Please consult the documentation for your virtualization platform and hardware for specific configuration recommendations.

Solid state drive (SSD): Verify the host server's hard drives are sufficient. We strongly recommend using an SSD to host the ICE Server VM. ICE Server performance and stability are heavily dependent on (minimal) disk I/O latency, so an SSD is essential for successful deployment. Disk storage for the VM should be created by thick provisioning with highest shares allowed.

Since traditional spinning drives (HDD) are not recommended, if a customer is using one, then we can only provide support if the ICE Server VM is the only VM running on it. The ICE Server VM cannot be competing with other VMs for disk access. Also, if any drive does not pass the disk performance (speed) test, which is conducted during installation, then the drive is not capable of running ICE Server and the installation will fail. This is likely to be an issue for non-SSD hard drives.

Memory: Memory must not be oversubscribed. As a starting point, assume an amount equal to 25% of total VM memory usage should be allocated for memory overhead. For example, if there are two VMs on a host, and each uses 32Gb of memory (64Gb in total), then allocating an additional 16Gb (at least) for overhead is prudent. Please consult VMware product documentation for guidance on appropriate memory overhead based on VM size and type.

Processing: If hyperthreading, then the number of vcpus (cores) used must not be oversubscribed. As a starting point, assume an amount equal to 25% of total vcpus in use should be allocated for hyperthreading overhead. For example, if there are 2 VMs on a host, and each uses 8 vcpus (16 vcpus in total), then allocating an additional 4 vcpus (at least) for overhead is prudent. For hyperthreading, a minimum of 20 vcpus are recommended.

Hosting: Avoid deploying the ICE Server VM on virtualization hardware which also hosts other I/O intensive VMs, e.g., database servers, otherwise the installation will fail.

VM snapshot: Limit the ICE Server VM to two snapshots. Disk space equal to twice the size of the ICE deployment size should be available for the snapshots. For example, a medium sized ICE deployment of 750Gb, requires at least 1.5Tb of disk space for two snapshots. Delete snapshots after 48 hours. Follow this same guidance for other VMs sharing the same hardware. A build up of snapshots may result in adverse disk I/O performance due to lack of free disk space.

Virtual disk consolidation: If the ESXi console displays the VMware virtual machine disks consolidation is needed error message, please address the situation.

Virtual disk write cache configuration: When possible, always set the virtual disk write cache policy to write-back, rather than the default of write-through. Please consult VMware or your virtualization hardware vendor for additional information.

RAID controller firmware: It is essential to keep the RAID controller firmware up-to-date. Please consult VMware or your virtualization hardware vendor for additional information.

Required VM settings:

Compatibility = ESXi 6.5 (or later) virtual machine.

Note: Older versions are not recommended. Instant Connect does not support the use of obsolete hypervisors, such as VMware ESXi versions older than 6.5. Instant Connect cannot provide installation, performance, or server-related support to customers using these virtualization products.