What exactly does "Experimental Support" mean?

[sdog]

I installed Windows Server 2008 R2 on a VM. I noticed the Guest Operating system gets setup as "experimental".

What exactly does that mean for the VM? If an experimental OS becomes a fully supported OS in 6 months, and they remove the "experimental" from this OS, what changes for the VM?

[Dave_Mishchenko]

See page 2 at this link for the official definition - http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/get_pdf.php?deviceCategory=software. I would expect Update 1 will support it (it's been said to be due this month). The VM itself should not really change but it some cases they might have to patch ESX(i) to run the guest properly.




Dave

VMware Communities User Moderator

New book in town - vSphere Quick Start Guide -http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2009/08/12/new-book-in-town-vsphere-quick-start-guide/.

Do you have a system or PCI card working with VMDirectPath? Submit your specs to the Unofficial VMDirectPath HCL - http://www.vm-help.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=21.

[sbeaver]

Experimental Support means that is works but has not gone through all the Q&A yet. In the case of Windows 2008 the GA was just last week and until that version was released VMware would only have experimental support in case Microsoft changes any of the code at GA. Next VMware update I would guess would have full support 2K8

Steve Beaver

VMware Communities User Moderator

VMware vExpert 2009

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[TomHowarth · Accepted solution]

Basically it means it works but they have not tested it on all supported platforms, so they mark it as experimental, this means use at your own risk

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Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert

VMware Communities User Moderator

Blog: www.planetvm.net

Contributing author on "[VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment|http://www.amazon.co.uk/VMware-VSphere-Virtual-Infrastructure-Security/dp/0137158009/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256146240&sr=1-1]”. Currently available on roughcuts

[sdog]

That being said, when I edit a VM and change the "guest operating system" from (for example) Windows 2008 64bit TO Windows 2008 64Bit R2 Experimental, what changes on the vm? The server wont boot up if the installed OS doesnt match the selected guest OS.

Is the virtual hardware different for each OS? Is there a difference BIOS presented?