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elanops
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How to convert to ESXi?

Currently, we have a virtualbox machine set up. Our host has i think a quad core CPU in it, or 2 dual cores. The problem with VBox is that it can't utilize multiple cores or CPUs, so the guest only shows 1 CPU.

I plan on purchasing ESXi soon, if I convert it, which option would I select in the converter under "select vmware product" on step 2? I see no ESXi option. If I convert this, will it be able to utilize the other cores/cpu's in the host?

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vmweathers
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ESXi is a server that is part of VMware Infrastructure... the naming is confusing, but you just have to point at the ESXi itself.

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vmweathers
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This KB article describes the differences between ESX and ESXi: http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1006543

Note that ESXi also supports "Virtual SMP" which is the feature required for a VM to use more than 1 virtual CPU.

So you just select "VMware Infrastructure virtual machine" in the destination type drop down of the 2nd page.

You have an option in the 3rd page/step of the Converter wizard to select how many CPUs you want the VM to have.

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elanops
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Thanks for the very helpful information. I still have a problem though. If I select VMware infrastructure it prompts me for the server.... and I don't have a vmware infrastructure server, or even the product for that matter.

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vmweathers
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ESXi is a server that is part of VMware Infrastructure... the naming is confusing, but you just have to point at the ESXi itself.

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elanops
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Okay, so I have to purchase ESXi before I convert my image?

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vmweathers
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Why would you be "purchasing" ESXi? It's free. Smiley Happy

But yes, if you want to convert a VM to an ESXi you need to direct the conversion to the ESXi explicitly during the conversion. I guess it is possible to use a hosted target for the conversion and then copy the file over, but that's a waste of effort, and I'm not even sure it will work depending on the compatibility of the ESXi with the target of your hosted conversion.

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elanops
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Okay another problem. I downloaded ESXi Server, and noticed its a linux live CD... This will not work for me.

I want to have multiple CPU's utilized, convert my existing VritualBox image to a vmware one, and install vmware in windows and not format the disks on the server...

does ESX do this? What product can accomplish this?

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vmweathers
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ESX and ESXi are not Linux. (Though ESX does include a Linux VM that is used to control it, called the "Console OS" (COS)).

I think you are confused about what "bare metal hypervisors" such as ESX really are. They run directly on the hardware, so yes, you need to have a dedicated server. You do not install them on top of Windows, nor on top of Linux.

Installing "vmware in windows" means you want to use a "hosted" product, such as VMware Workstation, Fusion, or Server. I believe that both Workstation (windows and linux) and Fusion (mac) support virtual SMP, so you can use multiple CPUs in a guest. I do not know about VMware Server.

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cmacmillan
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Sounds like you are looking for VMware Server 2.x and VMware converter (to move from the VirtualBox images.) If you used .vmdk images for the virtual disks in VirtualBox, you'll only really need to:

1. Install VMware Server

2. "uninstall" the virtualbox tools from the VM,

3. shut the VM down from virtualbox,

4. Create a VM on Server "using an existing disk" from the virtualbox store (or copy would be better);

5. Run the VM and install VMware Tools.

Not all OSes take to having additional processors. Note that vCPU's are equivalent to SOCKETS - not cores. If your OS will not use multiple sockets (like some versions of Windows that are intentionally crippled) then you will gain no benefit...

--Collin C. MacMillan

SOLORI - Solution Oriented, LLC

Collin C. MacMillan, VCP4/VCP5 VCAP-DCD4 Cisco CCNA/CCNP, Nexenta CNE VMware vExpert 2010-2012 SOLORI - Solution Oriented, LLC http://blog.solori.net If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".
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elanops
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Is server 2008 capable of utilizing the multiple cores/CPUs?

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GalNeb
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McMillan seems to be confused and to have confused you. All windows versions support SMP. The number of sockets (not cores) supported varies by version.

A virtual cpu in any virtual environment is mapped to a core and not a socket and looks like a socket to the guest os. This is different than running a OS directly on the hardware where Windows sees sockets for licensing purposes and then can see multiple cpus in the task manager based on how many cores are on each socket. Thus a VM (Virtual Machine) with two virtual processors will think it has two single core processor sockets when in actuality it is running on only 2 cores on whatever platform it is running on. Thus you can be running 4 dual proc VM's at any one instant in time on dual proc quad core hardware. Of course, time slicing allows you to run far more than that based on the work required by each VM.

BTW, Yes, VMware Server supports SMP.

