Vmware

1. Document Created by: Sid Smith
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation
VMware Configurations Maximums
Comparisons Matrix
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
Virtual Machine Maximums
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
SCSI Controllers per virtual machine
Devices Per SCSI Controller
SCSI Devices Per Virtual Machine
Max Disk Size
Number of Virtual CPU's per Virtual Machine
RAM per Virtual Machine
Number of NICs per Virtual Machine
Number of IDE Devices
Number of floppy devices per Virtual Machine
Number of Parallel ports per Virtual Machine
Sereial Ports per Virtual Machine
Virtual Machine Swap Size
Number of Virtual PCI Devices
VMDirectPath PCI/PCIe devices per VM
VMDirectPath SCSI targets per Virtual Machine
Concurrent remote desktop sessions
4
15
60
2TB
4
16GB
4
4
2
3
4
16GB
6
NA
NA
10
4
15
60
2TB
4
65GB
4
4
2
3
4
65GB
6
NA
NA
10
4
15
60
2TB
4
65GB
4
4
2
3
4
65GB
6
NA
NA
10
4
15
60
2TB minus 512B
8
255GB
10
4
2
3
4
255GB
Storage Maximums
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
2TB
32
32
256
32
2TB
32MB
2TB
32
32
256
32
2TB
32MB
2TB
32
32
256
32
2TB
32MB
2TB minus 512B
64
32
256
32
2TB minus 512B
64
16
15 (64)
16
15 (64)
Max I/O Size (Before Splits)
Raw device mapping size
Hosts per volume
Hosts per cluster
Volimes per host
Extents per volume
Extent Size
Virtual Machines per Volume
Number of HBA's of any type
Number of targets per HBA (iSCSI HBA)
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
2
60
40
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation.

2. Document Created by: Sid Smith
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation
VMware Configurations Maximums
Comparisons Matrix
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
VMFS-2 Maximums
ESX 3
Fibre Channel
LUNs per server
LUN Size
SCSI controllers per server
Devices per SCSI controller
Number of paths to a LUN
Number of total paths
LUNs concurrently opened by all virtual machines
LUN IDs
HBA's per host
HBA Ports
Targets per HBA
vSphere 4
64TB
456GB
2TB
27TB
64TB
256 + (64 x extents)
64TB
456GB
2TB
27TB
64TB
256 + (64 x extents)
64TB minus 16K
456GB
2TB
27TB
64TB
256 + (64 x extents)
ESX 3
~16TB-4GB
~32TB-8GB
~64TB-16GB
64TB
256GB
512GB
1TB
2TB
30,000
30,000
30,000
VMFS-3 Maximums
Volume (block size = 1MB)
Volume (block size = 2MB)
Volume (block size = 4MB)
Volume (block size = 8MB)
File Size (block size = 1MB)
File Size (block size = 2MB)
File Size (block size = 4MB)
File Size (block size = 8MB)
Files per directory
Directories per volume
Files per volume
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
64TB
456GB
2TB
27TB
64TB
256 + (64 x extents)
MAX Volume Size
File Size (block size = 1MB)
File Size (block size = 8MB)
File Size (block size = 64MB)
File Size (block size = 256MB)
Files Per volume
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
~50TB
64TB
64TB
64TB
256GB
512GB
1TB
2TB
30,000
30,000
30,000
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
~50TB
64TB
64TB
64TB
256GB
512GB
1TB
2TB
30,000
30,000
30,000
vSphere 4
ESX 3
256
2TB
16
16
32
1024
256
255
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
256
2TB
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
256
2TB
vSphere 4
256
2TB minus 512B
32
1024
256
255
32
1024
256
255
16
1024
256
255
8
16
256
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
256GB minus 512B
512GB minus 512B
1TB minus 512B
2TB minus 512B
30,720
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation.

3. Document Created by: Sid Smith
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation
VMware Configurations Maximums
Comparisons Matrix
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
NAS / NFS
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
Default Number of NFS datastores (Maximum)
8 (32)
8 (32)
8 (32)
8 (64)
iSCSI initiators
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
256
2
64
256
2
64
256
2
64
256
4
256
256
8
8
64
64
1024
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
128
128
32
32
8
128
32
32
8
170
192
32
32
8 (U1,2) 20 (U3,4)
320
512
64
64
20
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
64GB
800MB
272MB
256GB
800MB
272MB
256GB
800MB
272MB
1TB
800MB
400MB
LUNs per server
Hardware iSCSI initiators per server
Targets
LUNs concurrently used
NIC ports bound to software iSCSI stack per server
Paths to a LUN
Dynamic targets per hardware adapter port
Static targets per hardware adapter port
Total Paths
Compute Maximums
Number of VM's Registered on a server
Number of virtual CPU's per server
Number of cores per server
Number of logical pocessors per server
Number of virtual cpu's per core
Memory Maximums
RAM per server
RAM Allocated to Service Console
Minimum RAM to Service Console
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation.

