ESXI-8 Intel x550 x540 different vendors compatibility

[kowa]

Hi,
I am quite new here and not sure if this post should be here or in the network section.

I am building a new esxi host for non production use and wondering if anybody can explain the VMware compatible guide for me. How do parts end there, is it the manufacturer that needs to get its parts approved or how does it work.

More specifically I am looking for a 10gbase-t card for that server and I am searching on the used market for intel x550 or maybe x540 as it looks like they have good compatibility and hopefully do so a couple of years to come as well.

What I find strange is that the original intel cards are on the VMware list for the latest version but some other cards for example the silicom ones with the same chip that I find nice are only supported up to esxi 6. Is that because they are not tested and verified but will have the same compatibility as the standard intel ones now and in the future? Silicom links to the intel pages for drivers so it looks like the intel drivers should work for the cards.

Thanks for any help or tips I can get.

 

[i386]

My guess is that the certification (or better the access to the different tools/benchmarks) costs a lot of money.

How do parts end there, is it the manufacturer that needs to get its parts approved or how does it work.

Vmware has a certification process in which you need to run certain scripts, tools & benchmarks. If they run error free your hardware is compatible with the specific esxi version and the hardware will be added by vmware to their compatibility list.

What I find strange is that the original intel cards are on the VMware list for the latest version but some other cards for example the silicom ones with the same chip that I find nice are only supported up to esxi 6. Is that because they are not tested and verified but will have the same compatibility as the standard intel ones now and in the future? Silicom links to the intel pages for drivers so it looks like the intel drivers should work for the cards.

(my guess) they probably didn't go through certifciation process because they use "vanilla" intel stuff and know that if intel passes the certification process than their hardware will pass too

Edit: A link to vmwares site and the certification kits https://developer.vmware.com/certifications