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Flicka
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Opteron processor compatibility

We have a number of IBM e325 servers with processors in the 200-series "SledgeHammer" (B3 & C0 & CG, 130 nm). It appears from KB 1901 that VIMA won't run on top of ESXi on one of these because the processor doesn't support SSE3. Since the Opteron 200-series "Troy" (E4, 90 nm) does support SSE3, we are looking into a processor upgrade. Questions:

  1. Am I correct, in that the VIMA install will fail on the current chip?

  2. Does anyone know if IBM provides a BIOS upgrade (or if one is even needed) to go from the first Opteron to the 2nd? Both are Socket 940, so the pinouts work...

  3. One article I read seems to imply that the chip upgrade won't work because the manufacturing process for the chip went from 130 nm to 90 nm-- true?

Based on my (so far) limited understanding of VIMA, it isn't clear whether it is required to be running on all the ESX or ESXi hosts which are being monitored, or only on the one host which is doing the monitoring (in which case one additional server on our rack, with the correct chipset, could monitor all the others). I think it must run as an appliance on all the monitored hosts-- correct?

Thanks for your help!

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halcabes
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it isn't clear whether it is required to be running on all the ESX or ESXi hosts which are being monitored,

or only on the one host which is doing the monitoring

(in which case one additional server on our rack, with the correct

chipset, could monitor all the others). I think it must run as an appliance on all the monitored hosts-- correct?

VIMA can run on one host and code running on VIMA can monitor several other hosts (which it accesses over the network via HTTPS).

--Harvey

Harvey Alcabes

Product Manager

VMware, Inc.

--Harvey Harvey Alcabes Product Manager VMware, Inc.
Flicka
Contributor
Contributor

This is great news-- thanks, Harvey! Your answer implies that ServerA (running VIMA) can use HTTPS over the Internet to monitor ServerB, ServerC, etc. (assuming the correct ports are open) which can be anywhere else.

I ask this for the following reason: we purchased the IBM e325 series in anticipation of running 64 bit operating systems. We have a mix of 32 bit and 64 bit guest OSes, so I think this means we only need to upgrade the chips on those ESXi hosts which must run a 64 bit guest, while we need no upgrade to monitor the others running 32 bit guest Oses. Furthermore, the Opteron Rev. E requirement is for running any 64 bit guest OS, not just the VIMA appliance. Am I correct in this assumption?

Thanks again...

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halcabes
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I think this means we only need to upgrade the chips on those ESXi

hosts which must run a 64 bit guest, while we need not upgrade to

monitor the others running 32 bit guest Oses. Furthermore, the Opteron

Rev. E requirement is for running any 64 bit guest OS,

not just the VIMA appliance. Am I correct in this assumption?

Yes, you appear to understand it correctly.

--Harvey

Harvey Alcabes

Product Manager

VMware, Inc.

--Harvey Harvey Alcabes Product Manager VMware, Inc.