Hi,

I know this is not a common or recommended scenario. But we need to
develop and test software that requires both ESX server and Hyper V.
We would like to know if it's possible to run ESX server as a virtual
machine using Hyper -V. Until now, ESX server could only run on
physical machines and not virtual machines. But would ESX server know
if it's running on a virtual machine if we use Hyper V?

Has anyone tried this?

Thanks

Bill

On Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:58:39 -0700 (PDT), Usentr <usentr@gmail.com>
wrote:

>Hi,
>
>I know this is not a common or recommended scenario. But we need to
>develop and test software that requires both ESX server and Hyper V.
>We would like to know if it's possible to run ESX server as a virtual
>machine using Hyper -V. Until now, ESX server could only run on
>physical machines and not virtual machines. But would ESX server know
>if it's running on a virtual machine if we use Hyper V?
>
>Has anyone tried this?
>
>Thanks
>
>Bill

Previous versions of ESX would run in VM Ware workstation, but they
don't any longer, one of the 3.x.x versions changed that.

I think ESX would know that it is in a VM. You can't run Hyper-V in
Hyper-V, the hardware VT is prevented from showing up in a VM.

You could always give it a try and let us know.

--
Cheers,
Steve Jain, Virtual Machine MVP
http://vpc.essjae.com/
I do not work for Microsoft.

Usentr wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I know this is not a common or recommended scenario. But we need to
> develop and test software that requires both ESX server and Hyper V.
> We would like to know if it's possible to run ESX server as a virtual
> machine using Hyper -V. Until now, ESX server could only run on
> physical machines and not virtual machines. But would ESX server know
> if it's running on a virtual machine if we use Hyper V?
>
> Has anyone tried this?

I've tried it and it doesn't work. I posted about it in the VMware
forums. VMware ESX requires a SCSI boot disk which Hyper-V does not
provide. If you try to install ESX Server on an IDE disk it panics on boot.

AFAIK no hypervisor works another, e.g. Xen (with VT) on Hyper-V, ESX
Server on Hyper-V. Hyper-V on ESX or Xen.

The latest versions of Workstation 6.5 beta and Fusion 2.0 beta for Mac
fix the ability to run ESX on Workstation. That's your best route.

Actually, you can still run ESX 3.5 or 3.5i in a VMware Workstation.
You need to edit the VMX file for it to woork. Details can be found
here: 'Tirades, Nonsense and Occasional Specks of Usefulness -
RoudyBob.NET - Blog Archive » ESX 3.5 and ESX 3i in VMware Fusion v2'
(http://www.roudybob.net/?p=479)

As for ESX in Hyper-V, I would love to see this work.

James


--
james.senecal