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2 Replies Last post: Sep 30, 2008 11:11 AM by Michaelian Ennis  
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Gert Huisman
1 posts since
Sep 30, 2008

Sep 30, 2008 1:26 AM

What is special on the AoE driver for VMWare ESX


Why do we need a special driver for VMWare ESX? If I remember correctly VMWare ESX is build on a Linux kernel. The AoE driver is part of the standard linux kernel for some time now. Dit VMWare disable the AoE driver or are they build on older kernels?

Gert

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qnetter
1 posts since
Sep 20, 2007
1. Sep 30, 2008 10:47 AM in response to: Gert Huisman
Re: What is special on the AoE driver for VMWare ESX

ESX is NOT built on a Linux kernel. It is its own purpose-built proprietary kernel.

It uses a Linux kernel to boot and provide some management services, but its performant I/O is done by drivers in that proprietary kernel.

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Michaelian Ennis
2 posts since
Aug 12, 2008
2. Sep 30, 2008 11:11 AM in response to: Gert Huisman
Re: What is special on the AoE driver for VMWare ESX
The console OS is linux, VMKernel (ESX) is not. The ESX AoE driver interacts with the VMkernel itself allowing imported AoE targets to be used as block devices for ESX itself. This means one can format it as VMFS and store the virtual machines on AoE targets.

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