Slow performance for virtualized ESX guest VM's

[dales123]

Hi,

I've been toying with ESX within VMware Server on an XP host. I have edited as directed the vmx's for the ESX VM's. Now however I wonder if I could get a bit more performance out of the vm's created by the ESX VM's. They are running on a dell sc440 which has a dualcore xeon CPU and 4 gigs of ram. At the moment the ESX guest VM's take about 40 seconds to get though the bios and running the puppy linux iso takes about 8-9 minutes to get to the desktop. From the desktop mouse movement etc is slow and laggy.

I'm not expecting superfast performance cause I realise I'm runnning an OS with vmware server with a VM inside a VM but if I can get a bit more go out of it that would be usful for toying with vmotion etc.

Thanks in advance

Dale

[ebernard · Accepted solution]

Dale,

Just before investigating further, have you checked and followed this document:

I was always used to install ESX on VMware workstation, not Server, but it's a license problem that you probably meet and forced you to run it on Server version.

Have you activate this parameters?

monitor.virtual_exec = "hardware"

and

monitor.virtual_mmu = "hardware" (if your CPU handles EPT/RVI) see: http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-9150

Let us know if it solved your issue and don't forget to rate my answer.

Cheers

Emmanuel

Pitoovi-La virtualisation

[JDLangdon]

You have VM's running within a virtualized ESX server which in turn is running in Vmware server installed on top of Windows XP with 4GB's of RAM???

The only real thing you can do is scrap VMware server and replace it with VMware Workstation. Then assign 1.5GB's of RAM to each virtual ESX server. This means that Windows Xp will only have 1GB of RAM so unload and uninstall everything other then the OS and VMware workstation.

This still might not help much but you should be able to do a VMotion proof of concept.

________________________________

Jason D. Langdon

[dales123]

Thanks for the replies, yes I realise that I'm streaching virtualization a little but just wondered if I can get any more go out of the guests, they work ok just a bit sluggish, unfortunately I dont think I can offord to pay for wokstation, and as my goal is to be a vcp I think that you get a comp copy anyway dont you. I'ts no biggie anyway as I help administer works vmware infrastructure, I'll just have to work with what I've got at home.

Thanks for the help.

[ebernard]

If you want to spend useful time on VMware Workstation to prepare your VCP exam, do you know that you can download it as a 30 days trial version here:

And don't forget that once you have successfully passed VCP exam, you get a workstation license.

So, take your browser, download it and enjoy a faster experience!

Emmanuel

Pitoovi-La virtualisation