How to operate ESXi without Windows?

[ppafin]

I enjoyed a lot of ESXi concept, but currently our company is unable to evaluate - since our IT policy is accepting only linux hosts and VI Client seems to be available only for Windows.

So, is there a way to utilize ESXi without windows?

[Dracolith]

<div>

Okay this is just silly, I don't have a Windows system, I don't intend to have a Windows system. I don't own a license for one and I honestly don't need a license for one. All the business software I run every day runs on Linux just fine, would it run on Windows also, sure. Admittedly the silly statements made by others are also not helpful, but to say that 99.99% of software used by businesses around the world run on MS Windows is wrong. Windows is floating around 90% market share, and probably a fair portion of that missing 10% is in businesses rather than homes. And at the server layer it is only on the order of 40% of systems.

The reality here is that people who don't run Windows today see no reason to suddenly jump to a Windows only solution, especially when there seems to be no good reason why it is a Windows only solution.

Most of the 10% market share that Windows does not have is in server environments, not the business desktop. If a Windows license is completely useless otherwise, then it's just part of the cost of deploying an ESXi solution.

It's not a Windows-only solution, as you can use RDesktop or VNC to remote into your Windows-based management appliance, and use it for nothing else.

That doesn't mean "adopting" Windows, or displacing a better solution.

This is like refusing to use MySQL as your database server, because since PhpMyAdmin is needed to manage it, it's a "PHP only" solution, and PHP is rejected in favor of Ruby and Python.

It would have been just as fine if OS X had been chosen as the base OS for the management tool -- it's simply a fact, that provisioning the supported platform . is a deployment step.

I use Linux on the desktop 99% of the time, also, and yet it is no bother whatsoever to have a spare VM for running the client to manage ESXi servers.

It's not a net cost increase, even if I have to buy additional Windows licenses.. compared to the high cost of server hardware, Windows is essentially free software

[meistermn]

maybe virtual iron or virtuozzo this the right solution for you

[warrenr]

Non taken - I'm not a Linux fanatic and neither anyone else here. I'm just a regular user who want's to keep things simple and cost-effective as possible. I don't think Windows is capable to be even gaming platform, thats too much for Windows anyhow. You might be able to write some Wordpad documents and surf the Internet but thats it. All the closed-source software are riskfactor so why take one and even pay for it?

All we need is just VIC and VC for *nix platform. We don't need M$ for anyhting. It's useless and undocumented software.

There's a vast body of evidence that disproves what you're saying here.

Also, if you have something against closed-source software, then VMWare isn't the product for you anyhow -- it's closed-source, and therefore a "risk factor", by your qualifications.

Warren.

[DanM]

Hello All,

I've updated the iMKS Virtual Appiance (b383) to address this exact issue.

With iMKS installed as an ESXi "Helper VM" you can open Remote Consoles, attach CD media, and interact with VM's as if you had a real service console. The VMware RemoteCLI and latest RemoteMKS (from VMware Player 2 RC1) integrate to allow work on an ESXi box (Or VI3 / ESX 2.x / Server 1.x / RDP) from a PC / Mac / Linux / Solaris Desktop -- And it's all encrypted over port 443.

In the future I'd like to hack VMware-WebAccess into iMKS so it can provide full GUI management of ESXi. But for now, it's at least possible to administer ESXi with iMKS.

Cheers,

D.

[captmiddy]

Actually desktop and server sales are classified separately. Windows Desktop is hovering somewhere between 80 and 90%, Windows server is hovering somewhere near 40%. Again, for me when you look at it this way, I have 2 free offerings for virtualization but one requires me to spend X number of dollars to buy a Windows license I will hardly ever use while one allows me to just use my Linux investment, the completely free version looks better. But perhaps I can use the IBM Tivoli tool or the tool someone else has pointed out to do this. It certainly isn't a high priority yet.

[Dracolith]

Actually desktop and server sales are classified separately. Windows Desktop is hovering somewhere between 80 and 90%, Windows server is hovering somewhere near 40%. Again, for me when you look at it this way, I have 2 free offerings for virtualization but one requires me to spend X number of dollars to buy a Windows license I will hardly ever use while one allows me to just use my Linux investment, the completely free version looks better. But perhaps I can use the IBM Tivoli tool or the tool someone else has pointed out to do this. It certainly isn't a high priority yet.

