| 
VMWare ESXi 5.0 Hosts
Our host servers are configured with the latest ESXi 5.0 version of the host software from VMWare. ESXi is a "bare-metal" hypervisor, meaning it installs directly on top of the physical server and partitions it into multiple virtual machines that can run simultaneously, sharing the physical resources of the underlying server. VMware introduced ESXi in 2007 to deliver industry-leading performance and scalability while setting a new bar for reliability, security and hypervisor management efficiency. ESXi has drastically reducied the hypervisor code-base footprint (less than 150MB vs. ESX's 2GB) and it is completing the ongoing trend of migrating management functionality from the local command line interface to remote management tools.
VMware ESXi runs independently of an operating system and improves hypervisor management in the areas of security, deployment and configuration, and ongoing administration as well as achieving the following benefits:
Improved Reliability and Security — with fewer lines of code and independence from general purpose OS, ESXi drastically reduces the risk of bugs or security vulnerabilities and makes it easier to secure your hypervisor layer.
Streamlined Deployment and Configuration — ESXi has far fewer configuration items than ESX, greatly simplifying deployment and configuration and making it easier to maintain consistency.
Higher Management Efficiency — The API-based, partner integration model of ESXi eliminates the need to install and manage third party management agents. You can automate routine tasks by leveraging remote command line scripting environments such as vCLI or PowerCLI.
Simplified Hypervisor Patching and Updating — Due to its smaller size and fewer components, ESXi requires far fewer patches than ESX, shortening service windows and reducing security vulnerabilities.