As stated earlier, ESXi (free product for standalone use) runs on the bare metal, no underlying OS. If you want to run on top of Windows or Linux, then you will need VMware Server (also a free product). Since ESXi does not have the overhead of an underlying OS, it will perform in the neighborhood of twice as well as VMware server. ESXi has all of the features of ESX when used in a standalone mode, especially memory management that makes VMware outperform every other competitor under heavy load. To be fair, there are studies that show that MS HyperV will perform equal to ESX under light load, but once the number of VMs increase then HyperV craps out while ESX/ESXi keeps right on humming. In fact it is not even possible to power on VMs in HyperV that will run fine under ESX/ESXi.

One further comment, VMotion, DRS, and HA are features of VCenter and not actually features of ESX/ESXi. To get these, you will need to purchase the VMware Infrastructure (VSphere in the next release) to add on top of ESXi including VCenter agent licenses per ESX/ESXi host and VCenter itself.

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cmacmillan
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Yes, 2008 will recognize multiple sockets.

I am NOT confused, sorry GalNeb, but elanops did not state which version of Windows he wanted to virtualize...

Since I was paying attention to the fact the his EXISTING VM's are UNI-processors, I wanted to point-out the fact that some versions of Windows DO NOT do multi-socket and some that CAN, DO NOT install a multi-processor kernel if only one processor (like the virtualbox VM) is found on install. Hence, vSMP would NOT have the desired result - even after "upgrading" to VMware (of any flavor). Personally, I do not know whether or not a non-SMP installation of Windows Server 2008 will SMP-up upon detecting a second processor...

Elanops also indicated a desire to "virtualize on top of Windows" - hence the VMware Server suggestion. ESXi would be a great choice, however it DOES consume his hardware (bare metal.) VMware Server, on the other hand, will run alongside his existing OS. Server also allows for web-based management apart from the desktop client, is license free (similar to virtualbox), and in my opinion offers a better experience than workstation.

Again, UNLIKE ESXi (in trial mode) with vCenter (in trial mode) VMware Server has no integrated conversion tool (live would be best). So, converting the VMDK (as indicated in my last post) presents the "most time effective" way of making the change. This applies to Server or Workstation - but not ESXi. For ESXi, he'd want to use trial mode and import the session - but ONLY after removing the VirtualBox tools...

Regards,

Collin C. MacMillan

Sr. Infrastructure Consultant

SOLORI - Solution Oriented, LLC

collin@solori.net | http://blog.solori.net

Collin C. MacMillan, VCP4/VCP5 VCAP-DCD4 Cisco CCNA/CCNP, Nexenta CNE VMware vExpert 2010-2012 SOLORI - Solution Oriented, LLC http://blog.solori.net If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".
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GalNeb
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Sorry Colin, after rereading your post, I see where you were coming from with the core vs socket issue.

As for Windows, there has not been an edition of Windows without SMP support since Windows 95. Even the crippled Web Edition of 2003 supports 2 sockets (2008 Web Edition 4 sockets). Yes, 2008 supports more sockets for SMP than ever before. Installing Windows on a uniprocessor box (or VM) does not install the SMP HAL and drivers. Adding an additional processor later will cause it to install SMP support (I am not sure whether is requires the CD). The gotcha is when going back to uniprocessor after having been multi-processor, it does not remove the SMP drivers. Running SMP on a uniprocessor platform adds overhead and reduces performance, not horribly, but some. There are white papers on how to remove SMP.

Now here is where the performance issues come in when talking about cores vs sockets. VMware ESX 3.5 supports 4 way SMP for a maximum of 4 cores per VM (that looks like 4 sockets to the guest OS). VMware ESX 4 will support 8 way SMP. VMware Server only supports 2 way SMP for the guest OS. Thus the maximum performance you can get out of a VM today is 4 cores worth of processor power. Running windows on bare metal will allow Windows to use far more processors/cores, up to 64 cores with Datacenter Edition. Yes, that is cores, not sockets. It also supports 64 sockets, but is limited to 64 cores as well.

Don't get me started on HyperThreading because that complicates it even more (a HyperThreaded Core presents itself as 2 processors to a VM and it gets messier after that).

Bottom line, you are coming from one virtual environment to another where your VMs are limited to 1 cpu. By going to VMware Server you will be able to double your VM performance assuming the hardware has the capacity to give that performance to the total number of VMs you are running. I don't remember how many cores you said you had on your hardware, but you should have at least twice as many hardware cores as the largest VM you are running. You should also find that VMware's products will give you a performance increase as well over the product you are using. ESXi will give you far better performance and features than VMware Server.

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