Tools to fill the VMware ESX 3.5 gap

With the release of VMware ESX Server 3.5, VMware is now offering a number of new enterprise-grade features every virtualization admin needs. These aren't just things that will make ESX 3.5 prettier, like a certain new major operating system release I could name. All of the ESX 3.5 enhancements are features that admins really need.

Unfortunately, ESX 3.5 still lacks many features. In this tip, I'll describe what features are missing and where virtualization admins can find what they need, even when you do buy the most mature and most expensive enterprise virtualization package you can get.

Let's consider ESX Server 3.5's major new features. (I'm not going to cover all the new features of ESX Server 3.5. (You can find that information in many articles that are already on the Web, like my article what's new in VMware ESX Server 3.5.) The major new features are:

I do believe that as VMware enhances ESX Server, they will add more features to try to eliminate the need for third party software. This is similar to what Microsoft has done over time with Windows.

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There are still some major weaknesses in ESX Server 3.5 and the VMware Infrastructure suite that would require an enterprise virtualization shop to use third-party virtualization products. In my opinion, here's what's missing:

In conclusion, VMware ESX Server 3.5 and the VMware Infrastructure suite applications are a major advancement in VMware virtualization. These are, in my opinion, the most mature and robust virtualization products available. However, just as with Windows Server, there are still third-party applications that are needed to provide all the functionality that a virtualization administrator would need in an enterprise environment today.

David Davis has served as an IT manager for over 15 years. He has a number of certifications including CCIE #9369, MCSE, CISSP and VCP. Additionally, David has authored over one hundred articles, a number of video training courses including VMware ESX Server, VMware Server and Workstation. David publishes Cisco Networking how-to articles and videos at his Website HappyRouter.com.

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