vmware vmsphere
I setup my first vmware vmsphere esxi 5 server. the interesting thing to this setup in my opinion, is because vmware is SO picky about the hardware, and my pc has an intel mobo, i used vmware player to create a vmware vmsphere server. i did this because i have win7 home premium on my pc, and didn't want to loose my personal stuff to vmware, also, i use my pc daily for emails and such. So to experiment with vmsphere esxi 5, i run the virtual vmsphere server and then i configure it with vmware vmsphere client. using the client i setup a virtual window xp home edition pc. it works fine, however, it doesn't detect my sound card.
however, out of curiosity, using vmware player, i used the same copy of windows xp home edition, and the player detects everything fine, and works perfectly, i didn't have to get any drivers.
so on the vsphere XP virtual machine, i tried getting the windows XP home edition drivers for the sound for my computer's mobo, but it doesn't work. any ideas how to get the sound to work?
however, out of curiosity, using vmware player, i used the same copy of windows xp home edition, and the player detects everything fine, and works perfectly, i didn't have to get any drivers.
so on the vsphere XP virtual machine, i tried getting the windows XP home edition drivers for the sound for my computer's mobo, but it doesn't work. any ideas how to get the sound to work?
ASKER
wow, that is an eye opener, also, i'm very new to this. i thought vmsphere server was just a server version of vmplayer.
i have been using vmplayer for a while and thought it is very useful for things like if you have an old app that refuses to run under win7. in those cases i just install the player on the win7 box, and create a winxp virtual machine.
so i thought vmsphere would be the same idea, only running on a server instead of a workstation.
i have been using vmplayer for a while and thought it is very useful for things like if you have an old app that refuses to run under win7. in those cases i just install the player on the win7 box, and create a winxp virtual machine.
so i thought vmsphere would be the same idea, only running on a server instead of a workstation.
VMware vSphere Hypervisor(ESXi) is a commercial hypervisor, and many years ago was not a freebie. Its used in the Enterprise Environment, VMware Workstation and VMware Player are probably better for the Desktop home PC and would perform better, than ESXi nested environments, unless used for Training.
This is what confuses people that try and Exploit vSphere ESXi in a desktop environment.
Its not really designed for home PC usage, unless for home lab, training.
ESXi is a type 1 bare metal hypervisor, and on bare metal performs, much better than type 2 application hypervisors like Player and Workstation.
VMware Workstation is a Type 2 Hypervisor, other Type 2 Hypervisors include, VMware Server 2, VMware Player 3.0, Virtualbox 4.0, and Parallels.
Type 2 Hypervisors are SLOW. In most reviews and experience, they perform at roughly 30-40% hardware capability. That means an OS in a VM run off VMWare Workstation will likely perform at best like it has an 800 MHz CPU if you have 2 GHz physical CPU. You install Type 2 hypervisors onto of an existing host operating system.
If you use a Type 1 Hypervisor, you get MUCH better performance. ESX, ESXi, are all Type 1 hypervisors - they (based on experience and reviews) typically get 80-90% hardware capability - so that same VM run off the same 2 GHz CPU should operate more like it has a 1.6 GHz CPU instead of 800 Mhz. Type 1 hypervisors are installed on the bare metal of the server.
Type 1 Hypervisors also include Hyper-V.
This is what confuses people that try and Exploit vSphere ESXi in a desktop environment.
Its not really designed for home PC usage, unless for home lab, training.
ESXi is a type 1 bare metal hypervisor, and on bare metal performs, much better than type 2 application hypervisors like Player and Workstation.
VMware Workstation is a Type 2 Hypervisor, other Type 2 Hypervisors include, VMware Server 2, VMware Player 3.0, Virtualbox 4.0, and Parallels.
Type 2 Hypervisors are SLOW. In most reviews and experience, they perform at roughly 30-40% hardware capability. That means an OS in a VM run off VMWare Workstation will likely perform at best like it has an 800 MHz CPU if you have 2 GHz physical CPU. You install Type 2 hypervisors onto of an existing host operating system.
If you use a Type 1 Hypervisor, you get MUCH better performance. ESX, ESXi, are all Type 1 hypervisors - they (based on experience and reviews) typically get 80-90% hardware capability - so that same VM run off the same 2 GHz CPU should operate more like it has a 1.6 GHz CPU instead of 800 Mhz. Type 1 hypervisors are installed on the bare metal of the server.
Type 1 Hypervisors also include Hyper-V.
ASKER
I'm a little confused then.
if vsphere is more suited for servers,
Say for instance, I want to have 10 workstations running winXP pro.
would i use VMware vSphere ESXi5 and make 10 virtual machines? or vmware workstation?
, for instance, if I want to setup a virtual machine with exchange on it, I would use vSphere ESXi5?
if vsphere is more suited for servers,
Say for instance, I want to have 10 workstations running winXP pro.
would i use VMware vSphere ESXi5 and make 10 virtual machines? or vmware workstation?
, for instance, if I want to setup a virtual machine with exchange on it, I would use vSphere ESXi5?
VSphere ESXi is a Type 1 Hypervisor it performs better than any Type 2 Hypervisor, for ANY virtual machine, workstation or server.
BUT on Bare Metal not nested in a virtual machine.
BUT on Bare Metal not nested in a virtual machine.
So 10 Windows XP workstations probably run better on VMware workstation, than on VMware vSphere in a virtual machine on VMware Player!
ASKER
ok, let me see if i have this correct, but first, my vmware vsphere setup is only for testing and learning. i don't plan to deploy a setup like i currently have it.
so in the 10 xp workstations example, i would get 10 physical pc's. and put vmware workstation on each station?
but for vsphere, i would want to use it for servers?
what confuses me is you said
"VSphere ESXi is a Type 1 Hypervisor it performs better than any Type 2 Hypervisor, for ANY virtual machine, workstation or server."
but you also said
"VMware Workstation and VMware Player support virtual sound passthrough to your physical sound card. There is no support for this in vSphere,"
which makes my think vsphere wouldn't be a good workstation, because there are lot's of cases where you need sound on a workstation.
so in the 10 xp workstations example, i would get 10 physical pc's. and put vmware workstation on each station?
but for vsphere, i would want to use it for servers?
what confuses me is you said
"VSphere ESXi is a Type 1 Hypervisor it performs better than any Type 2 Hypervisor, for ANY virtual machine, workstation or server."
but you also said
"VMware Workstation and VMware Player support virtual sound passthrough to your physical sound card. There is no support for this in vSphere,"
which makes my think vsphere wouldn't be a good workstation, because there are lot's of cases where you need sound on a workstation.
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sound via RDP is called Audio Redirection, the virtual machine does not require a sound card.
ASKER
thanks for the help.
VMware Workstation and VMware Player support virtual sound passthrough to your physical sound card. There is no support for this in vSphere, unless you add a PCI sound card via VM Direct Path, which is unlikely to work with virtual vSphere. eg there is no virtual sound card in the virtual hardware like Player or Workstation.
remember this is a commercial enterprise hypervisor for running virtual servers in the enterprise, sound is not important to servers.