VMWare / ESX

[DanTheMan]

I have a bunch of machines hosting VMs (created with VMWare Server 1). Have just ordered a new beast of a server and want to run VMWare ESX on it.

Anyone experienced ESX before? I want to be able to:

. Create new VMs on the ESX host
. Migrate older VMs (as mentioned above) to the new ESX host

Seems I need to buy VMware Infrastructure for the new server. Don't really need half the crap that that involves but meh...

I know you can use VMWare Converter to change old VMs into ESX VMs. But don't know if possible across a network (from 1 host to the new host).

Also, Infrastructre is pretty costly. Is it licensed per server???

So another option would be to run ESXi on my servers and use Virtual Centre to manage them. But I don't even know if that's possible. Or where I would run Virtual Centre from.

I know Google is my friend, poisting here in the hope someone has knowledge of it all anyway.

Thanks

[Paddy]

I have a bunch of machines hosting VMs (created with VMWare Server 1). Have just ordered a new beast of a server and want to run VMWare ESX on it.

Anyone experienced ESX before? I want to be able to:

. Create new VMs on the ESX host
. Migrate older VMs (as mentioned above) to the new ESX host

Seems I need to buy VMware Infrastructure for the new server. Don't really need half the crap that that involves but meh...

I know you can use VMWare Converter to change old VMs into ESX VMs. But don't know if possible across a network (from 1 host to the new host).

Also, Infrastructre is pretty costly. Is it licensed per server???

So another option would be to run ESXi on my servers and use Virtual Centre to manage them. But I don't even know if that's possible. Or where I would run Virtual Centre from.

I know Google is my friend, poisting here in the hope someone has knowledge of it all anyway.

Thanks

To your one question; yes.

[spoons]

ESX is very expensive, you don't need Virtual Center (or VI) to manage it as the host has it's own web server.

[DanTheMan]

To your one question; yes.

Think you'll find there were 2 actual questions. Thanks for playing though.

[DanTheMan]

ESX is very expensive, you don't need Virtual Center (or VI) to manage it as the host has it's own web server.

So ESX on every server? You can't put ESXi on as host OS and centrally manage from a client?

[spoons]

So ESX on every server? You can't put ESXi on as host OS and centrally manage from a client?

ESX is the OS. It has it's own web server to manage.

Virtual Center (or VI) is only really required if you have an ESX farm, and are doing HA and load balancing of guests across ESX hosts.

Hope that make some form of sense??

[DanTheMan]

Yeah cheers. I guess I've just been put off by the cost of ESX. Having to buy VMWare Infrasctructre...

Was hoping that I could get away with putting ESXi (free) on the servers but it seems that once you do that you get nailed for licenses for the add-ons that let you actually do anything.

[spoons]

Yeah cheers. I guess I've just been put off by the cost of ESX. Having to buy VMWare Infrastructure...

Was hoping that I could get away with putting ESXi (free) on the servers but it seems that once you do that you get nailed for licenses for the add-ons that let you actually do anything.

I am not sure about 3i. It is worth checking the forums on the VMware site though.

Another point management generally is done on a different NIC which usually is not accessible from the guests.

[MarillionFan]

Edited