Run VMware Workstation 8 in VMware ESXi 5.0?

[jsc3symc]

Quick question: Is it possible to run a Windows VM on ESXi 5.0, and then run Workstation 8 with 64-bit nested VMs?

For example, I want to run:

1. ESXi 5.0: On physical hardware
   
2. VM running on ESXi 5.0: running Windows 7 64-bit with VMware Workstation 8
   
3. VM running on VMware Workstation 8: running ESXi 5.0
   
4. VM running on nested ESXi 5.0: running Red Hat Linux 6.2 64-bit
   

This is for a training lab.

[admin]

On the appropriate hardware, yes.  See javascript:;.

[hbato]

Yes, it is possible. But in my opinion, it will create a huge performance loss on the inner-most vm. Why use 4 tier nested vm? You can just have multiple vm's on your first hypervisor.

Regards, Harold

[continuum]

he probably wants to test stuff like migrations between platforms
or wants to see the server features of WS 8 without installing it on real metal ....

there are lots of reasons to do this and for proof of concept tests performance is not important
he sure does not want to run production VM inside it 😉

[jsc3symc]

Actually, it is for a training lab where I don’t have enough workstations, and but we will have labs in the near future labs running on workstations. I am trying to avoid having the lab presenters develop for a straight ESXi environment, and then have to port it to a Workstation environment (which we have done before).

I got word that another poster has a colleague who tried this without success – the CPU just spins at the fourth layer down. The reason I asked is that I suspected running 64-bit gets bogged down if you nest too deep, and that turns out to be true.

--

John Cronin

[jsc3symc]

In a different thread in the ESXi forums, Duncan indicates this is NOT possible, according to a colleague who has tested it – the CPU just spins without going anywhere if you try to start a 64-bit VM at the fourth layer in my example.

See this thread for a link to more details: http://communities.vmware.com/message/2003667#

--

John Cronin

Senior Technical Product Manager

Symantec Corporation

www.symantec.com<http://www.symantec.com/

[continuum]

4th layer ?
you mean you try :
ESXi runs 64bit guest with Workstation
64bit guest in WS in ESXi runs another 64bit guest
64bit guest in WS in WS in ESXi runs another guest in WS ?

[jsc3symc]

Here is what I mean by 4th-layer:

1. Physical runs ESXi5

2. ESXi5 runs Workstation8

3. Workstation8 runs ESXi5

4. ESXi5 runs 64-bit Linux

The last one doesn’t work, unfortunately.

--

John Cronin

Senior Technical Product Manager

Symantec Corporation

www.symantec.com<http://www.symantec.com/