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Archive for July, 2011

So you’ve decided: You want to build yourself an ESX(i) environment while minimizing cost. But how do you choose between available hardware? In this blogpost I will be focussing on my recent Whitebox server selecgtion and how I got to my configuration out of all available components.

Different ways of getting to a successful Whitebox config

There are several different ways of getting to a cheap Whitebox configuration. So far I’ve been seeing four approaches:

1. Build one big Windows/Linux server and run everything virtual (so virtual ESX nodes on VMware Workstation);
2. Build one big ESX(i) server and run everything virtual (so virtual ESX nodes on the physical ESX node);
3. Build two smaller ESX(i) servers (surprise suprise… this can actually be cheaper over one big node!);
4. Buy a complete (supported) system (Like Dell or HP).

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So the big news is out: vSphere 5 is here! With a lot of exciting new features, of which I will be posting several deepdives I’m sure.

For now, let’s just look at the new and exciting features vSphere 5 brings to the table.

VMware’s clear messaging

With the coming of vSphere, VMware has a very clear messaging around this new release which raises the bar once again:

• Deploy Business Critical Applications with Confidence;
• Respond to the Needs of the Business Faster with Cloud Agility;
• Move to Cloud Computing with Trust.

Some great point to strive for I think. vSphere 5 will enable even bigger VMs to run. That is the ESX part of the game. Next, agility is on the agenda. Where competing hypervisors may deliver the same performance, VMware is aiming on their toolset to further improve their agility. Cloud computing is a very important step I think.
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Yesterday I received an email stating I am now officially vExpert 2011 ! I am very honored that I was awarded for the year 2011. I will try to continue and even improve on filling this blog with useful deepdives. Also, I will continue to evangelize VMware like I have been doing the past years.

Thanks to all for your support!