Can I run ESXi inside a Hyper-V host VM?

Discussion in 'Virtualized Computing' started by cyr0n_k0r, Jun 28, 2012.

  1. Jun 28, 2012 #1

    cyr0n_k0r [H]ardness Supreme

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    We have a new vendor solution that REQUIRES esxi. We are a Hyper-V shop. I currently have the vendors VM deployed on a test server that isn't beefy just to get the solution up and running. I'm wondering if it is possible to run ESXi inside a Hyper-V VM then load the vendors solution inside that VM?

    I've read you can go the other way (hyper-v hosted on esxi), but can't find any info on doing it the way I want.
    I understand this is not ideal, but I don't want to have to buy a whole separate server just for this 1 VM.
     
    cyr0n_k0r, Jun 28, 2012
    #1
  2. Jun 28, 2012 #2

    kur1j Gawd

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    kur1j, Jun 28, 2012
    #2
  3. Jun 28, 2012 #3

    cyr0n_k0r [H]ardness Supreme

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    sophos web appliance.
     
    cyr0n_k0r, Jun 28, 2012
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  4. Jun 28, 2012 #4

    peanuthead [H]ardness Supreme

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    Yes, you can. Google vzilla.
     
    Last edited: Jun 29, 2012
    peanuthead, Jun 28, 2012
    #4
  5. Jun 29, 2012 #5

    cyr0n_k0r [H]ardness Supreme

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    thats cryptic.
    anyone else?
     
    cyr0n_k0r, Jun 29, 2012
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  6. Jun 29, 2012 #6

    danswartz 2[H]4U

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    Silly question: have you tried it? e.g. loading esxi inside a hyper-v?
     
    danswartz, Jun 29, 2012
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  7. Jun 29, 2012 #7

    Vengance_01 [H]ardness Supreme

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    Worst case, run workstation on a VM in hyper-V?
     
    Vengance_01, Jun 29, 2012
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  8. Jun 29, 2012 #8

    peanuthead [H]ardness Supreme

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    peanuthead, Jun 29, 2012
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  9. Jun 29, 2012 #9

    holden j caufield Gawd

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    I've run esi and hyper v in a nested vm so yeah if you have iommu or ept it should work.
     
    holden j caufield, Jun 29, 2012
    #9
  10. Jun 29, 2012 #10

    Vashypooh 2[H]4U

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    Might be able to convert it to a VHD and so forth as well. I've done that with a few appliances.
     
    Vashypooh, Jun 29, 2012
    #10
  11. Jul 2, 2012 #11

    cyr0n_k0r [H]ardness Supreme

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    Interesting!
    I honestly hadn't even thought of that. :eek:
    I'll try that first next week.
     
    cyr0n_k0r, Jul 2, 2012
    #11
  12. Jul 2, 2012 #12

    Vashypooh 2[H]4U

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    Might take a little bit of work, but I've had my luck.
     
    Vashypooh, Jul 2, 2012
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  13. Jul 2, 2012 #13

    cyr0n_k0r [H]ardness Supreme

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    any advice other than using the standard vmdk to vhd converters?
     
    cyr0n_k0r, Jul 2, 2012
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  14. Jul 2, 2012 #14

    Vashypooh 2[H]4U

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    Your biggest issue will likely be getting the network going. You may want to see if someone has done it before and go from there.

    Edit: If there isn't much documentation covering Sophos itself, try to figure out what OS it is running ontop of and go from there. IE if its FreeBSD, improvise off of a Hyper-V FreeBSD guide, Ubuntu and Ubuntu and so forth.
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2012
    Vashypooh, Jul 2, 2012
    #14
  15. Jul 3, 2012 #15

    cyr0n_k0r [H]ardness Supreme

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    Contacted the manufacturer. Here is what they said

    "it's an ubuntu derivative of debian"
    running debian 6.0.4
    linux kernel 2.6.39
    i686
     
    cyr0n_k0r, Jul 3, 2012
    #15
  16. Jul 3, 2012 #16

    Vashypooh 2[H]4U

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    Should be cake to get working in Hyper-V then. Just do a bit of digging for Debian Hyper-V networking and see what you come up with :)
     
    Vashypooh, Jul 3, 2012
    #16