Comments on: Installing and Running VMware vSphere (ESX 4.0) on your lab HP Proliant ML110 or ML115.

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[...] VMware ESXi on a home lab HP Proliant ML115 G5 with a Dell PERC 5i Array Controller (TechHead) Installing and Running VMware vSphere (ESX 4.0) on your lab HP Proliant ML110 or ML115 (TechHead) Network Cards Used For My VMware ESX Home Lab (TechHead) VMware ESX WhiteBox Solutions – [...]

By: TheBoy

TheBoy — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 09:40:25 +0000

Remember, the HP E200 and HP P400 (only with certain firmwares, else it doesn’t boot) will work fine with the ML110 G5, and can be picked up quite cheaply 2nd hand. I have not tried these in a G6.

These array controllers can be made to provide disk status quite easily, as I’ve posted previously.

By: James Pearce

James Pearce — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 08:30:55 +0000

The later Perc-6i is also worth a look. Usually a little bit more off eBay but it supports SATA NCQ, which can give a very considerable performance boost under stress with newer drives such as WD’s RE4 series. Whatever you go for, be sure to get the battery module to enable the write caching.

Some info I’ve put together on the 6i here: http://blog.peacon.co.uk/wiki/Dell_Perc_6i

Hope that helps.

By: Kiwi Si

Kiwi Si — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 23:25:48 +0000

Hi Kenneth,

I hope to get my hands on a Dell PERC 5i array controller some time, the hardware monitoring status detection in ESX/ESXi is definitely one of the areas that lets the HP E200 array controller down, with no disk status being made available.

Thanks for the comment.

All the best,

Simon

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 23:24:02 +0000

Ebay shows many HP E200s available for ~$40. Good buy.

Rick

By: Kiwi Si

Kiwi Si — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 23:17:42 +0000

Hi Rick,

I run an HP E200 array controller in my ML110 G5 with 4 x SATA disks running ESXi 4.1. Works just fine, the peformance is ok and acceptable for a home lab setup. The Dell PERC 5 aparently also works well and can be picked up on EBay for a reasonable price quite often.

Not sure about the Adaptec array controller range – anyone else out there have any experience/advice on these?

Thanks,

Simon