---
title: "Key Features and Improvements in VMware 3.1"
description: "Comprehensive overview of new capabilities and enhancements in VMware ESX Server 3.1 and VirtualCenter 2.1"
author: "Colin McNamara"
tags: ["vmware","virtualization","storage","networking","datacenter","infrastructure"]
image: "https://colinmcnamara.com/images/blog/new-features-vmware-3-1/featured.png"
date: 2007-08-11
url: https://colinmcnamara.com/blog/new-features-vmware-3-1
---

# Key Features and Improvements in VMware 3.1

VMware's 3.1 release brings significant enhancements across multiple areas. Here's a comprehensive overview of the new features:

## Hardware and Infrastructure Improvements

### Storage Enhancements
- **Solid State Drive (SSD) Boot Support**
  - Special ESX Server version for OEM vendors
  - Enables ESX Server hardware appliances
  - Offers smaller form-factors and improved reliability
  - Dell and IBM support expected in Q3 2007

### Networking Capabilities
- Support for 10Gbit Ethernet network cards
- TCP/IP Offload Engine (TOE) network card support
- Enhanced network load balancing algorithms
- IPv6 support in virtual networking
- Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) integration

### Resource Scaling
- Support for up to 200 hosts and 2000 virtual machines
- Increased memory support:
  - 128GB RAM per host
  - 64GB RAM per virtual machine

## Management and Operations

### DMotion Improvements
- Hot migration between ESX 3.1 hosts via Ethernet
- No mandatory shared SAN LUN requirement
- Backwards compatibility with ESX 2.5.x hosts

### Update Manager 1.0
- Automated patch management system
- Supports both host and VM updates
- Compatible with Windows and Red Hat Enterprise Linux
- Automatic snapshot and rollback capabilities
- Integration with Shavlik Technologies

### Enhanced Security
- New Lockdown Mode
- Disables local admin access after VirtualCenter 2.1 remote control
- Improved disaster recovery capabilities for guest OS

## Infrastructure Management

### Server Consolidation Tools
- Built-in consolidation advisor
- Physical-to-virtual analysis capabilities
- VM placement optimization
- Integrated with VMware Converter 4.0

### Power Management
- Distributed Power Management feature
- Automated host power optimization
- Smart VMotion integration for resource efficiency

## Storage and Network Integration

### Storage Support
- SATA storage device support
- N_Port ID Virtualization (NPIV)
- VCB support for iSCSI SANs

### Network Integration
- CDP support for network topology discovery
- Potential third-party virtual switch support
- Para-virtualization guest OS support

This release represents a significant step forward in VMware's virtualization capabilities, particularly in areas of management automation, hardware support, and infrastructure scaling.