VMware ESXi: The Purpose-Built Bare Metal Hypervisor
VMware ESXi is a purpose-built bare-metal hypervisor that installs directly onto a physical server. With direct access to and control of underlying resources, ESXi is more efficient than hosted architectures and can effectively partition hardware to increase consolidation ratios and cut costs for our customers.
What ESXi Delivers
Today’s IT teams are under unprecedented pressure to meet fluctuating market trends and heightened customer demands. At the same time, these teams must stretch IT resources to accommodate increasingly complex projects. Fortunately, ESXi can help balance the need for better business outcomes and IT savings. Here’s how:
- Consolidates hardware for higher capacity utilization.
- Increases performance for a competitive edge.
- Streamlines IT administration through centralized management.
- Reduces costs, such as CapEx and OpEx savings.
- Minimizes hardware resources needed to run hypervisor for cost savings and more efficient utilization.
SPOTLIGHT
Your Go-To Guide on VMware Compatibility
Your Go-To Guide on VMware Compatibility
Answer all your vSphere hardware, ESXi hardware and operating system compatibility questions.
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Discover the tested, recommended limits for selecting and configuring your virtual and physical equipment.
Get the DetailsFEATURES
By consolidating multiple servers onto fewer physical devices, ESXi reduces space, power and IT administrative requirements while driving high-speed performance.
A Small Footprint
With a footprint of just 150MB, do more with less while minimizing security threats to your hypervisor.
Reliable Performance
Accommodate apps of any size. Configure virtual machines up to 128 virtual CPUs, 6 TB of RAM and 120 devices to satisfy all your application needs. Consult individual solution limits to ensure you do not exceed supported configurations for your environment. Learn more about configuration maximums.
Enhanced Security
Protect sensitive virtual machine data with powerful encryption capabilities. Role-based access simplifies administration while extensive logging and auditing ensure greater accountability and easier forensic analysis.
Ecosystem Excellence
Discover support for a broad ecosystem of hardware OEM vendors, technology service partners, apps and guest operating systems.
A User-Friendly Experience
Manage day-to-day administrative operations with built-in modern UI based on HTML5 standards. For customers who need to automate their operations, VMware offers both a vSphere Command Line Interface and developer-friendly REST-based APIs.
CUSTOMER
ACI Specialty Benefits
ACI Specialty Benefits: Supported 300% Annual Growth in Digital Benefits Coverage
"Nobody knows exactly what’s going to happen when a company is growing at 300% a year, so we have to be ready for anything. With our software-defined data center powered by VMware, we can scale easily, sustain our growth in a controlled and compliant manner, and respond quickly to new business demands". - Ryan Fay, Global CIO, ACI Specialty Benefits
PURCHASING
Customers can use ESXi as part of a paid vSphere edition or with the free vSphere Hypervisor edition, which enables you to create and provision your virtual machines easily and within minutes.
RELATED PRODUCTS
vSphere
vSphere helps you get the best performance, availability and efficiency from your infrastructure and applications. It’s the ideal foundation for any cloud environment.
vCenter Server
vCenter Server minimizes IT complexities and management headaches by expanding ESXi’s capabilities.
Learn More About vCenter Server
vSphere Hypervisor
vSphere Hypervisor is a free bare-metal hypervisor that virtualizes servers, so you can consolidate your applications on less hardware.