Support for multiple video cards under ESX

[mdwlucas]

Hi all,

I was wondering how ESX would handle multiple video cards as I'm trying to Virtualise our test network and need to have different VMs displaying to separate monitors. I couldn't see any info about ESX and video drivers and was wondering if, as the ESX kernel is a modified Linux kernel, it would simply be a matter of installing the relevant Linux video drivers as per a normal Linux installation.

Thanks,

Martin.

[jbruelasdgo]

esx is a modified Linux kernel?? where did you learn that?

????

Jose B Ruelas

[mdwlucas]

It was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VMware_ESX. Is this info not correct?

Thanks,

Martin

[weinstein5 · Accepted solution]

The vmkernel which does the virtualization and is in essence the operating system of your ESX is code written by vmware - where the ocnfusion comes from a component of the ESX version - the service console which is used to manage and control your ESX server - the service console is in essence a virtual machine running a modified version of Linux RHEL 3 - now back to your original question ESX does not support multiple video cards nor can you access the VMs directly from the ESX Server. You have to use a workstation running the VI Client - the VI Client is how you access your VM providing access to the running VM. You can access multiple running VMs simultaneousky from a single workstation.

If you find this or any other answer useful please consider awarding points by marking the answer correct or helpful

[mdwlucas]

Thanks you so much, that is most helpful, at least now I know it can be done, but will require 2 computers, the ESX server and a workstation. The workstation having multiple video cards, running multiple copies of the VI client, one for each VM per display. Does that sound OK?

[K-MaC]

If the video card on your workstation has multiple outputs you wont need multiple cards. Also you can use RDP to connect to the clients.

Cheers

Kevin

[weinstein5]

you would only need a single instance of the vi client - from there you can open multiple remote console sessions or as the other posterindicated you can use RDP -

If you find this or any other answer useful please consider awarding points by marking the answer correct or helpful

[J1mbo]

Defo RDP is the technology to achive this. The console access from the VI Client is only really for setting things up, viewing a reboot etc.

Please award points to any useful answer.