Getting cpu info for VMotion

To make sure my ESX hosts are VMotion compatible, I normally use the cpuid.iso found on the ESX install CD, to boot from and write down all cpu info. Its a bit of a pain, because you can’t redirect the output to file or floppy, so you really have to write it down on a piece of paper.

Last week I read a tip that you can also create a VM, mount the iso and then boot from it. Because ESX gives full access to the cpu, the info presented is equal to the info when booting the host itself from this iso. Now you can use the remote console to see all cpu info, maybe even make a printscreen or type it into notepad.

4 thoughts on “Getting cpu info for VMotion

  1. The CPUID utility must be booted from the physical machine, not from within a Virtual Machine, in order to get the true hardware CPUID bits. A VM always gets CPUID bits that have been “cooked” by the hypervisor. Yes, it’s painful that you have to write down the output on paper. The good news is that Real Soon Now you won’t have to worry about CPU compatibility as much as you used to….

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