"White-Box" ESXi server

adeq1 · 28 Dec 2008 at 22:33

Has anyone got any experience with building a "whitebox" ESXi server? I'm planning on building one for home instead of just relying on running Workstation on my desktop as you can build something pretty nitfy for a few hundred quid thesedays - and will be a lot quieter than buying a proper server listed on the HCL.

If anyone else has been through this, Any tips on what did / didn't work would be appreciated.

RomeoS · 28 Dec 2008 at 22:59

Here are 2 useful links showing what components just "work" and which ones you need to have a fiddle with:

http://ultimatewhitebox.com/
http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3.5/Whiteboxes_SATA_Controllers_for_ESX_3.5_3i.htm

they also has a link of motherboards, network cards and storage adapters. For those components that need tweaking to install ESX, there are a few links to the right which should get you started.

m_cozzy · 28 Dec 2008 at 23:36

Q6600
8gb ocz ram
intel DQ965GF matx board
82541PI intel gb nic
etherexpress pro/100+ nic
82566DM onboard gb nic. Only works at 100mbps max though.
matx case with 200watt psu.
esxi 3.5 running off a 2gb usb stick.

Initially the internal disk wasnt detected. I use an iscsi nas so this was not an issue. There is a mod though to add support for the ich8 sata controller so I have dropped a 250gb drive in there now as well. It appears that ich7 & 9 generally will work though.

Currently running my home network with 13 virtual instances. Plenty of ram & cpu in reserve, the bottleneck is the IO but splitting these servers over iscsi & internal disk have helped. May add another internal disk at some point.
TBH the q6600 is overkill looking at cpu usage, I could easily get away with an e6600.
Utterly utterly reliable, runs 24/7 and uses about 110 watts

ricky1981 · 29 Dec 2008 at 09:29

Buy an ML115 and add some extra RAM and storage and job done

(see thread about the ML115)

adeq1 · 29 Dec 2008 at 09:30

thanks for the info guys, i'd seen the links to ultimatewhitebox before the site was down so i'd assumed it had gone away...

ricky1981 · 29 Dec 2008 at 09:48

I followed the instructions in this link and it worked perfectly

runs esxi from a usb stick connected to an internal usb port so your hard drives are only used for images.

http://www.techhead.co.uk/installing-vmware-esx-and-esxi-35-on-an-hp-proliant-ml115-g5-quad-core

should add that my setup (with 8GB RAM) cost less than £250

zetec452 · 29 Dec 2008 at 11:29

I went for a dell power edge T105, cost 160 notes, popped 8gb of ram in it, 75 pounds. A nice test bed.

adeq1 · 29 Dec 2008 at 12:52

Hi ricky, that ML115 seems like a much better idea than the home brew box, i just need to see if i can pick up some cheapo dual/quad port nics.. am i right in thinking that just about any intel pro/100(0) nic will work (e100/e1000)?

ricky1981 · 29 Dec 2008 at 12:55

Yup, the actual in build nic works fine as well so I use that as the management port (to connect from the virtual infrastructure client).

m_cozzy · 30 Dec 2008 at 13:16

Crikey, only just noticed the link to the Hp server, what a bargain

Never been an amd man myself so ordered the ml110 today for £180, should be here tomorrow.

adeq1 · 5 Jan 2009 at 20:31

As i just posted here i picked up my ML115 today, all working a treat with ESXi, and can confirm that the dual pro/1000 card works a treat too.

once again, thanks for the heads-up ricky.

ricky1981 · 5 Jan 2009 at 20:44

No probs mate, I know at least 5 people who have bought once of these in the last few weeks alone and they all love them.