ESXI or Server?

[TechSupp]

Can someone let me know which I need to use to install on the server so I can have a guest operating system on it and have it accessed by the network, Vmware server or vmware esxi? Looked at the site but can't make out which one is the one to use or whats the difference? Installing it on server 2003 if that makes any difference.

[EduTech]

VMware ESXi

- ESXi does not get installed on (server 2003 for example), you just install ESXi on the server, i think its like a linux Dist and then you access it via a Client

So if you want to install software onto server 2003 then you need Vmware Server

This might also come in handy for you

James.

[SYNACK]

VMware server (GSX) runs inside your existing OS so if you've already got Windows server on it this would run as an application on it.

VMware ESXi runs as the primary OS on the server and all other OSs that go on top of it are virtual. If you already have Windows 2003 on it you would need to either reinstall or use the VMware converter to make it virtual before you could run it on top of ESXi

[tmcd35]

The difference between the two is usage. If you are looking at using an existing server, using it to test VM concepts, only need to run one or two VM's and/or the VM's are not mission critical/performance intensive then you would normally use VMWare Server (GSX).

If your requirements are the exact opposite. Your happy buying a server that complies with ESX's compatibility requirements, It's for live 'production' servers, Maybe 8-12 VM's on one server (or more), etc. This is where the ESX series is amid at.

If your serious about virtualisation and you have the server(s) to run it then ESXi is usually the better product to use.

[TechSupp]

Hi Guys, as usual great replys, thanks. Its the Server then that I want as I want to just test a new OS out for access by the network but keep the existing server 2003.