Comments on: VMware ESX 4 can even virtualize itself http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/ Informed Virtualization Criticism Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:50:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Kasraeian http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/#comment-12592 Kasraeian Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:53:50 +0000 http://www.vcritical.com/?p=1091#comment-12592 <strong>VMware FT in Home Lab...</strong> Hi, I have upgraded my home lab hosts to the latest VMware ESXi 5.0 few days ago but yesterday I find the time to upgrade my vCenter as well; For some reason I cleaned up everything I made in past and did the clean installation. During this upgrade I b... VMware FT in Home Lab…

Hi, I have upgraded my home lab hosts to the latest VMware ESXi 5.0 few days ago but yesterday I find the time to upgrade my vCenter as well; For some reason I cleaned up everything I made in past and did the clean installation. During this upgrade I b…

]]> By: Tom Maloney http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/#comment-12330 Tom Maloney Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:08:53 +0000 http://www.vcritical.com/?p=1091#comment-12330 Richard, Just to verify a few points. The "monitor_control.restrict_backdoor" parameter is added not to the nested VM, but to the Advanced configuration of the VM that contains your virtual host. The Parameter name is "monitor_control.restrict_backdoor" and the Value is "TRUE". Check to make sure there are no leading or trailing spaces - this can happen a lot if you copy/paste from the article. Also, make sure to NOT use the "/" character. If this all checks out and you still have this problem, download and open the .VMX file of the virtual host in a text editor like Wordpad. The line should look like this - monitor_control.restrict_backdoor = "TRUE" Richard,
Just to verify a few points.
The “monitor_control.restrict_backdoor” parameter is added not to the nested VM, but to the Advanced configuration of the VM that contains your virtual host.
The Parameter name is “monitor_control.restrict_backdoor” and the Value is “TRUE”. Check to make sure there are no leading or trailing spaces – this can happen a lot if you copy/paste from the article. Also, make sure to NOT use the “/” character.
If this all checks out and you still have this problem, download and open the .VMX file of the virtual host in a text editor like Wordpad. The line should look like this –

monitor_control.restrict_backdoor = “TRUE”

]]> By: Richard Clare http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/#comment-12328 Richard Clare Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:38:49 +0000 http://www.vcritical.com/?p=1091#comment-12328 I added the "monitor_control.restrict_backdoor / TRUE line" like you said but I still get the error "Running VMware ESX in a virtual machine requires the outer virtual machine to be configured for running a VMware ESX guest operating system. You may not power on a virtual machine until the outer virtual machine is reconfigured." when I try to power on the nested virtual machine. I added the “monitor_control.restrict_backdoor / TRUE line” like you said but I still get the error “Running VMware ESX in a virtual machine requires the outer virtual machine to be configured for running a VMware ESX guest operating system. You may not power on a virtual machine until the outer virtual machine is reconfigured.” when I try to power on the nested virtual machine.

]]> By: Matt1 http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/#comment-12301 Matt1 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:00:05 +0000 http://www.vcritical.com/?p=1091#comment-12301 sounds like might have overlooked the promiscuous mode on the vswitch as per the original article. sounds like might have overlooked the promiscuous mode on the vswitch as per the original article.

]]> By: Richard Clare http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/#comment-12300 Richard Clare Fri, 19 Aug 2011 08:03:20 +0000 http://www.vcritical.com/?p=1091#comment-12300 I made an ESX vm okay but no matter what I do I can't connect to it with the VI client and I can't add it as a host in Virtual Centre. It's on the same vswitch as the other vms, so basically it's on the same network as the VirtualCentre box as far as I know, and obviously I can connect to that and that can also connect to the Internet. So I don't know what's up. I tried giving it different ip addresses and using a DHCP setting. The virtual machine network is on one physical nic and the management network on the other. Someone suggested moving all the machines over to the management network but I haven't been able to do it. I made an ESX vm okay but no matter what I do I can’t connect to it with the VI client and I can’t add it as a host in Virtual Centre. It’s on the same vswitch as the other vms, so basically it’s on the same network as the VirtualCentre box as far as I know, and obviously I can connect to that and that can also connect to the Internet. So I don’t know what’s up. I tried giving it different ip addresses and using a DHCP setting. The virtual machine network is on one physical nic and the management network on the other. Someone suggested moving all the machines over to the management network but I haven’t been able to do it.