A windows license or two is a one-time fixed cost of ~$200 for a couple of Windows XP Pro workstation licenses.

Or ~$600 for a Windows 2003 server license (to be future proof and able to upgrade later).

Plus whatever it costs to run that 1 or 2 additional terminals.

You may be ignoring the additional hardware costs that are involved if you run VMware Server instead of ESXi,

due to the fact that the ESXi hypervisor makes much more efficient use of the hardware for the virtual machines.

With VMware server, fewer Virtual Machines can be run per server for a given-level of performance.

The increased hardware costs of running VMware server instead of ESXi are not one-time fixed costs;

the cost recurs whenever you need to provision another VM server for more capacity.

The less-efficient operation means more physical servers, which also means more usage of electricity to

operate a given group of VMs.

ESXi also allows you to create resource pools, and thereby "reserve" a minimal amount of CPU for mission-critical VMs,

and prevent test VMs from disrupting the production environment.

This allows you to more safely oversubscribe physical servers; providing a baseline of CPU availability to

important VMs, while making unimportant VMs share the rest, instead of provisioning more physical servers.

Also of benefit is ESXi's ability to create multiple virtual machine networks and associate VLAN tags with some VMs;

provided your network+server equipment is capable, and you choose to form a 802.1q trunk with your ESXi servers.

VMware Server does not do this; to isolate VMs from each other, you generally need more physical servers.

[robink]

Based on this comment about Windows only being able to do Wordpad documents and surf the web this just shows what an idiot you are! I mean really! You clearly don't like Windows and that is fine but your ignorance of Windows is really unbelievable. Heck for the sak of arguement I guess you can add ESX Management to your list of things Windows can do. You really need to open your eyes and grasp reality regardless if you are willing to run Windows or not. Your narrow minded technical knowledge is only going to hurt you...

Hate to bash but you are freaking rediculous!

[Dave_Mishchenko]

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[jetole]

I just want to add this thread is rediculous and before I continue. Let me stress that I am a born and bread Linux user/fan/advocate/enthusiest and will die the same.

Now VMware server vs. ESXi? Does anyone know what the difference is between server and esxi because if you did you would realize how f#$%ed of a comparison that is. One is a hypervisor and one is an application. The application cannot begin to produce the same performance as the hypervisor symply because they do not treat virtualization with the same method hence a software has to use an alternate method to the applications method in order to be deamed a hypervisor otherwise it is not one and cannot use that name. The prime difference is that the OS itself is the VM host and not just some kernel module as is the case with server. There is more to it as well but if you want the details then look it up wikipedia.

Now as far as being OS independent or whatever the used term was. ESXi can host almost any OS you can think of and that is exactly how they phrase it in their sales and documentation. ESXi ISLINIUX_ (and modified to do what it does well) so let's hear the linux zealot now claim that it is still OS independent knowing his favorite software is in fact ESXi. Also I believe ESXi 3.5 is linux kernel 2.4. Now as far as someone wanting a hypervisor that does not use any OS beneath it. There is no such thing and there never will be. Any company can write their own bootable hypervisor but all that is really is just a new OS designed for being a hypervisor. VMware picked the best OS they could find that did not require the development effort of re inventing the OS wheel and Linux was a great choice on their part since ESXi runs well.

Now for the question that you don't like that there is no ESXi client for Linux? I hate that fact myself too but you know what. Tough s%#@ . Neither you or I work for VMware and I am betting that they did a thurough cost analysis at what they would have to spend to create a Linux client vs. the money they would expect to win by converting the people who won't run it without a Linux client and they made their choice or perhaps, and this would be a better idea, maybe they decided on both but windows being the leader in the market for Desktop installations and the fact that no windows user needs to know Linux to use the OS made Windows the priority for developing first and we simply have not seen the release of the Linux client yet.

