How to setup a testing environment

[kzn]

I am trying to set up a testing environment but I am having problems loading the machines.

I have purchased a HP DL160 G6 with 24GB of ram and installed ESX4.1 on it, I then installed two virtual ESX4.1 servers on top of this orginal ESX server and a 64 Bit Vcenter server 2008 along side the two virtual ESX servers.

I then created a datacenter with the 2 ESX servers on the Vcenter Server. The problem I have is when I try to start my test servers that are located in the two ESX servers I get errors. It complains about CPU incompatible (see attached file)

I can create 32 bit machines but not 64bit as soon as I try to start it I get the error

Any help appreciated. Thank you

 

[unclerico]

Does your processor support virtualization technology?? Check to make sure VT is enabled in the BIOS

I hate all Uppercase... I don't want my groups to seem angry at me all the time! =)
- ColdFlame (vbscript forum)

 

[eritguy]

You'll also need to enable the No Execute in the Processor options of the BIOS, which should clear up the NX/XD issue.

 

[kzn]

Hi

Thanks for the replies. The DL160 G6 I purchased meets all the requirements for ESX4.1. VT is enabled in the bios, I need to check the "No Execute" setting.

As mentioned, the parent installation of ESX4.1 is 64bit and the two child ESX4.1 installations are 64bit therefore surely the guests located under the child ESX installations should be allowed to be 64bit?

I found this document

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-8970/

Surely other people have done the same testing as I have.

Thanks again

 

[ArizonaGeek]

We did a presentation on a test lab with almost exactly what you're trying to do in our February VMWare User Group. Only we were using Workstation. I remember a few "gotchas" that you had to watch out for.

You can read through the Powerpoint presentation to see if there is anything you can use and if you have any questions I can probably hook you up with the guy who did the presentation. He's a good guy and although no longer associated with our VMUG, he is still very helpful.

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-12763

Cheers
Rob

The answer is always "PEBKAC!

 

[Arisap]

You cannot run 64bit guests under the virtualized ESX4 hosts. And it makes perfect sense; one requires Intel-VT or AMD-V instruction sets to run 64bit guests. The virtualized processor that the hypervisor gives out does not contain the VT/V instruction set. therefore, while your virtualized ESX4 hosts are running as 64bit guests using the hosts VT/V instructions of the host, the virtualized "hosts" themselves are not.


Also, the first paragraph of the document you refer to points out that you cannot run nested 64bit VM's.