Matrix to Determine VMotion Compatibility by Processor

Posted on June 19th, 2008 in dell, vmotion by Rich

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.

Citrix XenServer Versions

Posted on May 13th, 2008 in XenServer, citrix, dell, feature comparison by Rich

Last week’s post about Dell’s embedded hypervisor options and the Help Me Choose: Hypervisor page sparked some reader discussion about whether XenServer can be used with shared storage. The answer to that question is that it depends on which version of XenServer you order. Dell is offering either XenServer Express or XenServer Enterprise versions as embedded options. Express is a limited version and can not use shared storage while Enterprise is fully featured and capable of using a SAN.

Citrix also offers a XenServer Standard edition, but apparently that version is not an option as an embedded hypervisor when ordering Dell hardware.

updated 05.17.08 - image updated to reflect changes to Citrix’s product comparison page after this post was publihsed and to show the 4 versions of XenServer. The table below has not been updated and does not show the Premium Edition. Click on the image for a larger version.

The image in this post and the following table were copied from the Citrix XenServer v4 web page. They offer a quick overview of the differences between the 3 versions.

Help Me Choose a Hypervisor

Posted on May 9th, 2008 in XenServer, citrix, dell, esx 3i, esx3.5, feature comparison, hyper-v, microsoft by Rich

Dell embedded virtualization offeringsI was researching Dell’s latest announcement, Dell Unveils Virtualization Blockbuster – From Servers and Storage to Software and Services and trying to find definitive proof of the $99 price for embedded ESXi or the $299 price for embedded Citrix XenServer Express as reported by virtualization.info. Although I did not find the pricing in the announcement, I was able to find it by going through the process of using the Dell Online Store to build a R805 server. By clicking the green “customize it” button I was eventually able to see the Optional Virtualization Offerings section with the pricing for the embedded hypervisors. See the screenshot to the right. (click for larger view)What surprised me during this process was the “Help me Choose” link in this section. Clicking that link took me to a Help Me Choose: Hypervisor page from Dell that is basically accurate and helpful for comparing high level features of ESX 3.5, ESXi, Citrix XenServer and Microsoft Hyper-V.

Here is a screenshot of the comparison table from Dell’s page.

ESX 3i for free with PowerEdge servers?

Posted on March 24th, 2008 in blogs, dell, esx 3i, news by Rich

First reported by theinquirer.net in the March 14 article Dell set to absorb price of ESX3i hypervisor, it appears Dell will be offering ESX 3i for free when purchasing PowerEdge servers. Virtualization.info posted Dell to give VMware ESX Server 3i for free? the following day which was then followed by a few other blogs reacting to the news with similar posts. Although the announcement of this possibility was, and still is, exciting, the comments posted by readers and bloggers have been very insightful and interesting.

Comments from theinquirer.net’s article:

Virtual Iron partners with Platespin, IBM, HP and Dell for SMB opportunities

Posted on November 24th, 2007 in blades, dell, hp, ibm, platespin, virtual iron by Rich

Packages including server hardware, Virtual Iron 4.0 and implementation services are now being offered from IBM and HP. Virtual Iron has also signed a reseller agreement with Dell. The combination of these new partnerships is positioning the VMware alternative as a highly visible choice for SMBs looking to migrate to a virtual datacenter.

An article from SearchServerVirtualization.com, Virtual Iron, IBM, HP package virtualization on blades for SMBs, reports on Virtual Iron’s new SMB strategy: