Aug 3, 2009 1
VMware VMDirectPath I/O
What is VMware VMDirectPath I/O?
VMDirectPath allows guest operating systems to directly access an I/O device, bypassing the virtualization layer. This direct path, or passthrough can improve performance for VMware ESX systems that utilize high-speed I/O devices, such as 10 Gigabit Ethernet. A single VM can connect to up to two passthrough devices.
VMDirectPath I/O is experimentally supported for the following Storage and Network I/O devices:
- QLogic QLA25xx 8 Gb Fibre Channel adapters
- Emulex LPe12000 8 Gb Fibre Channel adapters
- LSI 3442e-R and 3801e (1068 chip based) 3 Gb SAS adapters
- Intel 82598 10 Gigabit Ethernet controller
- Broadcom 57710 and 57711 10 Gigabit Ethernet controllers
VMware regularly adds support for new hardware. Check your hardware’s support at the VMware Hardware Compatibility Guide portal.
