Feature comparison of Esxi 3.5 and Esx 3.5?

[Warzer]

I want to know if there are any feature differences between Embedded and regular esx?

Are all features of ESX available on ESXI?

[fejf]

No. As the ESX3i version doesn't have a service console this means that everything that needs to be installed/connected to the SC doesn't work anymore. This mainly prevents backup software from being installed in the SC. Additionally even VMware Lab Manager can no longer be used because of this.

You also can not copy files to ESX3i with scp. You can not log in with ssh and restart services (There is the RemoteCLI but it still doesn't have all the features that the ESX3-ServiceConsole has).

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There are 10 types of people. Those who understand binary and the rest. And those who understand gray-code.

[Dave_Mishchenko]

It's more the case of ESXi missing features that ESX 3.5 has. The service console is a big difference. ESXi doesn't have one (at least the one it has is very minimal and use of it is unsupported unless directed by tech support). Anyways the lack of service console eliminates the possible to install software agents on the host which are used for backup, hardware monitoring etc.

ESXi also has more limited hardware support but that is changing as more vendors start to ship servers with ESXi embedded.

Product overview

http://www.vmware.com/products/vi/esx/esx3i.html

Similar discussions - some posts will mention HA as being experimentally supported. It is fully supported with ESXi 3.5 Update 1, but the HA cluster can contain only ESXi hosts. There are some networking differences discussed here - but I'm not sure if the gap has been closed with these with Update 1 - http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100334....

http://communities.vmware.com/message/918446#918446

http://communities.vmware.com/message/903993#903993

[Warzer]

I didn't think about agents being installed on the vmboxes. what type of backup would not work with esxi? only the type that needs to be installed locally? can you still do vmdk backups and file based? thats the only backup types we might use.

Do all the features of esx still work on embedded? just not console? vmotion and ha and other type features?

doesn't VC do hardware monitoring? or maybe i am missing something. those preformance monitors i have seen somewhere. what other agents are there that i might want to worry about? we are in the planning phase of vmware and i wanted to do esxi for easy of install and managment and security.

War

[fejf]

With hardware monitoring he means software which normally is already around in your company (like hp openview etc.) so that you don't need 2 tools for hw monitoring. It's nicer to have the esx servers monitored like every other physical machine.

You can still install agents inside your virtual machines for backup. Or you can use VCB for backup. It's just that many backup software vendors released backup software for the SC with the promise to safe money because you only need 1 agent for the ESX to backup many virtual machines

HA works since 3i-3.5.0 but is only supported since 3i-3.5.0-update1 and only works inside an esx3i-only cluster (you can't mix esx3i and esx3).

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There are 10 types of people. Those who understand binary and the rest. And those who understand gray-code.

[Dave_Mishchenko · Accepted solution]

what type of backup would not work with esxi?

vRangerPro and esXpress would be a couple examples that are working on getting ESXi supported. Likewise if you were using a custom script. You can still use VCB just as you would be ESX 3.5. What product are you currently using?

Vmotion, DRS, HA, templates, VirtualCenter - that stuff all still works the same. As mentioned, an HA cluster for ESXi can only contain ESXi hosts.

VC monitors CPU / disk / network / memory usage, but I was refering to the hardware itself (e.g. drive failures). That part is now done with CIM which you would gather with SNMP. You would also likely want to get a custom ESXi instal from your hardware that includes CIM extensions specific to the hardware that you would get from them. From another post I know that HP is providing that for sure.

Besides the HA / lack of service console there are some networking differences - http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003345. I don't think these are resolved with update 1.