I have a PC based on Intel 510MO Atom dual core processor.
2GB main memory multiple USB and singe 1GB ethernet port.
When I try to install ESX 3.5.0 to a 64 GB Kingston SSD now100 it fails with a "hardware error". Confident the disk is OK (see below)
Not sure if I should look for issues related to the Intel 510MO or the SSD
Thanks for any help
FYI
What I have done so far :-
1. Installed to the SSD on an athlon64 based machine. This suggest to me that the disk is Ok
2. Move the SSD to the Atom and ESX starts ok but I cannot do any work as the network is not recognised. (always 0.0.0 0) and the config option juest offers a network restart. This restart is clearly not right but the point is that it shows the disk I am using is OK
3. Updated the Atom BIOS to latest release (512)
In all cases install from CD with SATA disks and install always fails until I edit ScsiInterface.SCSI.IFACE_TYPE_IDE to ScsiInterface.SCSI.IFACE_TYPE_ISCSI in TargetFilte.py
Is the Atom system's network card on the HCL? If not, thats the cause of your network problem.
Also, a 2GB system isn't enough to run ESXi.
Moved to the ESX 3.5 forum.
Thank you mcowger
Since posting I've also tried a reinstall with an ordinary HD and it too fails with a "hardware" error so its not SSD related and I think Im on a hiding to nothing here 😞
Are you saying 2GB memoryis too small to do anything useful in or that it just will not work?
Its a proof of concept setup to just try and run two VMs, but I feel a bit of an idiot having got the two VMs working in "player" and now have nothing to play them on!
BTW
The LAN subsystem consists of the following:
• Intel NM10 Express Chipset
• Realtek 8111DL Gigabit Ethernet Controller for 10/100/1000 Mbits/sec Ethernet
Thanks DSTAVERT for moving my question to the right forum.
There are no supported realtek NICs for ESX, which is why your network isn't working. You need to obtain a supported card (http://www.vmware.com/go/hcl). Also, the Atom CPU is not supported, which will make your life harder. Lastly, esx 3.5 is really old at this point - why not use 4.1.1?
As far as memory, with only 2 GB, you wont be able to run more than 2 *very* small VMs, and even then an Atom CPU will be working very hard to keep up.
Again thanks for the help.
Happy to try 4.1.1 but before I do, is it overkill to use it to run two (extremly low usage) vms?
The Atom was the Syslog for my small network. When it broke a month ago I created a VM from its hard disk but running it (Win XP) in VMplayer (on a "normal" 2.4GHz dual core) is very slow (I estimate about 1/10 speed).
I reasoned a hypervisor would have fewer overheads, and remove my dependancy on specific hardware, and now the Atom has been returned with a new motherboard, rather than just put the disk back and forget about it, I'm trying ESX.
From your experience of processing power required, would the Atom be better with a linux base (say Umbuntu) and then use VMPlayer for each of the vms, rather than squash ESX onto it?
And then start over with a new machine specifically for ESX ?
Again thanks for taking the trouble to reply.
I don't think ESXi will install on anything less then 3Gb RAM, but I am not 100% sure here...
// Linjo
Thanks Linjo - going to try and get more suitable hardware.