Comments on: Our New Webserver

By: Ren

Ren — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:06:30 +0000

I have tried to use Xen server as the main server (the citrix version). It just didn’t recognize any of the network cards. The built in ones nor the cheapie dlinks I added. Their list of supported cards is very limited. They do have an SDK kit so you can compile your own drivers but I’ve had zero luck in getting that accomplished. Support on their site is spotty.
My latest effort is an install of debian on which I run XEN. Installed an instance of smoothwall. Was able to run setup and it did see the network cards ! However, on reboot I now get a LILO error when smoothwall boots up. Still need to look into that. Once it is passed that step it SHOULD work.

By: sean.scott

sean.scott — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:40:57 +0000

When I first setup the ESXi server only the NIC integrated in my motherboard worked correctly, and I couldn’t setup any VMs. I had to download and install the vSphere CLI utility and manually install the Intel drivers. It was a huge pain. I haven’t used Xen server at all. Are you using the Xen server as a virtual machine in ESXi or using it as your main VM manager?

By: Ren

Ren — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:23:41 +0000

What about network cards ? I’ve played around a bit with xen (citrix) and can’;t get the network cards to work.

By: sean.scott

sean.scott — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:19:48 +0000

An e6600 should be fine. The processor and ram really just depend on how many VMs you plan on running. Smoothwall doesn’t take much CPU at all. Also make sure you get the smoothwall VM image to install rather than using the ISO. I tried the ISO a few times and couldn’t get it to work properly.

By: Ren

Ren — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:53:46 +0000

very slick. When I look at the vmware site it says xeon cpu’s are compatible. I take it many more cpu’s are supported.
Smoothwall takes so little cpu and whs will be idling most of the times as well. I guess a core 2 duo with enough memory will do just fine ? I have a core 2 duo e6600 that might go towards a server for this.

By: sean.scott

sean.scott — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:51:59 +0000

ESXi is super reliable, the server hasn’t been down for any reason except due to power outages. Right now I’m running this webserver, Smoothwall, and Windows servers on the it. I also run WHS, but it is on it’s own physical box (the second server in the pic.) You could run WHS as a VM on ESXi, but you lose the RAID like file redundancy. I’m not sure how you allow the WHS instance to see multiple disks, probably by creating multiple stores for ESXi.

By: Ren

Ren — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:41:57 +0000

nice setup. How reliable is that ESXi 4.0 ?
I currently have a smoothwall box running and I want to add a WHS instance. I was wondering if I could combine the two on one machine and that’s where ESXi 4.0 would come in.
How would WHS play along with multiple discs ? Is that configurable on ESXi 4.0 ?