I don't have an NVX to test this on but basically it's an x86 architecture which would mean that it should work in principle. You'd have to remember not to compile for x64 though and also I wouldn't expect any kind of performance to write home about. The NVX has a 1.1Ghz single core chip which is significantly slower. Also there's only 1GB of memory and I'm not sure how far that can be upgraded. My PRO on the other hand has been upgraded to a 2.4Ghz, 4MB Cache Core2Duo E6600 as well as 4GB of RAM and it is still taking quite a performance hit when running VMs.
So I'd say it works as a kind of "playground" but I wouldn't recommend it for any form of real workload.
I tried to install VMWare Server on the ReadyNAS Pro back in March of 2009, but was not successful. Until today I was not aware that this has been done successfully. One application that could really be used with the VMWare Server running on the ReadyNAS is installing Asterisk, or rather trixbox, which is Asterisk, Web GUI, Webmin, and other tools together with a distro of CentOS. This way you could run a home IP telephony PBX on the ReadyNAS. Have you tried to do this? Are you interested in trying?
Also, how confident are you that if these steps are tried on the ReadyNAS Pro that holds important data, there is no risk to losing the data?
I tried to install VMware on a readynas 4.2.13 system. I got this result: (it did run for a while(the make part) and exited with an error, i lost the first error, but last lines where the same) ReadyNasPro1:/c/temp/GPL/linux-2.6.33.6# make ARCH=x86_64 oldconfig && make ARCH=x86_64 scripts/kconfig/conf -o arch/x86/Kconfig # # configuration written to .config # scripts/kconfig/conf -s arch/x86/Kconfig CHK include/linux/version.h CHK include/generated/utsrelease.h CALL scripts/checksyscalls.sh CHK include/generated/compile.h LZMA arch/x86/boot/compressed/vmlinux.bin.lzma /bin/sh: lzma: command not found MKPIGGY arch/x86/boot/compressed/piggy.S arch/x86/boot/compressed/vmlinux.bin.lzma: No such file or directory AS arch/x86/boot/compressed/piggy.o gcc: arch/x86/boot/compressed/piggy.S: No such file or directory gcc: no input files make[2]: *** [arch/x86/boot/compressed/piggy.o] Error 1 make[1]: *** [arch/x86/boot/compressed/vmlinux] Error 2 make: *** [bzImage] Error 2
When you're building the new kernel, you don't have to actually install the kernel image (that's your errors). All you need is a path to the kernel modules needed for the VMware install. I get the same errors, just continue with my script.
Just a quick noob question: When I log in into the readynas I get this line: Linux ReadyNasPro1 2.6.33.6.RNx86_64.2.1 #1 SMP Tue Jul 27 13:21:19 PDT 2010 x86_64 GNU/Linux
Does this indicate that it is a 64 bit kernel running on the readynas?
If it is a 64 bit system, shouldn't i install the 64 bit VMWare server version?
It is a 64bit kernel. I'm not entirely sure about the VMware versions, I'm running a 64bit guest VM fine with what I described in my how-to. Report back with what you find out.
I tried to install it with this file: VMware-server-2.0.2-203138.x86_64.tar.gz
It gave this output:
ReadyNasPro1:/c/temp/vmware-server-distrib# ./vmware-install.pl This version of "VMware Server" is incompatible with this operating system. Please install the "i386" version of this program instead.
I tried installing this onto my ReadyNas Pro running 4.2.15. The only step I changed was grabbing the 4.2.15 GPL. When I ran vmware-install.pl I get the following after I accept the license. Does anyone have any advise for this error? I am a newbie.
None of the pre-built vmmon modules for VMware Server is suitable for your running kernel. Do you want this program to try to build the vmmon module for your system (you need to have a C compiler installed on your system)? [yes]
Using compiler "/usr/bin/gcc". Use environment variable CC to override.
What is the location of the directory of C header files that match your running kernel? [/usr/src/linux/include]
Extracting the sources of the vmmon module.
Building the vmmon module.
Using 2.6.x kernel build system. make: Entering directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only' make -C /usr/src/linux/include/.. SUBDIRS=$PWD SRCROOT=$PWD/. modules make[1]: Entering directory `/c/vmware/GPL/linux-2.6.33.7'
WARNING: Symbol version dump /c/vmware/GPL/linux-2.6.33.7/Module.symvers is missing; modules will have no dependencies and modversions.
CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driver.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/driverLog.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/linux/hostif.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/comport.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/cpuid.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/hashFunc.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/memtrack.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/phystrack.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/task.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/common/vmx86.o CC [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/vmcore/moduleloop.o LD [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/vmmon.o Building modules, stage 2. MODPOST 1 modules CC /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/vmmon.mod.o LD [M] /tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only/vmmon.ko make[1]: Leaving directory `/c/vmware/GPL/linux-2.6.33.7' cp -f vmmon.ko ./../vmmon.o make: Leaving directory `/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only' Unable to make a vmmon module that can be loaded in the running kernel: insmod: error inserting '/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon.o': -1 Invalid module format There is probably a slight difference in the kernel configuration between the set of C header files you specified and your running kernel. You may want to rebuild a kernel based on that directory, or specify another directory.
For more information on how to troubleshoot module-related problems, please visit our Web site at "http://www.vmware.com/go/unsup-linux-products" and "http://www.vmware.com/go/unsup-linux-tools".
Just successfully installed vmware-server on my new ReadyNAS Ultra 4(fresh 4.2.15), and upgraded memory to 2GB, using the instructions in post 1. Of course some minor things are different(kernel source version paths etcetera), but other than that, it just works. Did a quick test with a pfSense firewall, and it boots and installed fine. Performance doesn't seem that bad, considering the Ultra 4's Atom D410, but will report back later when i've put a Windows server on it.
The crazy thing is, i've bought the readynas for (NFS/iSCSI) storage for my ESX server at home. On the ESX server there are 2 very low-resource servers, one Windows 2003 R2 domain controller/DNS/DHCP/fileserver, and one Linux CentOS webserver(which is with PHP/Mysql on the readynas, not necessary anymore ). Now I could end up running those VM('s) on my readyNAS :D. Saving power and the environment, and more importantly: my money.
Thanks guys for making this possible!! I've got a very very happy nerdy feeling right now 🙂
Update: Windows 2003R2 is working well on the readynas. Copy files to/from it isn't very fast, but it's working fine as DC/DHCP/DNS server.
Also had a problem with vmware server not working after a reboot. After starting /etc/init.d/vmware manually it gave the error:
VMware Server is installed, but it has not been (correctly) configured for your running kernel. To (re-)configure it, your system administrator must find and run "vmware-config.pl". For more information, please see the VMware Server documentation.
Did run vmware-config.pl, but after a reboot, the problem was back.
If something goes wrong with the init script /etc/init.d/vmware(and that seems to be the case every time I reboot), the script creates a file in /etc/vmware named "not_configured" Next time you reboot Vmware doesn't start because this file is there.
"Solved it" by editing the init script /etc/init.d/vmware, so that it doesn't create that file(commented out the part under " # Set the 'not configured' flag" ).
VM usage can have serious impact on NAS performance, you can mitigate that somewhat by fiddling with the process priority for your VMs on the NAS. Just re-nice the vmx processes to a lower priority setting.
On firmware upgrades, it's typically necessary to re-compile the necessary modules and re-configure the vmware server. Depending on how much got changed in the linux kernel - if there's a new one in the firmware - it can get really fiddly.
Thanks for the follow up. Subsequent to asking I remembered I could throttle the VMs inside so I think I can handle that. As for the firmware updates, I think I'll hold off on those until you give the go ahead. 😉
I had trouble accessing the server through the latest VI Client. It always wants to download the 2.x Windows client, which wasn't available, probably because it was compiled through source. My interim solution was to use the an old client (2.0 was the best I could find which has issues on Windows 7). I came across this post: http://www.linux.com/community/blogs/ac ... d-way.html With the downloaded files I can access using the 4.1 client. You probably know that, but others might not.
I don't mean to keep posting, but I've found this so useful because it enables me to run the add-ons I want as opposed to those that developers make available.
I started running a Linux server vm 24/7. It only has 500MB of memory assigned, but somehow it created enough files in /tmp/vmware-root that it paused the VM because the VMware Server ran out of space.
Hello, thanks to your work, I have just ordered the new ReadyNAS Ultra 2 plus as well as 4Gb of RAM to run VMs at home. I want to get rid of my PC and do everything via my Ipad and extra stuff shall be performed via VNC/RDP on VMs I wonder how much this NAS is upgradable? Do you have any ideas? What is the MAX RAM you have installed on your appliances? As soon as I get the device, I will install the vmware server and update you. Hopefully, everything will work smoothly 🙂
Sorry guys, I'm calling it quits for VMware Server 2 on the ReadyNAS platform as of 4.2.16. 😞
If you want to use VMware on the NAS, you *have* to use a firmware prior to 4.2.16. Anything more recent, there just are no patches to make VMware work with the more recent linux kernels used on the NAS.
