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aldav
Contributor
Contributor

CPU Virtualization Problem

I have installed ESXi 3.5 on a HP Proliant ML350 G5. The hardware has 2 dual core cpu's at 3GHz. I installed Windows Server 2008 64 bits on a new virtual machine. During the creation process, I specifically set the number of processors to 4. However, after I installed WS 2008, Windows recognizes only 2 CPU's. Before ESXi 3.5, the PC had WS 2008 64 bits , and that installation did recognize the 4 CPU's.

Did I miss something during install? Is there any way for the virtual OS to recognize the 4 real CPU's?

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AndreTheGiant
Immortal
Immortal

Verify that hyper-threading is enable both in BIOS and in ESX (Configuration/CPU).

Anyway is a bad idea to create a single VM with the max number of available core.

You may have performance issue.

Andre

**if you found this or any other answer useful please consider allocating points for helpful or correct answers

Andrew | http://about.me/amauro | http://vinfrastructure.it/ | @Andrea_Mauro
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aldav
Contributor
Contributor

Sorry, I just couldn't find the hyper-threading option in my esxi server. I'm using VI Client to acces to ESXi. Where exactly is it located?

Thanks in advance.

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aldav
Contributor
Contributor

I noticed that through VI Client, in the summary tab of my ESXi Server, Hyperthreading appears as "Inactive". Exactly how do I activate it?

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Chamon
Commander
Commander

You will need to enable it in the BIOS of your ESX host.

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kjb007
Immortal
Immortal

Are you running small business server? We saw this issue in the forums a bit ago. SBS allows two CPUs. On the physical, that was 2 cpu's with 2 cores, but in a vm, those cpu's show up as 4 cpu's, which SBS does not use. I'm guessing that's the state you're in. Your OS can see 4 vCPUs (check device manager and you should see 4), but you are limited to using only 2. Taskmgr should only show 2 vCPUs also.

-KjB

VMware vExpert

vExpert/VCP/VCAP vmwise.com / @vmwise -KjB
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aldav
Contributor
Contributor

I checked and rechecked my BIOS, (ESXi host machine) and there is nothing about hyperthreading. Any clues?

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aldav
Contributor
Contributor

What do you mean by SBS? I installed Windows Server Enterprise Edition 2008 in the virtual machine. When I installed it on the physical machine it showed the 4 CPUs. I checked what you said. In the device manager there are 4 CPUs, but the taskmgr keeps showing only 2. Is it a bug then?

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Chamon
Commander
Commander

What you are looking for I believe would be Intel-V. I have AMD and we needed to enable the AMD processor Virtualization. So I would think that you need to look at the BIOS and for the processor settings. If your processors support it. Have you verified this?

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Chamon
Commander
Commander

Small Business Server. In the edit settings for your VM how many vCPUs does it have?

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aldav
Contributor
Contributor

Yes, I had to enable Intel-V in order to install WS 2008 64 Bits, otherwise, the OS reported me he couldn't be installed on a 32 bits architecture. I don't know if I mentioned it, the hardware specs are as follows:

Manufacturer:

HP

Model:

ProLiant ML350 G5

Processors:

4 CPU x 3 GHz

Processor Type:

Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU 5160 @ 3.00GHz

Hyperthreading:

Inactive

Total Memory:

6.00 GB

Number of NICs:

1

State:

connected

Virtual Machines:

3

VMotion Enabled:

No

Actually, the CPUs are two Dual Core Intel Xeon, hence, the 4 CPU's

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Chamon
Commander
Commander

We have it enabled on one cluster and in the VIC it shows Hyper threading N/A but when you check it from the console it shows the proc virtualization enabled

esxcfg-info |grep -i hv

the 3 means enabled 2 is not enabled. I will try to find the post where I got this info as it contains more info.

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aldav
Contributor
Contributor

I have 4 vCPU's in the Virtual Machine. I undestand the acronym SBS, what I don't understand is the meaning of it. When is it said I'm running a Small Business Server?

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aldav
Contributor
Contributor

I'm running ESXi 3.5 Server, I can gain access to it only through VI Client. I haven't found any way of executing commands in the server, so I can't execute

esxcfg-info |grep -i hv

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kjb007
Immortal
Immortal

Go into device manager. Check how many processors you see listed there.

-KjB

VMware vExpert

vExpert/VCP/VCAP vmwise.com / @vmwise -KjB
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Chamon
Commander
Commander

I think he is saying that SBS can not use more then 2 CPUs so even though you gave it 4 the OS can only see 2

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aldav
Contributor
Contributor

kjb007, yes I understanded what SBS mean. What I don't understan is when it is said I'm running a SBS. I installed WS 2008 Enterprise Edition, is it a SBS??? I think I understand the problem I have then, for some reason hyperthreading is not enabled, I cannot enable it, because there is no single option in my host CPU where I can enable it. Therefore, ESXi gives 4 virtual CPU (not 2 dual virtual ones), therefore, Windows 2008 Server Enterprise Edition only admits 2 of them??? Is that my problem? Then how can I solve it?If that's my problem, then Microsoft is stealing my money Smiley Happy, 2 CPU's only??? PLEASE Smiley Happy

[

|~kjb007]

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kjb007
Immortal
Immortal

That limitation is for SBS 2008,not for enterprise. Enterprise should let you see your processors. Again, from the OS, go into device manager, do you see all 4 processors there?

-KjB

VMware vExpert

vExpert/VCP/VCAP vmwise.com / @vmwise -KjB
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aldav
Contributor
Contributor

kjb007, yes, I can see the 4 processors in the device manager in the virtual WS 2008. I think I mentioned earlier. There are 4 CPU's under "Processors" treenode in the device manager. What I can't see is 4 processors in the Task Manager, only 2.

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kjb007
Immortal
Immortal

This is an OS limitation of some sort. If you can see 4 processors in device manager, then ESX is presenting 4 CPUs to you. If you are only seeing two in your task manager, then your OS is ignoring 2 / 4 processors. It can see the processors, but is not using the processors. That's why I mentioned SBS, but if you are sure you are using an 2008/2003 enterprise, then something else in the OS is limiting you.

-KjB

VMware vExpert

vExpert/VCP/VCAP vmwise.com / @vmwise -KjB
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