Overview#
This guide provides step-by-step instructions to deploy NVIDIA vGPU software in a VMware vSphere environment. It assumes familiarity with virtualization environments and NVIDIA vGPU technology. For a comprehensive overview of NVIDIA vGPU architecture, licensing, and sizing, refer to the following documentation:
Supported NVIDIA GPUs#
Ensure your deployment uses NVIDIA GPUs compatible with vGPU software and supported on VMware vSphere. For a complete list of supported NVIDIA GPUs and validated server platforms, please refer to our VMware vSphere release notes.
Note
Some GPUs support display-off and display-enabled modes. For vGPU software deployments, they must be used in display-off mode. For more information, see Switching the Mode of a GPU that Supports Multiple Display Modes.
Choosing Your Hardware#
Ensure your hardware is certified by NVIDIA and compatible with VMware vSphere. Also, see the hardware requirements for VMware vSphere.
General Prerequisites#
Download valid vGPU licenses.
Refer to the VMware vSphere release notes to find the appropriate vGPU software driver versions to use.
Refer to the VMware vSphere release notes for supported Windows and Linux guest OS versions.
Warning
NVIDIA vGPU software supports only 64-bit guest operating systems. No 32-bit guest operating systems are supported.
NVIDIA vGPU software supports assigning multiple vGPUs to a single VM, but the maximum number is limited. For detailed information, see vGPUs that Support Multiple vGPUs Assigned to a VM.
Server BIOS Settings#
Configure the BIOS for your physical hosts as described below:
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)
SR-IOV enabled
VT-d/IOMMU - Enabled