ESX 3i

[Esys]

I have the impression that 3i will somehow run without an OS, but also not from a chip. The "download" notations indicate that to me. How will this be installed? WIll it run from a CD? thumb dirve? Just curiosity, but wondering if I can run it on my almost new ESX 3.0.x server hardware without a lot of additional investment.

thanks

Bill

[Dave_Mishchenko]

3i will come in a version that runs from flash or internal USB (page 4 - http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/ESX_Server_3i_presentation.pdf). The copy they gave out at VMworld ran from a USB key. There will also be a version that is hard drive installable: http://www.vmware.com/products/vi/esx/esx3i.html.

[esiebert7625]

Keep in mind 3i will be a low-end ESX product without the features of the other versions...

http://vmware.com/products/vi/packaging.html

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Thanks, Eric

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[kimono]

That's not true. Service console "scripts and agents" aside, from a Virtual Infrastructure perspective ESX 3i has complete feature parity with ESX "thick". It plugs into VC. In fact, it can be mixed in with your ESX thick clusters and everything continues to work. It's only lacking these features if you purchase it as a standalone product.

On that marketing page you linked to .. see foot-note 3:

"3 ESX Server 3i cannot be managed with VirtualCenter Server when purchased as a stand-alone product. Managing ESX Server 3i with VirtualCenter Server requires purchase of VMware Infrastructure 3 Foundation, Standard, or Enterprise."

/kimono/

[esiebert7625]

Exactly, for $495 bucks all you're getting is a ESX server without any advanced features.

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[mcwill]

But surely you can buy a VC Agent for it?

Otherwise what is the point in Dell, HP et al embedding 3i into the firmware.

Regards,

Iain

[kimono]

If you think about how ESX thick works, it's standalone then you go guy a VC server and some licenses that includes the VC Hosts Agent licenses. Then you poke the VC Server at your host and it installs the host agent onto it. 3i probably works the same way. Available as a base, then you can plug the extras into it. They'd be mad to lock people into a standalone model, as 3i is a great marketing way in to SMB's, or people still trying to sell VI to the organisation.

/kimono/

[mcwill]

"3 ESX Server 3i cannot be managed with VirtualCenter Server when purchased as a stand-alone product. Managing ESX Server 3i with VirtualCenter Server requires purchase of VMware Infrastructure 3 Foundation, Standard, or Enterprise."

But the above quote makes it sound like 3i can only be standalone...

...unless the firmware 3i is available in Foundation, Standard, or Enterprise flavours as well?

Regards,

Iain

[kimono]

Semantics are probably killing me here.. so I wont assume anything more but I'll squash up my point and just say "from technical perspective 3i can connect to VC". From a marketing and licensing perspective ... what they allow in terms of upgrade paths is up to them and their EULA I guess.

/kimono/

[mcwill]

True.

A FAQ is supposedly being generated from the webinar a couple of days ago, hopefully that will answer most of these questions. Until then it's only supposition and peoples differing interpretations of the little information that's currently out there.

Regards,

Iain

[esiebert7625]

I think at this point there is still some mystery and alot of questions about 3i. This is a first for VMware even releasing details about a product before it is released. I'm sure as we get closer to the release date more detailed information will be released on it. Here' s some links I've been collecting on it and the new products...

New VMware Infrastructure Packaging & Pricing - http://vmware.com/products/vi/packaging.html

VI 3.5 and ESX Server 3i to be available since December 2007 with new prices and editions - http://www.virtualization.info/2007/10/vmware-infrastructure-35-and-esx-server.html

VMware 3.5/VirtualCenter 2.5 product annoucement - http://vmware.com/company/news/releases/esx_35.html

VMware 3.5 SMB product announcement - http://vmware.com/company/news/releases/esx_35_smb.html

VMware Overhauls ESX Hypervisor - http://searchservervirtualization.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid94_gci1275866,00.html?t...

VMware ESX 3i presentation - http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/ESX_Server_3i_presentation.pdf

VMware ESX 3i product page - http://www.vmware.com/products/vi/esx/esx3i.html

What's new in VMware Infrastructure recorded webinar - http://vmwareevents.webex.com/ec0507l/eventcenter/recording/recordAction.do?theAction=poprecord&site...

Hacking your ESX 3i Server - http://www.run-virtual.com/?p=196

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Thanks, Eric

Visit my website:

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[Esys]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I've obviously not read ALL the documentation that is available, thanks for the links to additional. I think I get out of this we can run it on "old" hardware, likely manage it with new plug in licenses for VCMS, and pretend like it's almost the same as 3.0.x - well, without some scripting features and such.

Thanks again to everyone, I was going to mark each response as Helpful, but after two that option disappeared.

Bill

[dpomeroy · Accepted solution]

I think the confusion is being caused by bad decisions in the marketing department. AFAIK 3i would be able to be managed by VC and have all the advanced features, DRS, HA, etc. if those features are paid for. I believe that no Service Console is the future direction of ESX regardless of if it comes pre-installed on flash or embedded media in the server, or you install it on hard drives.

Don Pomeroy

VMTN Communities User Moderator

[jgilmartin]

First, consider ESX Server 3i and ESX Server functionally equivalent (except for the service console). That means ESX 3i can be licensed to support all the same capabilities and add-on products. So, absolutely yes, with the right license, ESX Server 3i can be managed by VirtualCenter, VMs can VMotion between hosts, etc. This means buying a Foundation, Standard, or Enterprise license and applying it in exactly the same way as today.

Alternatively, ESX Server 3i can be licensed as a completely standalone product. In this case, there is no VC Agent license. As a standalone product, it does support VSMP and all the storage types supported by ESX Server.

Hope that clarifies.

[mcwill]

I think a lot of the confusion arises from the use of the name 3i as a license level (the standalone version @ $495) and as a name to describe the 32MB version of ESX server without the service console.

It means that when reading documentation, there is uncertaintity as to whether a refererence to "3i" is refering the license level or server type without examining the context.

Regards,

Iain

[mreferre]

>I think a lot of the confusion arises from the use of the name 3i as a license level (the standalone version @ $495) and as a name to describe the 32MB version of ESX server without the service console.

>It means that when reading documentation, there is uncertaintity as to whether a refererence to "3i" is refering the license level or server type without examining the context.

This is absolutely the point. From a pure technical standpoint ESX 3i and 3.5 are going to be equivalent in what you will be able to do (technically). What they will do with licensing restriction is another thing.

I agree this chart here is misleading:

In the first column they refer to 3i as a "licensing schema" while in reality it should be just a "deployment option". That column should have had a lable like "standalone hypervisor" not "3i". In fact, below the price row, they mention you can install ESX 3 or ESX 3i ... which makes sense. So you could technically for example have a single ESX 3.5 "standalone" host or 100 x ESX 3i "Enterprise" enabled host ...... or whatever mix you want. Again, from a technical perspective .... what they will do with licensing ..... is another story.

To complicate the matter further 3i should be available as a "customer installable" product (as it is the standard ESX) or as an pre-loaded option on a flash key from selected systems vendor. I think this part is a little bit up in the air though now in terms of how you buy / manage it. But again from a technical perspective etc etc etc same thing.

To complicate the matter EVEN further that table should also report, in my opinion, the VC prices because at the end of the day what an SMB customer is interested in .... is not (only) to save x hundreds dollars on the ESX licenses .......... but to save thousands of dollars on the VC licenses (possibly).

Massimo.