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zhangfred_vm
Contributor
Contributor

What does the ESX means, what the "E" means, what the "S" means, and what the "X" means?

What does the ESX means, what the "E" means, what the "S" means, and what the "X" means?

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weinstein5
Immortal
Immortal

Nothing - As I understand it was one of those inventions of a marketing firm -

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sbeaver
Leadership
Leadership

ESX does not mean anything but stands for Elastic Sky

GSX was Ground Storm

Steve Beaver

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Co-Author of "VMware ESX Essentials in the Virtual Data Center"

(ISBN:1420070274) from Auerbach

Come check out my blog: www.theVirtualBlackHole.com

*Virtualization is a journey, not a project.*

Steve Beaver
VMware Communities User Moderator
VMware vExpert 2009 - 2020
VMware NSX vExpert - 2019 - 2020
====
Co-Author of "VMware ESX Essentials in the Virtual Data Center"
(ISBN:1420070274) from Auerbach
Come check out my blog: [www.virtualizationpractice.com/blog|http://www.virtualizationpractice.com/blog/]
Come follow me on twitter http://www.twitter.com/sbeaver

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TomHowarth
Leadership
Leadership

Electric Sky, = ESX

Ground Strom = GSX

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Tom Howarth

VMware Communities User Moderator

Blog: www.planetvm.net

Tom Howarth VCP / VCAP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: http://www.planetvm.net
Contributing author on VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment
Contributing author on VCP VMware Certified Professional on VSphere 4 Study Guide: Exam VCP-410
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weinstein5
Immortal
Immortal

You learn something new every day!

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atbnet
Expert
Expert

Thats what I got told in my training:

ESX = Electric Sky

GSX = Ground Storm

Did not know what the X is for. Can anyone from VMware clarify the X?

Andy, VMware Certified Professional (VCP),

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Andy Barnes
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RParker
Immortal
Immortal

Did not know what the X is for. Can anyone from VMware clarify the X?

X doesn't usually mean anything. It's a generic term, hence 'X' like Brand X or X-Ray meaning it's the general term for everything in that category.

So ES-X would be all the versions of that product, X as in math is the variable to replace whatever version, like we would say for Windows version 5.x something like that. I doubt if the X has any real meaning other than simply to give it some reference to a version number, and X can be ALL versions.

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atbnet
Expert
Expert

Im with you it not having a meaning. But if X meant any version like you are saying then ESXi would be covered in ESX. With me?!

BTW i = installable

Andy, VMware Certified Professional (VCP),

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Andy Barnes
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espi3030
Expert
Expert

I wondered the same and after a little research I found this answer...

I think the only folks who can provide you with a definitive answer

are at VMware, but here's one way to look at it (as suggested by an

answer in the ESX FAQ at

😞

"How Is ESX Server Different from GSX Server?

ESX Server is designed for up to 16 processor departmental and

enterprise servers, and runs its virtualization layer natively on

hardware. VMware GSX Server is designed for up to four processor

workgroup and departmental servers. It runs as an application on top

of a host operating system. The major differences are..."

From this, I would infer that the letters 'E' and 'G' refer to

'Enterprise' and 'Group', while the letter 'S' stands for 'Server'. I

have no idea what the 'X' stands for. As well, while the 'E' and 'G'

definitions may have been relevant in their original version 1

releases, the distinction is no longer as relevant, since the current

release of GSX is targeted at multiple platform environments, while

ESX is targeted at high-demand enterprise environments.

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RParker
Immortal
Immortal

Nice guess, but from other members it would appear these are 'code' names and not simply nomenclature abbreviations.

atb said in an earlier post:

Thats what I got told in my training:

ESX = Electric Sky

GSX = Ground Storm

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RParker
Immortal
Immortal

Im with you it not having a meaning. But if X meant any version like you are saying then ESXi would be covered in ESX. With me?!

It still follows that ESX i is the installable version of ESX (or to differentiate it from the console version). But then why isn't the OEM version called ESXe? (for Embedded?)

I think we are reading way too much into this, they are just names. Most of the time those symbols on cars don't really mean anything either (I know some do, but mostly they are for marketing reasons) and they have to have a name so they make something up to make it 'fit' the product after the fact. In this case they are code names, like Chicago was the name for Windows 95, and the upcoming core 6 processors are called dunnington.

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atbnet
Expert
Expert

So in terms of cars..

GSX = LX

ESX = SXIGLXTDISUPERDUPERX

lol

Andy, VMware Certified Professional (VCP),

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Andy Barnes
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RParker
Immortal
Immortal

ESX = SXIGLXTDISUPERDUPERX

lol

hahaha .. Sounds good to me! I like yours better.. Smiley Wink

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Schorschi
Expert
Expert

You guys have it all wrong... "ESX" was once.... short for EXTREME STRESS EXPERIEMENT, cira ESX version 1.5.2. And it was also really "SEX", SUPERIOR EMULATION PERFORMX, geeky, but no one wanted to explain that to the under 21 support members, and someone typoed it, as ESX and it stuck. But the real truth is, that it stands for EXPERIEMENTAL SYSTEM EXTENSION, but that was too confusing for the IBM mainframe escapes from LPAR hell. And Yes, I am kidding, well mostly. LOL

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