Virtualization Servers (VMware / Hyper-V / Proxmox)

Virtualization hosts have a different hardware profile than bare-metal database servers — they prioritise core count, memory density, network adapter count, and predictable IOPS over raw CPU clock speed.

The sweet spot for a modern VMware ESXi / Microsoft Hyper-V / Proxmox VE host is 24-32 physical cores, 384-768 GB DDR4 memory across 24 DIMM slots, four 10/25 GbE NICs (two for management, two for VM traffic), and either local NVMe in a vSAN ready node configuration or HBA-mode connection to an external NVMe-over-Fabrics array.

Pro Disk Network stocks the platforms certified on VMware's HCL and Microsoft's WSSD program: Dell PowerEdge R740 / R740xd / R750, HP ProLiant DL380 Gen9 / Gen10 / Gen11, Cisco UCS C240 M5 / M6, and Lenovo ThinkSystem SR650 V2. Every unit shipped is tested for VMware boot from BOSS card, Intel VT-x / AMD-V passthrough, and SR-IOV NIC support.

Licensing tip: VMware vSphere is now licensed per core (after Broadcom acquisition). A 32-core host on Standard licensing runs ~$3K/year — Pro Disk Network can quote OEM-bundle vSphere licensing where the manufacturer permits, often at 30-50% off list.

Featured Virtualization Servers (VMware / Hyper-V / Proxmox)

Frequently Asked Questions

How much RAM should a VMware ESXi host have?

Plan 8-16 GB per VM you intend to host, plus 32 GB for the hypervisor itself. For a 30-VM consolidation, 256-384 GB is typical. The most common configuration we ship is 512 GB across 16× 32 GB DDR4-3200 RDIMMs in a Dell R740 or HPE DL380 Gen10.

Should I use BOSS card or hardware RAID for ESXi boot?

Use BOSS — it's a dedicated mirrored M.2 SATA card just for the hypervisor, with no impact on the production storage controller. Dell BOSS cards (S1, S2) are stocked separately. For older platforms without a BOSS slot, a 32-64 GB SATA SSD on the internal SATA port is the second-best option.

Can I use refurbished hardware for production VMware?

Yes, with two caveats: (1) verify the host is on the current VMware HCL for your vSphere version (HPE Gen8 platforms drop off the HCL with vSphere 8), and (2) buy spare DIMMs and a spare PSU at the same time — failure rates on used DIMMs after 5-7 years climb.

Do you stock Hyper-V cluster-validated hardware?

Yes — every server we list under the virtualization category is certified for either VMware vSphere or Microsoft WSSD/Hyper-V. Cisco UCS B-series and HPE Synergy frames are particularly common for Microsoft S2D (Storage Spaces Direct) hyperconverged deployments.

Other Use-Case Hardware

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Server Virtualization & HCI Hub

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VMware vSphere, Hyper-V, Proxmox, KVM, Nutanix AHV — hardware sizing, licensing math, deployment.

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