ESX 3.5 versus ESX 3i 3.5

[dgoldsmith]

Is there a good reference site for differences between features supported or not supported in ESX versus ESXi besides the major difference that the Service Console is removed in 3i?

We are looking at diving into virtualization finally and I've been going through a lot of the ESX 3.5 documents and trying to line up some inconsistencies.

For example, web access management:

On this web page http://vmware.com/products/esxi/features.html:

Virtual Infrastructure Web Access. Manage VMware ESXi with simple Web interface (formerly known as the Management User Interface, or MUI).

But in the Introduction to VMware Infrastructure ESX 3.5, ESX 3i 3.5, VC 2.5 book on page 31:

NOTE VI Web Access can not be used to access a host running ESX Server 3i .

Thanks.

[Dave_Mishchenko]

The service console has a very large impact beyond the ability to access the console or via SSH and can impact

- the backup software or methodology you will use (popular packages like esXpress and vRanger don't support ESXi yet)

- you can't install agents for hardware monitoring / UPS shutdown / etc - if you buy ESXi embedded from the server vendor, they'll have CIM extensions but that monitoring is very basic today)

- custom scripts

HA differences - http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1004656

Networking differences - http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003345

Other items

- there are fewer supported servers for ESXi on the HCL

- if you get your ESX support through a hardware vendor, they may be less knowlegable on supporting ESXi than for ESX.

- some find the setup more ackward, but those tend to have developed complex setup scripts that depend on the service console.

I'm using both and if I had to go 100% ESXi I would feel pretty comfortable with that. Search the ESXi forum for "feature" and you'll find a few other discussions on this.