ESXi3.5 Free Problem

Hey guys, management just signed a client who has 3 ESXi3.5 free server with about 3-4 server each (Nt4, 2k, 2k3 and Linux). The client is pretty on the cheap side so we dont expect them to migrate off this in 2010. They asked me to find monitoring solutions for the client.

Basically we need to know when the prcessor spikes or a HDD fails. Any free/cheap tools/links you are guys are aware of? Ideally something that drops an email to us.

Dropping in a 1u server in there is an option, plenty of space availble there, and we have a few extra just lying around.

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astorrs

Why not upgrade them to vSphere Essentials and use vCenter for that? Cost would be ~$1k for the license (which covers 3 x 2 pCPU servers and includes vCenter).

HeroPsycho

astorrs wrote: »

Why not upgrade them to vSphere Essentials and use vCenter for that? Cost would be ~$1k for the license (which covers 3 x 2 pCPU servers and includes vCenter).

+1 Would make managing them easier beyond just monitoring, too.

Daniel333

I am a Vmware chump here, bare with me. They might go for this. I would need a Windows license for this or can I drop it on a CentOS box?

astorrs

Daniel333 wrote: »

I am a Vmware chump here, bare with me. They might go for this. I would need a Windows license for this or can I drop it on a CentOS box?

Windows Server 2003 or 2008

Hyper-Me

If absolutely nothing else you could use OpenNMS to monitor them for network outages, although this wont tell you if the hardware dies.

dales

Dont know if you've seen this but veam do a free monitoring tool which says it has some alterting capability so you may want to have a fiddle with this.

FREE ESXi Monitor download - VMware vSphere monitoring with Veeam Monitor

astorrs

dales wrote: »

Dont know if you've seen this but veam do a free monitoring tool which says it has some alterting capability so you may want to have a fiddle with this.

FREE ESXi Monitor download - VMware vSphere monitoring with Veeam Monitor

The alerting in the Lite version is minimal, but worth checking out.

astorrs

Just a follow-up the vSphere Essentials package is 50% off from March 1-June 15th, so $495 gets you vCenter and 3 x 2 pCPU servers.

Promotional SKU: VS4-ESSL-BUN-PRO