In this section:
This section describes SBC Edge hardware and software requirements and recommendations for SBC SWe Lite installations using VMware ESXi.
The SBC SWe Lite supports operations within an ESXi host under the control of a vCenter Server (centralized management utility for VMware) provided the operations and features invoked on the ESXi host by the vCenter Server match those invoked by the ESXi host console when running outside the control of the vCenter Server.
Refer to the following guidelines and restrictions:
- Select operations on the ESXi host initiated by the vCenter Server (such as those not available with the ESXi host console when running in standalone mode) may result in a disruption of SBC SWe Lite operations. Examples of popular vCenter Server-initiated operations that are not supported by the SBC SWe Lite include vMotion and Fault Tolerance.
- If unsupported vCenter Server-initiated operations result in a disruption of the SBC SWe Lite, a new unprovisioned (blank) and unlicensed SBC SWe Lite may need to instantiated to replace the original SBC SWe Lite instance. Please contact Ribbon TAC to initiate a licence re-issuance.
License Requirements
You must obtain and apply a valid SBC SWe Lite license in order to configure and use the SBC SWe Lite. See below:
- If you are deploying an SBC SWe Lite trial instance (as described at SBC SWe Lite Trial Offer for On-Premises Deployment) refer to Obtaining and Installing a SWe Lite Trial License for license instructions.
- If you are not deploying a trial instance, follow license instructions posted at Obtaining and Installing an SBC SWe Lite Production License.
Server Hardware Requirements
Hardware Requirements Minimum ESXi hosting requirements are posted by VMware. VMware ESXi The minimum CPU Emulation Mode (EVC) recommended is Nehalem (problems have occurred when the EVC on the ESXi host is set to Penryn). Customized ESXi images for various server platforms are available on VMware and Hardware platform vendor sites. For more information, please visit the VMware Knowledge Base Refer to VMware Compatibility Guide (external site) for a list of VMware supported Intel processors. Refer to ESXi hardware requirements to ensure the VMware supported Intel processors meet ESXi hardware requirements.Configuration Requirement Processor 2nd Generation Intel Core or Intel Xeon Processor (Sandy bridge or later) Host OS ESXi 5.5 or above Architecture 64-bit Intel processor RAM Each SBC SWe Lite instance requires from 1.5 GiB to 4 GiB of RAM depending on the configuration Datastore Hard disk requirements are dependent upon the number of VMs hosted, the size of each VM at full size, and whether snapshots will be enabled.
Ribbon Recommendations for SBC SWe Lite
General Recommendations
- Plan enough resources (RAM, CPU, NIC ports, hard disk, etc.) for all the virtual machines (VMs) to run on the server platform, including resources needed by ESXi itself.
- Allocate each VM with only as much virtual hardware as that VM requires. Provisioning a VM with more resources than it requires can, in some cases, reduce the performance of that VM as well as other virtual machines sharing the same host.
Disconnect or disable any physical hardware devices that you will not be using (floppy drives, network interfaces, storage controllers, optical drives, USB controllers, etc.) under BIOS settings to free up interrupt/CPU resources.
Additional Information
- Minimal networking configuration requires the Management Network Interface and at least one Media Interface to be assigned.
- Each SBC SWeLite VM will use approximately 5 GiB of Virtual Hard Drive space. Drive size is predetermined by the imported image.
- The Management Network Interface and each Media Interface must be configured on separate VLANs. Failure to do so can result in undesired behavior such as one-way or no-way audio.