Hardware for Vmware esxi 5 machine

antc

antc

antc

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Hi All,

I am about to build a machine to install the above software to run my vm's.
I would like to make sure i have this running on a decent machine. Currently I have an old machine that I am wondering if can handle the job perhaps with an upgrade of ram.

Specs are -

Pentium DC E5300
4 gig ram
Gigabyte eq45m-s2 motherboard


I guess if that spec isn't compatible then perhaps a cpu upgrade would be possible?

Other options I have looked at are either a 2nd hand hp ml110/115 g5 or perhaps a newer g6.

What would you recommend as the best course of action?
 
Biffa said:
Make sure you get a SLGTL model E5300 the other ones don't support vt-x

Although I'd go for a Quad core if you can stretch to it.

Mobo should be ok it has an intel nic which is what trips a lot of people up. Check the HCL here: http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php
Click to expand...

Hi,

Thanks for the above info. On checking the box of the processor it mentions its an S-spec: SLB9U so looks like it doesnt have the vt-x support.

So i guess my options are the following -

Purchase a quad core cpu with vt-x support (ocuk still sell some skt 775 cpu that are quad core)

Build a new machine based around an i5/7 cpu

Purchase something like a hp ml110/115 g5/6 machine.

WHat would you guys all suggest?
 
I also seem to be having a lot of trouble using that HCL on the vmware site. It cant seem to get it to find anything I am looking for :(

Any tips of suggestions?
 
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I went through this a while ago, it would have saved me both time and money if I went straight for a ML110 G5.

I have one available if your interested, my thread is in the MM or shoot me a message over trust.
 
HarryPainful said:
I went through this a while ago, it would have saved me both time and money if I went straight for a ML110 G5.

I have one available if your interested, my thread is in the MM or shoot me a message over trust.
Click to expand...

Hi and thanks for the advice. I am starting to think it maybe much easier (and better) in the long run to go for something like an ml110/5 in either g5 or g6 spec to be honest as I know a few of my friends use them for esxi and haven't had any issues.

I found your machine in MM but its a bit too far away for me. Thanks for pointing it out though.
 
The are perfect for ESXi, we have had ESX finally installed at work so I don't need my ESXi box any more.

If you are interested, I am in Nuneaton frequently, we could meet near there.
 
Has anyone built a homebrew machine for this? WHat kind of specs did you go for?
 
I have just had a crazy thought!!! Think I may have gone slightly mad today, cant believe i didnt think of this earlier.
As a completely seperate option to anything I have mentioned above, I am sat here typing these replies on my quad core 3ghz i7 mac with 16 gig ram. I could just get vmware fusion for my mac and then i wont need to purchase any seperate hardware??

I believe vmware fusion is just as good as vmware workstation?

What do you think?
 
antc said:
I have just had a crazy thought!!! Think I may have gone slightly mad today, cant believe i didnt think of this earlier.
As a completely seperate option to anything I have mentioned above, I am sat here typing these replies on my quad core 3ghz i7 mac with 16 gig ram. I could just get vmware fusion for my mac and then i wont need to purchase any seperate hardware??

I believe vmware fusion is just as good as vmware workstation?

What do you think?
Click to expand...

Sorry, cannot comment on the Mac but have recently been though lots of pain (and cash) building a ESXi server.

My current build is;
i5 2400 LGA1155 (the K series processors do not support VT-d)
AsRock Extreme 4 (Z68 and is proven to support VT-d for direct hardware passthrough to VMs).
2x IMB M1015 8 channels SAS/SATA controllers (reflashed to LSI IT firmware)
Intel Dual Port ET network card (each port using passthrough to two of my VMs)
Intel CT network card (for the rest of the VMs networking).
Norco 4020 20 hotswap rack mount case.
2 windows software arrays (hardware passthrough on the M1015 controllers to one VM)

This works a treat for my requirements. The Intel ET passthrough saw speeds jump from 30MB/s to 70-80MB/s over the standard ESXi 5 networking for me.

Finding a board and CPU combination that supported VT-d was the problem for me as without it I would have needed to make my media array a VM datastore, reformat and then load on to it from a backup. Now I can connect the drives straight to the VM and remove them, plug them in to a normal Windows machine and still read them with all the data fine.

Any motherboard with a Q67 or Z68 chipset 'should' support it. H67 & P67 chipsets are meant to support it but some don't (Asus P8H67 based boards don't even though the Bios settings to turn it on are in the manual but not in the BIOS).

If you want to get really funky then you could get the Intel Q67 mITX board and ether a tiny case with a DAS unit for storage or something like the Lian Li PC-Q08 which you can put 6x 3.5" drives in and have a tiny ESXi 5 server.

Of course I am coming from a home based ESXi server point of view. For office use where stability and availability may be more important, a G5/G6 may be a better choice.

RB
 
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I just built a mitx X4 600E Athlon build for esxi5 but had to buy an Intel pcie card as the onboard wasn't supported, otherwise it runs fine :) Depends what you want to do but for my home use its all good, and low powered.
 
Thanks guys for the info so far. Its absolutely going to be a home based machine purely for my own learning and for labbing for exams.

Tiny case is tempting if building my own as i dont want a huge box taking up tonnes of room. Dont mind a normal tower (hp ml size) is fine but noithing bigger ideally.

Biffa was the pci-e card you mention a nic by any chance? Heard esxi is very choosey on these although generally if its an intel nic it should be ok?
 
Yup twas the nic. the mobo only had a single pcie slot so I got the cheapest intel NIC that was on the HCL
 
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