ESX on 3.1 Mac Pro with OSX Server

[oscis]

I have a 2008 8 Core Mac Pro, lots of RAM and Highpoint Raid with lots of storage.

I really need to use this for study/testing (Checkpoint, Cisco Voice stuff etc) and Fusion's just not cutting it.

Does anyone know if it's possible to run VMware 4.1 esx and then a OSX Server as well as several other flavous virtual machines?

I don't want to lose the MACness of my MAC.. if you know what I mean

 

[gabicava83]

You can't run ESX natively on the mac without messing around too much. What I do is run a VM and install ESX within that VM

How much ram do you have?

How many machines will you be running?

Excellent for a test lab

I have a 2008 8 Core Mac Pro, lots of RAM and Highpoint Raid with lots of storage.

I really need to use this for study/testing (Checkpoint, Cisco Voice stuff etc) and Fusion's just not cutting it.

Does anyone know if it's possible to run VMware 4.1 esx and then a OSX Server as well as several other flavous virtual machines?

I don't want to lose the MACness of my MAC.. if you know what I mean

 

[oscis]

You can't run ESX natively on the mac without messing around too much. What I do is run a VM and install ESX within that VM

How much ram do you have?

How many machines will you be running?

Excellent for a test lab

I've been doing the same with Fusion and Parallels, but I really need bare metal virtualisation now. I'd be running up to 6 machines at a time.

I've got 32gb of RAM and a 7tb Raid 5 array, so hardware capability shouldn't be a problem..

I'm guessing there's no free version of Parallels Server ?

 

[oscis]

What I do is run a VM and install ESX within that VM
Excellent for a test lab

Gabicava - I think I'm in the same place as youself now! I can't see a straightforward bare metal virtualisation install working so I'll need to use Fusion at least.

How are you finding ESX on Fusion? Is it usable for several virtual machines?

 

[gabicava83]

Unfortunately I didn't have much luck with a bare metal installation this is simply due to how macs work, esx/esxi need a bios in order for it to function however as macs dont, it doesn't work. This is the reason as to why you use parallels/vmware fusion as they emmulate the correct platform for it to work.

I use vmware fusion instead of parallels.

I don't have my mac pro anymore and this was one of the reasons I bought it, took it back as it was so loud! Bad 3 exchanges and none of them quiet, unlike the 2008/2009's.

Anyhow, for the time I had it, worked very well. I had the 2 x 2.4 westmere (8 physical 8 virtual cores) instead Of buying the better all round hex. 32gb Of RAM and an ssd for the os. It worked extremely well for testing and was running 8vm's with light loads no problem. Some of the vm's where domain controllers, one had exchange 2010, the other had wsus, and so on.

Overall was good so all I was disappointed with was how loud the macro is!!

I do prefer vmware workstation to fusion as it's more for the techie people, you can do a lot more with it but fusion is really good.

What is it you're trying to do?

Gabicava - I think I'm in the same place as youself now! I can't see a straightforward bare metal virtualisation install working so I'll need to use Fusion at least.

How are you finding ESX on Fusion? Is it usable for several virtual machines?

 

[oscis]

Unfortunately I didn't have much luck with a bare metal installation this is simply due to how macs work, esx/esxi need a bios in order for it to function however as macs dont, it doesn't work. This is the reason as to why you use parallels/vmware fusion as they emmulate the correct platform for it to work.

I use vmware fusion instead of parallels.

I don't have my mac pro anymore and this was one of the reasons I bought it, took it back as it was so loud! Bad 3 exchanges and none of them quiet, unlike the 2008/2009's.

Anyhow, for the time I had it, worked very well. I had the 2 x 2.4 westmere (8 physical 8 virtual cores) instead Of buying the better all round hex. 32gb Of RAM and an ssd for the os. It worked extremely well for testing and was running 8vm's with light loads no problem. Some of the vm's where domain controllers, one had exchange 2010, the other had wsus, and so on.

Overall was good so all I was disappointed with was how loud the macro is!!

I do prefer vmware workstation to fusion as it's more for the techie people, you can do a lot more with it but fusion is really good.

What is it you're trying to do?

Yes, it's very annoying that Microsoft decided not to go with EFI too.. and left our MAC's with a more advanced bootstrap and less software options ;-) Another thing that's always bothered me is the lack of any multi-user terminal server possibility. This is something M$ really did get right..

I'm surprised your MAC Pro was so loud, is this common to all post 2008 Pros? It's crossed my mind to sell the MAC and build quietish PC to do my testing with.. I just don't want to lose OSX server..

Parallels server sounds like the only option.. but it obviously costs far too much for a home lab!

I've got quite a few things I need to play with. I want to set up some Checkpoint R71 gateways and management servers to re-certify my CCSE. I'd like to play with Zenoss and some Netflow platforms and my better half needs to set up some Cisco Call Manager labs..

I haven't really looked at VMware fusion, or ESX in this regard, but I'd like to see if it can handle dot1q trunking so I can use a layer three switch and a couple of ASA5505s for a bit more of a VPN/Routing lab. I suspect I won't get far here ;-)