Compatibility Validation for VMware ESXi Drivers on Cloud Bare-Metal Platforms

Abstract

Compatibility of VMware ESXi drivers is critical for installing, running, and efficiently utilizing resources on cloud bare-metal platforms. Nonetheless, disparities in terms of server hardware, network interface cards, storage controller, firmware, and versions of drivers could present challenges in the compatibility process. This research work presents a validated framework for testing ESXi driver compatibility. The methodology considers five major areas such as hardware compatibility, installation compatibility, network compatibility, storage compatibility, and system stability by testing a simulated sample of 30 configurations classified into documented-supported, conditional, and incompatible. The example outcomes suggest that the compatibility test pass rate is 53.33% where 10/10 documented-supported pass the initial compatibility test as opposed to 6/10 conditional and 0/10 incompatible configurations.  The above findings have shown the usefulness of conducting systematic compatibility tests and phased validation prior to deployment in production. Nevertheless, the outcomes are hypothetical and need to be validated by means of physical hardware testing, driver logging, and deployment documentation. The suggested framework offers an approach that can help to identify the risk of incompatibility and decrease installation failures.