]]> By: VMware vSphere can virtualize itself + 64-bit nested guests http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/#comment-12262 VMware vSphere can virtualize itself + 64-bit nested guests Sun, 14 Aug 2011 22:34:37 +0000 http://www.vcritical.com/?p=1091#comment-12262 [...] of hardware and storage. Virtualization enthusiasts everywhere have benefited from the ability to run ESXi on ESXi, first introduced with the vSphere 4 [...] [...] of hardware and storage. Virtualization enthusiasts everywhere have benefited from the ability to run ESXi on ESXi, first introduced with the vSphere 4 [...]

]]> By: Jeff Messeer http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/#comment-12217 Jeff Messeer Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:27:05 +0000 http://www.vcritical.com/?p=1091#comment-12217 Just finished getting my single new host on ESXi 4.1 U1 up and running. Connected it to my Iomega ix4-200d, and now using iSCSI I have a vCenter VM and two ESXi 4.1 U1 hosts one one layer, and then the second layer I have the virtualized hosts running in a full HA/DRS cluster sharing two iSCSI LUNS. Your original post and the comments here helped me get this thing going - very much appreciated! Just finished getting my single new host on ESXi 4.1 U1 up and running. Connected it to my Iomega ix4-200d, and now using iSCSI I have a vCenter VM and two ESXi 4.1 U1 hosts one one layer, and then the second layer I have the virtualized hosts running in a full HA/DRS cluster sharing two iSCSI LUNS. Your original post and the comments here helped me get this thing going – very much appreciated!

]]> By: T-Bone http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/#comment-12201 T-Bone Thu, 04 Aug 2011 15:57:02 +0000 http://www.vcritical.com/?p=1091#comment-12201 Jordan, In most cases, the vMotion issue can be solved by changing the CPU/MMU Virtualization option on the virtual host. In my test environment running ESXi 4.1 Update 1, I was successful using the 3rd option "Use Intel VT-x/AMD-V for instruction set virtualization and software for MMU virtualization". Your CPU may allow or require a different choice. Try all the available options and test the system's reaction to each one. Jordan,
In most cases, the vMotion issue can be solved by changing the CPU/MMU Virtualization option on the virtual host. In my test environment running ESXi 4.1 Update 1, I was successful using the 3rd option “Use Intel VT-x/AMD-V for instruction set virtualization and software for MMU virtualization”. Your CPU may allow or require a different choice. Try all the available options and test the system’s reaction to each one.

]]> By: Nitin Reddy Katkam http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/#comment-12133 Nitin Reddy Katkam Mon, 25 Jul 2011 09:25:27 +0000 http://www.vcritical.com/?p=1091#comment-12133 I use VMs for separating my development environment from my testing environment and use Oracle's (formerly, Sun's) VirtualBox. It meets my need though it isn't stable enough to run on a server. I did run VirtualBox within a Hyper-V virtualized Windows server install and was able to run a VM within a VM, though I used two different products for it. I use VMs for separating my development environment from my testing environment and use Oracle’s (formerly, Sun’s) VirtualBox. It meets my need though it isn’t stable enough to run on a server. I did run VirtualBox within a Hyper-V virtualized Windows server install and was able to run a VM within a VM, though I used two different products for it.

]]> By: Eric Gray http://www.vcritical.com/2009/05/vmware-esx-4-can-even-virtualize-itself/#comment-12072 Eric Gray Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:41:16 +0000 http://www.vcritical.com/?p=1091#comment-12072 vSphere 5 makes this easier by adding a guest OS type for ESX/ESXi. It also supports nested 64-bit guests. Check out http://www.vcritical.com/2011/07/vmware-vsphere-can-virtualize-itself/ vSphere 5 makes this easier by adding a guest OS type for ESX/ESXi. It also supports nested 64-bit guests.

Check out http://www.vcritical.com/2011/07/vmware-vsphere-can-virtualize-itself/

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