Minimum Requirement for a VMware Infrastructure Test lab?

[dkraut]

If I wanted to setup VMware Infrastructure v3 in a test lab environment, what is the smallest possible footprint and server specs that will get me started? I realize that I will have to forgo the advanced features such as Vmotion, HA, etc., but with limited resources, I need to know what are the bottom line requirements for VMware Infrastructure? Oddly, I have been unable to locate this detailed info from the web.

TIA! Dave

[Borat_Sagdiev]

The installation of each ESX3 host needs about 30 Gb of space on the local boot drive. Use at least a 1.6 Ghz CPU, 2 GB RAM and SCSI storage. Anything less than 2 NICs is a waste of time as well. Depending on what you would like to achieve in the lab you can get away with some network attached storage (NAS) or iSCSI to test HA and Vmotion. Hope this helps.

[oreeh]

Or you can use VMware Workstation and run ESX as a VM.

[Borat_Sagdiev]

Isn't that like hiring a midget to play basketball for you? Easy and inexpensive, but mostly useless.:p

[oreeh]

To do some limited testing and to get a "feel" for the products it works really well.

I even use it on a laptop to demo it to customers.

[dkraut]

Thanks for the insight... Both responses were very helpful.

Why the recommendation for SCSI as opposed to SATA? and for (2) NIC's as opposed to (1)?

Isn't iSCSI required for HA? or are you saying any NAS box will do?

BTW, are you inferring that I'm too short, cannot play basketball, or both? :smileylaugh:

Thanks again.

Dave

[oreeh]

Why the recommendation for SCSI as opposed to SATA?

ESX doesn't support SATA (this will change with ESX 3.5)

and for (2) NIC's as opposed to (1)?

If you want to do some testing and use VMotion you'll need at least 2 NICs (a VMkernel portgroup can't reside on the same vSwitch as the VM portgroup)

Isn't iSCSI required for HA?

It works with NFS as well

BTW, are you inferring that I'm too short, cannot play basketball, or both? :smileylaugh:

This was "targeted" at me

[dkraut]

Why the recommendation for SCSI as opposed to SATA?

ESX doesn't support SATA (this will change with ESX 3.5)

Out of curiosity... does your laptop that runs VMware workstation have a SCSI drive, or are you emulating it somehow to enable ESX to run within Workstation?

[oreeh]

The laptop itself is equipped with a SATA drive, but since ESX runs in a VM it sees a virtual SCSI drive.