Microsoft not supporting systems on VMWare

zetec452 · 30 Aug 2008 at 11:11

Hello,

I had a citrical business issue yesterday in which as Microsoft Gold Partners we receive unlimited tech support for.

However, upon phoning Microsoft they asked whether the machine in question was a virtual machine, and wouldn't supply support for it because it was on VMWare.

This particular issue had nothing to do with VMWare as it was an exchange restore issue. Has anybody else had this problem? Its a real blow to our company as we have many complex setups on VMWare in which we may need to use Microsoft to help us out.

I can see why Microsoft are doing it with Xen entering the market (MS' big share in Citrix) and with Hyper-V but I do feel this is a bit naughty as for the last couple of years the only Vitrualization platform that works is VMWare.

Your thoughts?

J1nxy · 30 Aug 2008 at 11:52

There position has been for a long time they will provide support as long you can prove the issue occurs in a no virtaulised environment.

zetec452 · 30 Aug 2008 at 13:11

Not according to the lady I spoke with. We sorted it in the end with Microsoft.

You are right though in that they should provide support as long as it is a Microsoft issue. I'm more than happy to phone VMWare for a VMWare issue.

kiwi · 2 Sep 2008 at 08:43

I seem to remember reading this will be changing in the very near future.

cooljimy84 · 5 Sep 2008 at 19:07

It's not just Microsoft that do this, Avaya (phone system) won't support any software problem on a VM machine !, i can also understand it, but as these things become more common then they should really start it....

Stolly · 8 Sep 2008 at 21:16

Seibel are the same.

Historically there was a problem with Oracle on VMware, but that seems to be sorted now. At least the place i am at now has more Oracle on VMware than you can shake a stick at.

Curiosityx · 8 Sep 2008 at 21:23

Ring back......lie....generally works for me

IAmATeaf · 9 Sep 2008 at 16:55

I've always found the support from MS to be really poor. I work on a project where the desktops are locked down and as soon as they get wind of this they demand that we perform the same tests in vanilla XP, now generally we have an environment set aside to do exactly this so tell them yes same fault but they then demand that we put the unsecure workstation into the live domain to see if the problem still occurs which just isn't going to happen, when I tell them this they don't seem to understand why?

Basher · 9 Sep 2008 at 20:38

http://www.vmware.com/support/policies/ms_support_statement.html seems to cover it

a1ex2001 · 11 Sep 2008 at 12:06

It will also depend on what app your running, the last time I checked MS didn't support any Exchange install in a virtual environment.

zetec452 · 11 Sep 2008 at 19:27

a1ex2001 said:
It will also depend on what app your running, the last time I checked MS didn't support any Exchange install in a virtual environment.

I had to call MS for an exchange server issue. Although we've since been advised that MS will now support systems on VMWare.

Basher: Thanks for the link.

Breeny · 13 Sep 2008 at 23:43

I read an article in computer weekly about this if I remember correctly - as per JonRohan's comment, Microsoft are now supposed to be supporting systems on VMWare.