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Monday 23 July 2012

Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) processor support

Details

Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) simplifies vMotion compatibility issues across CPU generations. EVC automatically configures server CPUs with Intel FlexMigration or AMD-V Extended Migration technologies to be compatible with older servers.
 
After EVC is enabled for a cluster in the VirtualCenter inventory, all hosts in that cluster are configured to present identical CPU features and ensure CPU compatibility for vMotion. The features presented by each host are determined by selecting a predefined EVC baseline. VirtualCenter does not permit the addition of hosts that cannot be automatically configured to be compatible with the EVC baseline.

Solution

To use EVC, you must be running ESX 3.5 Update 2 or higher with VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2 or higher and have compatible processors in your servers. EVC does not allow for migration with VMotion between Intel and AMD processors.

Note: To search for supported EVC CPU types, see the charts below or refer to the WebHCL and search by EVC Modes.
 
Note the following restrictions:
  1. VMware cannot verify whether all processor models listed are capable of EVC support. For more information on supported servers and processors models, see the Systems Compatibility Guide for your ESX version.
  • Verify the BIOS settings for these processors enable Hardware Virtualization (if available) and Execute Protection. Default BIOS settings may not always enable these features. Hardware Virtualization is Intel VT on Intel processors and AMD-V on (supported) AMD processors. Execute Protection is Intel eXecute Disable (XD) on Intel processors and AMD No eXecute (NX) on AMD processors. For machines with AMD processors, under Processor Options, set No-Execute Page-Protection to Enabled. Until these CPU features are enabled, ESX hosts with EVC supported CPU types listed below will be unsupported.

    Note: XD is also listed as Execute Memory Protection under the processor option within the server BIOS.
    EVC capabilities of your server are based on two factors:
    1. The version of vCenter Server that manages the host.
    2. The underlying CPU architecture of the host processor.

      Tables 1.1 and 1.2 lists the available EVC baselines their description.      Table 2 describes EVC baselines supported by different vCenter Server versions.
      Tables 3.1 and 3.2 describe EVC baselines supported by different CPU architectures. 

    This section contains the following subjects:
    • Table 1.1: Description of Intel EVC Baselines
    • Table 1.2: Description of AMD EVC Baselines
    • Table 2: EVC Baselines supported in ESX releases
    • Table 3.1: EVC Baselines on Intel CPUs
    • Table 3.2: EVC Baselines on AMD CPUs
    • References 

    Table 1.1: Description of Intel EVC Baselines
    EVC BaselineDescription
    Intel®"Merom" Gen. (Intel® Xeon® Core™ 2)Applies baseline feature set of Intel® "Merom" Generation (Intel®Xeon® Core™2) processors to all hosts in the cluster.
    Intel® "Penryn" Gen. (Intel® Xeon® 45nm Core™ 2)Applies baseline feature set of Intel® "Penryn" Generation (Intel®Xeon® 45nm Core™2) processors to all hosts in the cluster.
    Compared to the Intel® "Merom" Generation EVC mode, this EVC mode exposes additional CPU features including SSE4.1
    Intel® "Nehalem" Gen. (Intel®Xeon® Core™ i7)Applies baseline feature set of Intel® "Nehalem" Generation (Intel® Xeon® Core™i7) processors to all hosts in the cluster.
    Compared to the Intel® "Penryn" Generation EVC mode, this EVC mode exposes additional CPU features including SSE4.2 and POPCOUNT
    Intel® "Westmere" Gen. (Intel®Xeon® 32nm Core™ i7)Applies baseline feature set of Intel® "Westmere" Generation (Intel® Xeon® 32nm Core™i7) processors to all hosts in the cluster. Compared to the Intel® "Nehalem" Generation mode, this EVC mode exposes additional CPU features including AES and PCLMULQDQ. 

    Note: Intel    ®i3/i5 Xeon®Clarkdale Series processors that do not support AESNI and PCLMULQDQ cannot be admitted to EVC modes higher than the Intel® "Nehalem" Generation mode. 
    Intel® "Sandy Bridge" Generation
    Applies baseline feature set of Intel® "Sandy Bridge" Generation processors to all hosts in the cluster. Compared to the Intel® "Westmere" Generation mode, this EVC mode exposes additional CPU features including AVX and XSAVE.
    Note: Intel® "Sandy Bridge" processors that do not support AESNI and PCLMULQDQ cannot be admitted to EVC modes higher than the Intel® "Nehalem" Generation mode.

    Table 1.2: Description of AMD EVC Baselines
    EVC BaselineDescription
    AMD Opteron™ Generation 1Applies baseline feature set of AMD Opteron™ Generation 1 (Rev. E) processors to all hosts in the cluster.
    AMD Opteron™ Generation 2Applies baseline feature set of AMD Opteron™ Generation 2 (Rev. F) processors to all hosts in the cluster.
    Compared to the AMD Opteron™ Generation 1 EVC mode, this EVC mode exposes additional CPU features including CPMXCHG16B and RDTSCP.
    AMD Opteron™ Generation 3Applies baseline feature set of AMD Opteron™ Generation 3 (Greyhound) processors to all hosts in the cluster.
    Compared to the AMD Opteron™ Generation 2 EVC mode, this EVC mode exposes additional CPU features including SSE4A, MisAlignSSE, POPCOUNT and ABM (LZCNT)
    AMD Opteron™ Generation 3 (no 3DNow!™ )Applies baseline feature set of AMD Opteron™ Generation 3 (Greyhound) processors, with 3DNow!™support removed, to all hosts in the cluster.

