX 3.5.

The problem would be managing the host. ESX 3.5 / 3i have a limited GUI so you won't be able to manage any VMs you create as you would need another PC with the Virtual Infrastructure client installed. The client runs on Windows only. What is suggested in the prior post is to run VMware Workstation with an ESX 3.0.x VM - you can then run VMs on that VM (very slowly though). That way you can have the VI client on your host PC.

[Hagen_Finley]

Dave,

Thanks, actually my goal was to install 3i - thinking it would be the thinnest hypervisor, but I figured 3.5 would be more common. A couple of questions:

1. To initiate the installation, did you download the 3i image and copy it to a CD and then boot off of it?

2. I have another PC I can on which I can install and run the VI client, its running Vista 32. Will that work?

Hagen

[Dave_Mishchenko]

That's basically it. I have an install video here - http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/ESX_3i_install/ESX_3i_install.html. Once you've done what's in the video you can download the VI client from your Vista PC by going to http://.