VM /ETC

There are several whitepapers, posts and articles already available to help you determine what processor models are compatible for VMotion between ESX hosts. I will provide some of those links at the end of this post. However, I stumbled across a new matrix published by Dell that, in my opinion, offers the easiest reference by processor model for preventing VMotion boundaries. Dell’s paper titled VMware VMotion and 64-bit VM Compatibility Matrix for VMware Infrastructure 3 and Dell PowerEdge Systems contains a VMotion and 32/64-Bit VM Compatibility Across Processor Models matrix that is easy to decipher. Of course, the .pdf provides a compatibility matrix by Dell server model number too.

Download the full paper at the link above, but the following image shows the CPU compatibility matrix for quick reference. Click on the image for a larger version.

Some other links with useful information about VMotion compatibility:

• VMware Communities

• • A thread from April 08 lists 3 links from VMware followed by a lot of deep dive info. It also has a ink to a December 2007 version of Dell’s compatibility matrix as well as a link to HP’s VMotion compatibility document.

• Popular virtualization blogs have posted about this topic. Here’s a few from the last year:

• • Mike D posted about migrating from Intel to AMD,
  • VMwarewolf’s post Are your servers VMotion Capable?
  • Override VMotion compatibility restrictions for CPU mismatch at NTPRO.NL

• Here at VM /ETC

• • I posted the IBM VMotion Compatibility Guide back in November 07. I’ll have to see if there is an updated version now available!

Technorati Tags: virtualization, vmotion, vmware, dell

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