ESXi 3.5 from Server 2.0 - remote console and active directory

[dickieblack]

Hi All,

I've just setup a test system to evaluate ESXi, compared to VMWare server. We are a windows organisation, but have been suffering performance issues so I am looking at the free bare metal hypervisor as a solution. The main part of this evaluation will be "what do we get for free?" This will possibly be followed by "can we find money to pay for the bits that aren't free?"

Currently on Server 2.0, we have some virtualised servers, which only admins can get to, and some virtualised desktops for the users to access single-license applications remotely. A simple user group on the windows server was created to give Active Directory users access to the virtual desktops via the web console or remote console. Currently, our system was setup as, cost neutral by utilising existing hardware and OS licenses.

Basically I want to know if the free ESXi actually going to cost us money to integrate with our existing network, when the also-free Server 2.0 does not? Specifically, my questions are these:

1) How do I set up a similar group in ESXi without replicating AD user accounts locally? (I will accept "don't" as an answer, if you can tell me which paid for component I need to beg for)

2) How do users connect to the virtual machines (without using remote desktop)? Do I need some sort of VDI broker? Or is there an equivalent of Server 2.0 Virtual Machine Remote Console? (Actually, would VMRC work with ESXi?)

Many thanks,

Richard

[weinstein5]

To answer your questions -

1) I won't say don't but with ESXi it will take some effort to get to authenticate against AD - I would just create users on your ESXi host - if you do decide to expand your VI environment I would take a look at Virtual Center which is a Vmware product that will allow you to centrally manage multiple ESX hosts and their VMs - in addition VC will also provide your higher order functions like vmotion, DRS and HA - all cool stuff all of these do cost money

2) Yes there is the VI Client which is how you manage your host and its Vms - it also provides a remote console like VMware Server's remote console -

[dickieblack]

Thanks Weinstein,

I had a feeling the AD stuff would be a problem. Creating users in ESXi is not really practical, as the people likely to use the virtual desktops are also likely to want to use them as and when they find the need, without having to notify us first. I need to produce a "ready to go" system. Anything that delays the process will most likley result in them not bothering, or considering the system "too complicated". Virtual Center seems totally unecessary for a single host. And as we're public sector, getting money for software is unlikely.

As for the infrastructure client, I am using that myself, but it is a bit too complicated for our users. I was looking for something equivalent to the browser plug in for the Server products, that can also be run as a standalone console from a shortcut. I take it there is no equivalent for ESXi?

I guess I'll stick with Remote Desktop for now, so the virtual machines authenticate against AD rather than the client, unless anyone has any other suggestions?

[weinstein5]

In the installable product there was Web Access which is a web absed tool to manage VMs - I think it is still part of ESXi - when you point a browser at your ESXi host do you see anything referring to Web Access? -

[dickieblack]

Nope, nothing in ESXi, apart from a link to download VI Client...

[Dave_Mishchenko]

ESXi does not have the web access site that ESX does and further the permissions with it can't be set per VM which might an issue in your case. RDP would be the way to go in your case.

[Dave_Mishchenko]

RDP is also has better performance that the remote console in the VI client and would also be easier to use for the typical user.

[dickieblack]

Dave,

Thanks for the reply. I had come to the same conclusions myself. The main reason I was looking for a VMware console type product was to give users the ability to power on a suspended VM. This is fairly important, as the host will contain more VMs than it can simultaneously run and many of them will not be needed very often.

I will have to have a think about this. I think I can suspend the guest operating system an have the host then suspend the VM, but is there a way to wake up a suspended VM? And more importantly, a way that end users could cope with? Perhaps another thread is needed.

Richard