HP xw6600 Workstation – The Computer Setup F10 Utility: enabling Intel VT so you can run VMware ESXi or vSphere on it

On a HP XW6600, you can run ESXi 4 or run ESXi 5, but in yourder to run x64 guest VMs, you need to enable Intel VT in the BIOS first.

So, in the HP XW6600 BIOS, the choose the menu “Security”, then the submenu “OS Security” to get at these two options:

• Intel Virtualization Technology (VTx)—Enables or disables Intel Virtualization Technology to increase workstation performance.
• Intel IO Virtualization—Enables or disables Virtualization Technology to increase workstation I/O performance.

When you enable both VT options, then VMware ESX/ESXi/vSphere can run x64 guests with full VT support (otherwise you will get a friendly warning message when you try to setup or run such a guest VM).

I also have this item from the same menu enabled for security reasons:

• Data Execution Prevention—Enables or disables Data Execution Prevention mode in the processors. This mode prohibits code from running in pages that were set up as data pages, and prevents attacks such as buffer overflows. Operating system support is required for this feature.

I have not used the other options in the same menu:

• OS Management of Embedded Security Device—Enables or disables the ability of the operating system to control the TPM device, including turning it on and off, initializing it, and resetting it.
• Reset of Embedded Security Device through OS—Enables or disables the ability of the operating system to reset the TPM.

–jeroen

via: HP xw6600 Workstation – The Computer Setup F10 Utility – c01316844 – HP Business Support Center.