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Configuring VMware ESX Server 2.5 (Vol 1) Review by Harold McFarland
Recommended for the new user, too basic for intermediate user
VMware is arguably the best virtualization program available today and I would agree with that opinion. VMware ESX Server is their server virtualization product and just like all of their other products it is a stellar performer. However documentation has never been their strong point and this book tries to resolve that problem. Server virtualization allows multiple server operating systems to reside on the same physical machine and be accessed as though they were separate physical servers. This resolves a multitude of problems including situations where different software servers don't work well on the same physical server. For example, many IT departments will not put Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SQL on the same production server or generally don't like to run the Web Server, database server, and mail server on the same physical computer.
This book is written so the average computer administrator can easily install Vmware ESX Server on one physical computer and install as many virtual servers as needed or supported by the hardware without any problems. It even includes coverage of how to installs different server operating systems including how to install Linux on one virtual server and Windows 2003 on another on the same physical computer. However, for anything out of the ordinary the information is often not sufficiently detailed to allow the reader to completely setup the component. For example, the section on network card bonding does not contain sufficient information to actually configure it but does point the reader to a white paper on the subject. On the other hand, ESX server installation and basic administration are both well done and these subjects are the main focus of the book. If you are looking for more advanced information then this is not the book you are looking for, but if you are looking for your first book on the subject and just getting your feet wet with the product then Vmware ESX Server is highly recommended.