Setup for MSCS using Datacenter 64bit as guest

[APlatt]

Im attempting to set up microsoft cluster services on two physical VMWare ESX 3.01 hosts. I am referencing documentation from the vmware site, documentation title is "Setup for Microsoft cluster Service." On page 16 under caveats and restrictions bullet point 6 lists "You can only use 32 bit virtual machines (not 64 bit virtual machines). We purchased Dell 2900 series servers which are 64 bit capable and licensed all of our processors with Datacenter windows which is 64 bit os. Are you telling me that I cannot cluster my virtual machines because its a 64 bit OS???

Kind of confused on this. And i have a lot of hardware sitting idle until i can get clarification on this.

Regards,

Allen P.

[Dave_Mishchenko]

As of May 23th, x64 is not supported for clustering. See the posts by Anders. As noted in one thread you may still get it to work.

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=603050&#603050

http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?messageID=652550&#652550

[oreeh]

AFAIR you can use the 32bit versions too even if you have licensed the 64bit versions.

To be sure check with MS.

[Dave_Mishchenko]

That is the case with R2.

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/howtobuy/licensingr2/overview.mspx

Using software designed for other platforms

Previous retail software license terms for Windows Server 2003 products did not allow for migration from a 64-bit platform to a 32-bit platform or vice versa. Use rights were specific to the platform type that was licensed. Now, a license for a platform-specific version of Windows Server 2003 R2 permits you to use (in place of what you have licensed) the software for the other platform. The software must be the same version and edition. For example, under a license for Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 Edition, you may run Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition in place of Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 Edition. In some virtualization scenarios, customers may need to run a 32-bit version of the software in the virtual machines to support legacy applications.

[APlatt]

Yes however, i dont really want to invest a ton of time building up 32 bit versions when I need to be running the 64 bit versions...I will probably proceed forth with the hope that it works as others have said it will and hopefully by the time we go to production on this...(Mid November) something a bit more official will come from our friends in the VMWare world....

I have also opened up a support ticket, will let you all know if anything else is said from tech support.

Thanks all for the very very fast answers.

PS...im did do a search on clustering, but apparently my forum skills are not yet up to par in this forum...thanks again for the links.