4. Document Created by: Sid Smith
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
Physical NICS
Number of e100 NICs
Number of e1000 NICs
Number of Broadcom NICs
igb 1GB Ethernet ports (Intel)
tg3 1GB Ethernet ports (Broadcom)
bnx2 1GB Ethernet ports (Broadcom)
forcedeth 1GB Ethernet ports (Nvidia)
s2io 10GB Ethernet ports (Neterion)
nx_nic 10GB Ethernet ports (NetXen)
ixgbe Oplin 10GB Ethernet ports (Intel)
bnx2x 10GB Ethernet ports (Broadcom)
PCI VMDirectPAth Devices
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation
VMware Configurations Maximums
Comparisons Matrix
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
26
32
20
26
32
20
26
32
20
32
16
32
16
2
4
4
4
4
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
PCI VMDirectPath devices per host
vSphere 4
8
Advanced, physical traits
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
Number of port groups
Number of NICs in a team
Number of Ethernet ports
512
32
32
512
32
32
512
32
32
Virtual NICs/switches/VLANs
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
Number of virtual switch ports
Number of virtual switches
Number of portgroups (VLANS)
Total virtual network switch ports per host
1016
127
4096
1016
127
4096
1016
127
4096
4088
248
512
4096
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
vSphere 4
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation.

5. Document Created by: Sid Smith
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
vNetwork Distributed Switch
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation
VMware Configurations Maximums
Comparisons Matrix
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
Distributed virtual switch ports per vCenter
Distributed port groups per vCenter
Distributed switches per vCenter
Hosts per distributed switch
HA / DRS Cluster
Hosts per HA / DRS cluster
Virtual machines per HA / DRS cluster
Virtual machines per host in HA cluster
Virtual machines per host in DRS cluster
Failover hosts per cluster
Failover as percentage of cluster
Resource Pool Maximums
vSphere 4
6000
512
16
64
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
16
32
32
32
1280
100
256
4
50%
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
512
256
12
10
128
512
256
12
10
128
4096
1024
12
10
512
Number of Resource Pools Per host
Number of children per resource pool
Tree depth per resource pool
Tree depth per resource pool in DRS cluster
Number of resource pools per cluster
vCenter Maximums
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
Hosts (32-bit )
Powered-on virtual machines (32-bit )
Registered virtual machines (32-bit)
Hosts (64-bit)
Powered-on virtual machines (64-bit)
Registered virtual machines (64-bit)
Linked vCenter Server systems
Hosts in Linked-mode environment
100
1500
1500
200
2000
2000
200
2000
2000
200
2000
3000
300
3000
4500
10
1000
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation.

6. Document Created by: Sid Smith
VMware Configurations Maximums
Comparisons Matrix
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation
Powered-on VM's in Linked-mode environment
Registered VM's in Linked-mode environment
Concurrent vSphere client connections (32-bit )
Concurrent vSphere client connections (64-bit
Hosts per datacenter
Concurrent provisioning operations per host
Concurrent provisioning operations per datastore
Concurrent VMotion operations per host
Concurrent VMotion operations per datastore
Concurrent sVMotion operations per host
Concurrent sVMotion operations per datastore
Concurrent operations per vCenter Server
vCenter Update Manager
10000
15000
15
30
100
8
8
2
4
2
4
96
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
Concurrent hosts scanned (64-bit)
Concurrent hosts scanned (32-bit)
Concurrent virtual machines scanned (64-bit)
Concurrent virtual machines scanned (32-bit)
Cisco VDS update and deployment
Virtual machine remediation per ESX host
Powered-on Windows VMscan per ESX host
Powered-off Windows VM scan per ESX host
Powered-on Linux VM scan per ESX host
VMware Tools scan per ESX host
VMware Tools upgrade per ESX host
Virtual machine hardware scan per host
Virtual machine hardware upgrade per host
Virtual machine remediation per VUM server
Powered-on Windows VM scan per VUM server
Powered-off Windows VM scan per VUM server
Powered-on Linux virtual machine scan VUM server
VMware Tools scan per VUM server
VMware Tools upgrade per VUM server
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
300
200
4000
200
70
5
6
6
145
145
145
145
145
48
72
10
145
145
145
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation.

7. Document Created by: Sid Smith
VMware Configurations Maximums
Comparisons Matrix
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation
ESX host scan per VUM server
ESX host remediation per VUM server
ESX host upgrade per VUM server
ESX host upgrade per cluster
72
8
48
1
vCenter Orchestrator
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
Connected vCenter Server systems
Connected ESX/ESXi servers
Connected virtual machines
Concurrent running workflows
vSphere 4
10
100
3000
150
vCenter Converter
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
Concurrent import/export tasks
vSphere 4
16
vSphere Storage Management Initiative (SMI-S)
ESX 3
ESX 3.5 & 3.5U1
Number of vCenter Server systems connected
Number of ESX/ESXi hosts connected
Number of ESX/ESXi hosts managed in vCenter
Number of VM's registered in vCenter Server
Number of datastores registered in vCenter Server
http://www.dailyhypervisor.com
ESX 3.5U2 and Up
vSphere 4
1
1
100
1000
100
For more information refer to the VMware
Configuration Maximums documentation.