This release of Oracle VM Server supports x86_64 host hardware only. Oracle VM Server requires a 64-bit processor with at least an i686-class processor on the host computer. This includes all Intel Pentium Pro or newer, and all AMD Athlon/Duron processors or newer. At least a Pentium 4 or Athlon CPU is recommended.

For hardware virtualized (unmodified) guest operating systems (for example, Microsoft Windows), a CPU with hardware virtualization support is required. This includes some Intel Pentium D, Core, Core2 and Xeon models, and some AMD Athlon and Opteron models. This feature may also need to be enabled in the BIOS. Please refer to your processor documentation for information on whether your processor supports hardware virtualization and how to enable it in the BIOS.

A dual core CPU or multiple CPUs are recommended to run multiple guests.

The minimum memory requirement is 1 GB RAM, although it is recommended you have a computer with at least 2 GB RAM. Guest memory requirements vary for each guest operating system. You should perform your own memory sizing for guest operating systems.

It is also worth noting that if you intend to connect to SAN-based physical disks, memory consumption increases on the server for each LUN or target by around 1 MB per LUN or target. If hundreds of LUNs are to be attached to the server, you must scale memory requirements appropriately.