Now since neither the original poster nor myself work at VMware and since we both have a choice to make. Use a windows control center for VMware or use an alternative VM then the choice just simply had to be made. Personally. I love KVM, part of the native linux kernel in recent versions of linux 2.6 and I use this on my work station as well as my home desktop for virtualization. Honestly I think the virtualization capabilities of this hypervisor may be equal to what VMware offers however VMware also offers features outside of the virtualization itself that still make it a stong leader in the market for enterprise virtualization. When it comes to features I like the management interface despite the fact I have to use windows to use it. I like the fact that if a hardware/physical server dies then my VM can be restarted automatically on another machine I honestly just like the enterprise class that they bring to the table but at the same time it is expensive closed source proprietary software so weigh your options and choose whats right for you but don't b@#%^ about needing windows for software that was not written by you or for just you. This all comes down to company and resource management and VMware I am sure weighed their decisions carefully when they decided to follow the route they have just as the firm I work at does and any successful firm around the world does and will continue to do as long as they are successful.

[Karlheinz_mk]

"... I am a born and bread Linux user/fan/advocate/enthusiest and will die the same ..."

Nicely phrased - so am I.

Nevertheless: Soo much religious war ... unbelievable.

So I took a very pragmatic approach:

1.) To ease my start, I used VI Client once - nolens volens - to setup the basic VM templates only.

Notabene:

I tested VI Client on a discharged ~10 years old PII 350 MHz, 128 MB RAM, 10 GB Disk,

running Windows 2000 SP4 UR1, using latest Firefox 3.0.7 as the only application on it.

2.) Login to the ESXi server console "unsupported",

vi /etc/initd.conf and enable ssh ,

reboot.(Later on, you will create a dedicated account for ssh and disable ssh for root login.)

3.) From now on, enjoy ssh and scp in full might:

3.a) ssh to the ESXi server

3.a.1.) to administer the VM's, e.g.

vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms

vim-cmd vmsvc/power.off vmid

vim-cmd vmsvc/power.on vmid

vim-cmd vmsvc/power.reboot vmid

vim-cmd vmsvc/destroy vmid

... and ... and ...

3.a.2.) use alias, cp, mv; freely spin around your datastores

3.b.) Use scp to copy installations iso's to the ESXi datastores

3.c.) Use scp to copy / backup VM's to other ESXi hosts

3.d.) Enjoy all of ssh / scp to further build up and administer my template VM's, clone them, ...

RESUMEE: especially for a true GNU/Linux-_only_-environment:

I really can't stop rejoicing ...

And IFF you happento have VMware Workstation installed on your Linux Development Workstation,

you can even create the VM's there and scp them to the appropriate ESXi datastore ...

then there is completely no need to use $MS, not even once at all ...

@ VMWARE: What I really can't understand:

Why not ease your burden and simply open just the API only ?

Your key role is making money with virtualisation,

not with - necessary - graphical user interfaces.

The OSS scommunity would be glad to provide a *NIX Client ...

Perhaps even with integration to the different Desktop environments ( KDE, Gnome, Xfce, ... )

You have the same problem with the MAC users ...

And there are the *BSDs around, also ...

Yours respectfully

[Bret_Palsson]

Great post, I agree. Sorry this bugs me though, its a Mac user not MAC because Mac doesn't stand for anything like BSD does.

-Bret

VCP

[jetole]

Now can someone explain to me how I can use desktop on ESXi without using windows? I don't mean SSH/VNC/RDP to the guest OS but how I can view it where the guest thinks I am in front of it?

[Bret_Palsson]

WIth ESXi good luck. Try moving to Citrix, its free and wow is it better. I even dumped my own implementation of xen for citrix. I installed the whole environment in less than 30 minutes, and you ca get a console via any web browser. It was a no brainer for me, and migrating the 4000 vms will be easy.

VCP

[Karlheinz_mk]

Just to note:

cite:

"2. XenCenter

The Windows administration interface for XenServer hosts. These

files are included on the Base ISO download but are also provided

separately for your convenience. You will need .NET 2.0 installed, via

Windows Update. 6.2 MB (MD5)"

[Karlheinz_mk]

ADDENDUM:

a hint to

http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/sdk_pubs.html