virtualbox 6 and esxi 6.5 memory shared

[antonio7000]

hello
I am writing an example to help you understand the problem:

i use vmware workstation pro and running many esxi 6.5 with 32gb memory configuration and guest os is windows 10 128gb ram

we understand that I can't turn on many esx with 32gb because the ram is not enough:
vmware automatically makes the share of the ram and therefore if I poweron many esx with 32gb the ram used will be only the "real one of esx" and also shared with other hosts.
Example:
esx1 32gb = used 8gb of guest ram
esx2 32gb = used 12gb of guest ram
esx3 32gb = used 6gb of guest ram
etc etc
Free ram of windows 10 guest decreases only when exs1 or esx2 or esx3 use really ram and then release the ram. This is perfect solution for poweron many esx.

Virtual box example:
esx1 32gb = used 32gb of guest ram
esx2 32gb = used 32gb of guest ram
esx3 32gb = used 32gb of guest ram
etc etc
and windows 10 guest ends the ram
if the esx don't use the ram: however virtualbox does not free ram and I can't keep other esx turned on (is big problem)

i have use this command:

Code: Select all

VBoxManage controlvm "VM name" guestmemoryballoon n
VBoxManage modifyvm "VM name" --pagefusion on

but I failed to recover the ram and share the ram between esx

help me

maybe virtualbox can't handle ram like vmware

thanks

[mpack]

Can you pose the question in VirtualBox terms, i.e. one that doesn't make the assumption that we are experts in what VMWare does?

The devs might be expected to understand VMware. But this is a user forum.

I can perhaps clear up one common misunderstanding about memory ballooning: if you allocate xGB of RAM to a VM then xGB is the minimum RAM the host will lose. If you use memory ballooning then some of that memory can be shared between running VMs, but the host definitely can't have it.

[antonio7000]

Thanks for the reply

I have already read your answers in the manual and to solve my problem the manual says to insert:

Code: Select all

VBoxManage modifyvm "VM name" --pagefusion on

but it does not solve the problem, the ram between the various esxi is not shared

I could only ask in this forum, I certainly can't write to the developers

thanks

[antonio7000]

Hello
you have email of developer for send my question via email?
thanks

[andyp73]

you have email of developer for send my question via email?

No. Your best hope if you want to try and talk to the devs directly is to use #vbox or #vbox-dev on IRC.

-Andy.

[socratis]

Antonio7000,

We need to see a complete VBox.log, from a complete VM run, where the problem occurs:

• Start the VM from cold-boot (not from a paused or saved state) / Observe problem / Shutdown the VM (force close it if you have to).
• With the VM completely shut down (not paused or saved), right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager and select "Show Log".
• Save only the first "VBox.log", ZIP it and attach it to your response. See the "Upload attachment" tab below the reply form.

I would also like to see the "recipe" of the VM, the ".vbox" file:

1. Right-click on the VM in the VirtualBox Manager. Select "Show in Finder/Explorer/Whatever".
2. ZIP the selected ".vbox" file and attach it to your response.

[antonio7000]

thanks
attach for log of 3 esx

[socratis]

"antonio7000", you had an exchange on IRC with "klaus". Do you want to summarize the key points for the benefit of future readers? TIA...

[antonio7000]

hi I describe what I understood

VirtualBox use two technologies to save ram:

1. GuestMemoryBalloon
2. PageFusion

These can be activated on the VM only by CLI command.

1. Balloon : releases the memory that a VM no longer uses, checking if the memory allocated is actually in use.
2. PageFusion: shares the same memory pages between several VM so as not to allocate another ram.

These two technologies do not release the host's RAM but can only avoid consuming other RAM, only VMware is able to free the ram allocated on the host.

These two technologies only work if the VirtualBox tools are installed on the virtual machine.

Esxi does not support installation of tools-virtualbox, "so it cannot use these two technologies"

On Windows you can install the tools so these technologies work.

[socratis]

Thank you antonio7000...

For completion, from the User Manual see ch. 4.10. Memory Overcommitment and sub-ch. 4.10.1. Memory Ballooning and 4.10.2. Page Fusion.