VMware ESXi is a bare-metal hypervisor software installed on servers that can use the physical hardware to create Virtual Machines (VMs). ESXi stands for Elastic Sky X Integrated. It is an independent hypervisor based on the VMkernal operating system that interfaces with agents that run on top of it.
VMware ESXi is a type-1 hypervisor, meaning its installation is not on an operating system but instead integrates OS components within itself. This allows you to use your hardware efficiently dividing resources in virtualized environments for small or large-scale deployment. Additionally, ESXi enables the configuration of the amount of CPU, Memory, hard disk usage, and the number of storage units or network adapters paired for the environment’s needs.
How VMware ESXi Work.
VMware ESXi gives a robust virtualization layer between the hardware and the OS. Since it is standalone, no OS is necessary on the hardware before installation. Once installed, you will be able to manage and monitor your host.
VMware ESXi partitions the server into multiple secure and movable VMs running side by side on the same hardware. Each VM is a complete system, isolated one from another by the virtual layer. This isolation prevents one failed VM from affecting another.
The bare-metal architecture gives VMware ESXi control over server resources allocated to each virtual machine and provides near-native VM performance and enterprise-level scalability. In addition, VMware ESXi offers built-in high availability, resource management, and security features to deliver improved service levels to software applications than static physical environments.
Requirements for VMware ESXi
Physical computer or server with at least 4GB of RAM, 2 CPUs, and 32GB of storage. A RAID 1 storage configuration is recommended to mitigate drive failure and data loss. You must also turn on hardware virtualization in your system basic input/output system (BIOS) for ESXi function correctly.
Each VM contains the following:
- Networking
- Bios
- Memory
- Storage
- Processors
After creating a VM, an OS and software applications can be installed and run like any computing devices.
Features of VMware Esxi.
- Application size.
VMware ESXi is 150Mb in size, one of the smallest hypervisors. ESXi minimally uses RAM without affecting the input and output (I/O) of the boot device.
- Installation Speed
ESXi takes about 5-7 minutes to install, which includes a variety of ways to install the OS and can even be used from an SD card.
- Ease of Use
VMware ESXi can be easily remotely managed for your convenience. Administrators use a secure connection and the command line interface on their local device or from another location.
- Security
Encrypted data on VMware ESXi is on by default and makes decryption harder, adding additional security. This secure environment includes a detailed logging system for troubleshooting to locate and fix issues. In addition, the Tasks and Events tab in vSphere provides the ability to audit security and easily find changes made.
- Easy Scalability
VMware ESXi has limits of 64 CPU cores and up to 6TB of RAM, which is a high limitation. However, starting with lower resources and adding them as your needs change is possible depending on your needs.
- Easy and Cost-Effective Deployment and Management.
Since VMware ESXi is a minimal application for creating Virtual machines, deployment is easy and fast to set up. It uses bare-metal or dedicated physical resources, making workloads easy to manage. Sharing physical resources among several VMs increases hardware utilization while decreasing costs. Once you have the hardware and ESXi all set up, the only additional investment needed is future hardware upgrades.
- Create Test and Production Environments.
VMware ESXi offers easy over-allocation of server resources. You can create servers to test new updates for compatibility and tweak them, allowing more resource usage. Production servers exist alongside test servers to host the completed project. Each server instance is separate, allowing for a more private test environment.