Features of VMware ESXi and Comparison with ESX

• VMware Esxi 3.5 Update 2 Can be installed on Dell SC1435 and also on IBM x3550
• Esxi does not have a Web based Management Interface.
• To Configure/Manage/Create Virtual Machine VI Client is required. It is available for free with the Esxi
• The Installation of the Esxi is very fast I.e. less than 10 minutes.
• Esxi Boots very fast in 1-2 minutes. This is because of it small size. VMware site says it has a 32 MB Diskfootprint.
• Esxi and Esx can be managed using Remote CLI tools provided by VMware for free. Need more time to check how to use these tools.
• VMware converter can be used to migrate machines from ESX or VMware server to Esxi
• VMware HA can be established using Esxi also.
• Esxi doesnot have a service console like that in Esx to manage/stop/start machine from the Host machine console.
• Same VIClient can be used for both Esx and Esxi Server.
• VMware Website says, Standalone ESXi licenses enable read functions with the RCLI. A VMware Infrastructure license (Foundation, Standard, or Enterprise) unlocks the full suite of commands available in the RCLI.
• Esxi supports CPU Scheduling and Allocation to Virtual machines like in ESX.
• Esxi supports Memory ballooning like in ESX i.e. shift memory dynamically from idle virtual machines to active ones.
• Esxi Supports 4 way Virtual SMP
• Esxi supports upto 64 MB Memory for virtual machines.
• Total 128 Virtual Machines can be powerd on at a time.
• There was a Bug in Esxi add Esx 3.5 Update 2 but This can be solved after installing the patch released by VMware.
• The problem that the Virtual Machines were not able to read the Host CDROM was resolved after adding a delay in the booting of virtual machine.
• SSH access to the Esxi is not enabled by default Like in Esx but there is a HACK to enable SSH access to the machine. I have tried enabling ssh access.