Hyper-V is similar to VMware in the respect that it abstracts the hardware from the vitrual machines. This is different from other products such as VMware workstation or Microsoft Virtual PC, where the VMs run on top of the host operating system.
Hyper-V has a few requirements to get everything up and running. First, you need to install Windows Server 2008 x64 (64-Bit). Other versions will not satisfy the Hyper-V requirements. The second requirement is probably going to be the biggest problem for people trying to run older hardware.
Hyper-V requires a processor that supports hardware assisted virtualization. AMD calls this AMD-V, while Intel calls it VT. Some older processors may support this with an update to the motherboard BIOS, others will not. I found that my 3-4 year old Opteron 165 did not support hardware assisted Virtualization. Some research will be required to see if your specific hardware is supported.
Virtualization
In my first post, I gave a few reasons why I wanted to build a VMware whitebox. To recap, my main reasons are:
- Save money on the hardware (no enterprise class server to purchase).
- Save money on my power bill.
- Keep noise to a minimum, or the level you would expect from a typical desktop.
Why did I choose virtualization, and why did I choose VMware ESX server?
The choice to go with virtualization was a no-brainier for me. In a lab setting there will probably be a need to run many different servers. These servers can range from a typical Windows XP build all the way to a Linux or Solaris based server. Having one or two physical servers running two different operating systems just did not give me the flexibility I needed.
With virtualization, I can build as many virtual servers as I want on one physical server. In this case the limit is only the amount of hard drive space the host has available. Keep in mind, I am not talking about having 10-20 virtual servers running at the same time. Your ability to do this without negatively effecting performance will depend on many factors, including the host hardware.
Rebuilding servers is also easier with virtualization. For example, I can build a Debian based virtual server and copy that image to another location off the host hard drive. If in the process of experimenting with different configurations, I completely hose that Debian server, rebuilding it is as simple as coping that original image file back to the host hard drive. This greatly minimizes the amount of time spent rebuilding and reconfiguring servers.
Why VMware ESX? This product is used by many companies of varying sizes (including the company I currently work for). In the process of playing around, I expect to pickup basic VMware administration skills. Adding another skill to you resume, or impressing your boss with you knowledge of VMware can’t hurt!
Virtualization
The bottom part of my network rack has been occupied with two servers for a while. At the time that I purchased the servers, I thought they would be a great and would be put to use on a regular basis. Soon after I grew tired of dealing with them. My Dell server was a full length server, which made it hard to get to the connections in the back. Both servers were very loud, and they consumed too much power.
Recently the Dell poweredge was sold, and I’m still waiting to unload the Sun Netra X1. My plan is to replace the servers with a VMware ESX server whitebox.
The term whitebox refers to a computer or server that has hardware that may not be listed on the official VMware hardware list. Building a VMware whitebox is not only cheaper, but it is also more practical for a home setting where you don’t want a huge server keeping you up at night (let alone driving your power bill through the roof).
Based on the official VMware hardware list, we can find out what network chipsets, SAS chipsets, etc are supported by the VMware kernel. This sounds like an easy task, but this information is sometimes difficult to find. On top of that, you have to be very careful about the hardware you choose, since the VMware kernel is notoriously picky about the hardware it will recognize
My ultimate goal is to build a whitebox for under $1,000 that has the ability to run 7-8 virtual servers with ease.
Virtualization