Prerequisite#
If you are new to virtualization, it is recommended to review VMware’s ESXi Getting Started , which includes courses and guidance on potentially any current configuration that you may already have.
At least one NVIDIA data center GPU in a single NVIDIA AI Enterprise Compatible NVIDIA-Certified System. Recommended A100 for training and A30 for inference.
If using NVIDIA A100, the following BIOS settings are required:
Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) - Enabled
VT-d/IOMMU - Enabled
NVIDIA AI Enterprise License
VMware ESXi 7 Update 3 Hypervisor ISO
Ubuntu Server 20.04 amd64 ISO
NVIDIA AI Enterprise Software:
NVIDIA AI Enterprise Host Software (VIB)
NVIDIA Guest Driver
Note
The NVIDIA AI Enterprise Host Software (VIB) is loaded like a driver in the vSphere hypervisor and is then managed by the vCenter Server.
You may leverage the NVIDIA System Management interface (NV-SMI) management and monitoring tool for testing and benchmarking.
The following server configuration details are considered best practices:
Hyperthreading - Enabled
Power Setting or System Profile - High Performance
CPU Performance (if applicable) - Enterprise or High Throughput
Memory Mapped I/O above 4-GB - Enabled (if applicable)
Note
If NVIDIA card detection does not include all the installed GPUs, set this option to Enabled.