    This mode allows you to prepare clusters containing AMD hosts to accept AMD processors without 3DNow!    ™ support.
    AMD Opteron™ Generation 4
    Applies baseline feature set of AMD Opteron™ Generation 4 (Bulldozer) processors to all hosts in the cluster.
    Compared to the AMD Opteron™ Generation 3 (no 3DNow!™) EVC mode, this EVC mode exposes additional CPU features including SSSE3, SSE4.1, AES, AVX, XSAVE, XOP, and FMA4.

    Table 2 (part 1): EVC Baselines supported in vCenter Server releases
    EVC Cluster Baseline





    vCenter Server Release
    AMD Opteron™ Gen. 1
    AMD Opteron™ Gen. 2
    AMD Opteron™ Gen. 3
    AMD
    Opteron™
    Gen.
    3 
    (no 3DNow!    ™)
    AMD Opteron™ Gen. 4
    VirtualCenter 2.5 U2
    and later updates
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    No
    vCenter Server 4.0
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    vCenter Server 4.0 U1
    and later updates
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    vCenter Server 4.1
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    vCenter Server 5.0
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes

    Table 2 (part 2): EVC Baselines supported in vCenter Server releases
    EVC Cluster Baseline





    vCenter Server Release
    Intel® "Merom" Generation
    Intel® "Penryn" Generation
    Intel® "Nehalem" Generation
    Intel® "Westmere" Generation
    Intel® "Sandy Bridge" Generation
    VirtualCenter 2.5 U2
    and later updates
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    No
    vCenter Server 4.0
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    vCenter Server 4.0 U1
    and later updates
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    vCenter Server 4.1
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    vCenter Server 5.0
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes

    Table 3.1: EVC Baselines on Intel CPUs
    Note: In EVC clusters where the ESX host CPU model is Intel 3500 or 5500 series (Nehalem), ESX 3.5 Update 4 or later and VirtualCenter Server 2.5 Update 4 or later must be installed. For additional information, see VMotion fails with an RDTSCP error in EVC clusters where the ESX Host CPU Model is Intel 3500 series or 5500 series (Nehalem) (1011443). In EVC clusters where the ESX Host CPU model is Intel 3400 series, ESX 3.5 Update 5 or later and VirtualCenter Server 2.5 Update 5 or later must be installed. In EVC clusters where the ESX Host CPU model is Intel 7500 series, ESX 4.0 Update 1 or later and VirtualCenter Server 4.0 Update 1 or later must be installed.
    EVC Cluster Baseline





    Intel® Xeon®
    Host CPU Model
    Intel® "Merom"
    Generation
    Intel® "Penryn"
    Generation
    Intel® "Nehalem"
    Generation
    Intel® "Westmere"
    Generation
    Intel® "Sandy Bridge" Generation
    30xx Series
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    No
    32xx Series
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    No
    51xx Series
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    No
    53xx Series
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    No
    72xx Series
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    No
    73xx Series
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    No
    31xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    33xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    52xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    54xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    74xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    35xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    55xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    34xx Lynnfield Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    34xx Clarkdale Series 
    without AES and PCLMULQDQ
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    65xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    75xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    i3/i5 Clarkdale Series 
    without AES and PCLMULQDQ
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    34xx Clarkdale Series 
    with AES and PCLMULQDQ
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    28xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    36xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    48xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    56xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    88xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    i3/i5 Clarkdale Series 
    with AES and PCLMULQDQ
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    E7-28xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    E7-48xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    E7-88xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    E3-12xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    21xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    E5-26xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Legend: CPU Architecture
    Intel® "Merom" (Core™2)
    Intel® "Penryn" (45nm Core™2)
    Intel® "Nehalem" (Core™ i7)
    Intel® "Westmere" (32nm Core™ i7)
    Intel® "Sandy Bridge"
    Notes:
  • Table 3.2: EVC Baselines on AMD CPUs

    EVC Cluster Baseline





    AMD Opteron™
    Host CPU Model
    AMD Opteron™
    Generation 1
    EVC Mode
    AMD Opteron™
    Generation 2
    EVC Mode
    AMD Opteron™
    Generation 3
    EVC Mode
    AMD Opteron™ 
    Generation 3
    (no 3DNow!™)
    EVC Mode
    AMD Opteron™
    Generation 4
    EVC Mode
    1xx Series
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    No
    2xx Series
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    No
    8xx Series
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    No
    12xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    22xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    82xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    No
    No
    13xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    23xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    24xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    83xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    84xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    61xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    41xx Series
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    Yes
    No
    42xx Series
    No
    No
    No
    Yes
    Yes
    62xx Series
    No
    No
    No
    Yes
    Yes
    Legend: CPU Architecture
    AMD Opteron™ Generation 1 (Rev. E)
    AMD Opteron™ Generation 2 (Rev. F)
    AMD Opteron™ Generation 3 (Greyhound)
    AMD Opteron™ Generation 4 (Bulldozer)

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