VMware ESXi

VMware ESXi is a bare-metal hypervisor that is part of the VMware vSphere suite. Unlike other software applications that require an underlying operating system to run, ESXi is installed directly on the physical server, turning it into a powerful virtual machine host.

Benefits of VMware ESXi

• Reduced overhead. The absence of a base OS reduces resource overhead, providing higher VM performance.
• Enhanced security. Features such as Secure Boot ensure that only signed code will run in the hypervisor.
• Centralized management. with vCenter Server, you can manage multiple ESXi hosts from a single dashboard.
• Advanced capabilities. VMotion, High Availability and Fault Tolerance increase reliability and uptime of virtual machines.

VMware ESXi versus other hypervisors

VMware Workstation

• The second type of hypervisor. Requires a base operating system.
• Oriented to desktop systems. Ideal for developers and testers.
• Desktop-oriented.
• Limited scalability. Best suited for small virtualized environments.

Limited scalability.

Microsoft Hyper-V

• Integrated into Windows. Included in Windows Server.
• Flexible configurations. Types 1 and 2 hypervisors are supported.

Flexible configurations.

• Different editions. Different editions meet different business needs.

VMware ESXi

• Type 1 hypervisor. Directly installed on the server hardware.
• Oriented for enterprises. Designed for large-scale virtualization.
• Designed for large-scale virtualization.
• High scalability. Supports multiple virtual machines with a large number of allocated resources.

Practical applications of VMware ESXi

• Data Centers. Efficient resource management and allocation in large-scale operations.
• Disaster Recovery. Fast replication and recovery of virtualized environments.
• Remote offices. Centralization of IT management even for geographically distributed offices.
• Development and testing.Create isolated environments for testing new applications.

Licensing and costs

VMware offers a variety of ESXi licensing options, from a free version with basic features to enterprise versions with advanced functionality. You should evaluate your organization’s needs and budget constraints before selecting a license.