vSphere within VMware Workstation - is it possible?

[java_cat33]

I remember reading Mike Lavericks blog regarding running vSphere within another ESX - it ran fine. My assumption is that the NDA for vSphere is over and someone can answer whether VMware Workstation has any issues running vSphere as a VM and whether any guests can be run from inside vSphere?

It would be great to be able to run a vSphere ESX cluster within VMware Workstation as you currently can with 3.5 for testing purposes etc

For those interested in Mike's blog -

Thanks!

[lamw]

I have not tested it myself, but it does work and I remember someone pointing out this site awhile back:

=========================================================================

William Lam

VMware vExpert 2009

VMware ESX/ESXi scripts and resources at:

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[Jasemccarty · Accepted solution]

Yes, it is possible.

I've got 2 copies of ESX 4.0, 1 ESX 3.5 U2, 1 XP VM, 1 DC, & 1 vCenter server running on my desktop...

Just make sure you have a processor with Intel VT or AMD-V, and have it enabled in the bios.

Cheers,

Jase McCarty

http://www.jasemccarty.com

Co-Author of VMware ESX Essentials in the Virtual Data Center

(ISBN:1420070274) from Auerbach

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[java_cat33]

Thanks guys!

[jbruelasdgo]

do the docs from xtravirt still apply for this?

regards

Jose

[Jasemccarty]

I used the 3.5 U2 zipped VM from Uli's site:

Here's the link: http://sanbarrow.com/moa24/files/esx-_35u2.zip

Jase McCarty

http://www.jasemccarty.com

Co-Author of VMware ESX Essentials in the Virtual Data Center

(ISBN:1420070274) from Auerbach

_{Please consider awarding points if this post was helpful or correct}

[packetboy]

Hey Jase,

How much ram have you got in that host?

[Jasemccarty]

Vista x64 Ultimate SP1, w/ 8GB RAM

Both ESX 4.0 guest have 2GB allocated each (4GB)

The ESX 3.5 guest has 1GB

The vCenter guest has 1GB

The DC has 512MB

The XP Guest has 1GB

Why?

Jase McCarty

http://www.jasemccarty.com

Co-Author of VMware ESX Essentials in the Virtual Data Center

(ISBN:1420070274) from Auerbach

_{Please consider awarding points if this post was helpful or correct}

[packetboy]

I am specing up a small box for home to learn vS on and I was thinking of buying two of them for a cluster however I also have my desktop which is the same specs as yours so thinking of running esx4 in vmware workstation on my desktop and buying just one additional box instead of two.. will save me lots of cash

[depping]

I've got it running as well, with only 1.3GB per vSphere host...

Duncan

VMware Communities User Moderator

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[TomHowarth]

Yes it does work, that is how I did the majority of my vSphere beta testing, You do need to have at least WS 6.5.1, as vSphere exposes more processor functions that earlier versions of WS are not aware of.

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Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert

VMware Communities User Moderator

Blog: www.planetvm.net

Contributing author for the upcoming book "VMware Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment”.

[java_cat33]

Or you could not buy anything and run it all within Workstation! :smileygrin:

My box has 2 Quad Core processors (with VT of course!), and 8GB of memory....... runs really well apart from now as I'm rebuilding it!

Obviously it's been running ESX 3.5 at present...... but hopefully for not too much longer!! By the sounds of things it definitely wont have any issues with vSphere.

I did notice a blog today about CPU compatabilities for VMware FT - so it looks like this wont be able to be tested within this type of lab setup? Anyone?

[packetboy]

hey javacat,

I was wondering the same thing. I posted this question to the FT forum :

I will prolly still buy a new box so I can also test out Hyper-V (bam am I allowed to say that word in here? ) which you can not run within VMware workstation. I have not bought the hardware for my box yet so I am hoping the Intel Penryn desktop quad cores (q9450) will support FT and not just the Xeon series listed here :

But yes I doubt FT will work within workstation but if u had a compatible chip you could always dual boot?

[admin]

VMware FT is not supported in a VM. It requires performance monitor counters, which are not virtualized. You'll have to use physical hardware for VMware FT testing.

[lamw]

Here's another compiled list of supported CPU's for FT: http://www.gabesvirtualworld.com/?p=456

Requires physical hardware, can't run on WS for FT.

=========================================================================

William Lam

VMware vExpert 2009

VMware ESX/ESXi scripts and resources at:

If you find this information useful, please award points for "correct" or "helpful".

[packetboy]

Hey jmattson,

Yes I did think that. But do you know if the Intel Penryn desktop quad cores will be supported by FT? for instance the q9450 ? or will FT be only supported on Xeon based penryn?

thanks,

packetboy.

[admin]

I suspect that the desktop Penryns will be supported, but I'm not an official source of information on the subject.

[azn2kew]

Only way to confirm is to tested on yourself with bare metal install on Pyren chip otherwise, you can test move of the features with WS 6.5 with vSphere 4.0. I've tested my on almos same spec with Jase 8GB RAM, Vista Ultimate SP1, Asus P5M2/SAS board, Intel Quad Q6600 chip that runs really nicely with 2TB of data. I have multiple solutions running on the same box using View 3.0, SRM, Lab Manager, ESX 3.5 & vSphere 4.0 you just have to manage your VMs around it and just boot only needed machines such as DC, VC, SQL and the rest is one by one and test them. I'm thinking getting another PC like these but the ASUS P5M2/SAS sound driver doesn't work for Vista that's a bum.

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Regards,

Stefan Nguyen

VMware vExpert 2009

iGeek Systems Inc.

VMware, Citrix, Microsoft Consultant

[tlyczko]

What's the minimum amount of RAM that one can use for each host?? -- for either 3.5 OR 4.0??

I only have 4 GB RAM in my notebook and it's DDR3 RAM that costs $500 per 4 GB chip vs. $70 per 2 GB chip, sigh...

Plus I need to have a small OpenFiler SAN appliance or something for storage...

I am thinking of allowing 768k for the vCenter guest and 512k per host and just some tiny appliances from the VMware appliance site.

Any other suggestions about RAM etc.??

Thank you, Tom

[ehinkle]

How did you get the vsphere host to boot with only 1.3gig of ram?