VMware

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VMware
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What is VMware?

• VMware is virtual machine software
• It runs multiple operating systems on a single
  computer
• Its an excellent testing and development
  platform
• Its an enterprise-class server as well
• Its a paradigm shift

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Flavors of VMware

• VMware Workstation
• GSX Server
• ESX Server

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VMware Workstation

• Current version is 5.5
• Evaluation license key is valid for 30 days
• This is a full working version
• VMware has extended this for additional
  evaluation time if necessary
• Runs on Windows or Linux
• Retails for 189
• Upgrades after a year are 95 a workstation

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GSX Server

• Able to run multiple servers or workstations on a
  single box
• Meant for a small size server environments and
  larger-scale test environments
• Scales to allow a test Active Directory domain,
  client/server environment, etc.
• Can run on Windows or Linux
• Retails for 1400 for a dual processor system
• But you can do better than that!

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ESX Server

• Enterprise-class virtual server
• This is meant more for a live environment
• ESX Server is built directly into a custom Linux
  kernel to optimize performance, stability, and
  modularization
• Pricing call them. We just purchased this for a
  2 processor system with a bundled package for
  3500.

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Why VMware Workstation is good

• Saves the average administrator and developer
  hundreds of hours a year by allowing rapid,
  modular and convenient tests
• You can run Windows on Linux and Linux on Windows
• You can do presentations involving OS-based
  demonstrations on the same piece of hardware as
  the presentation using multiple VMware systems
• Its VERY cheap

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Why GSX Server is good

• Its less expensive than ESX Server
• It allows for multi-processor environments and
  rapid tests of multiple systems
• You can run a few servers or workstations on a
  single system
• If youre not comfortable with Linux, you can use
  a Windows Server as the host OS

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Why ESX Server is good

• Create new systems faster with reduced hardware
  needs allowing for tailored and scalable memory
  and processor utilization
• Decouple application workloads from underlying
  physical hardware for increased flexibility- read
  this is to separate your server applications and
  services onto individual servers (DNS, DHCP, SMS,
  IIS, AD, FTP, Brightmail, Sendmail, whatever).
• Dramatically lower the cost of business
  continuity- if your virtual system dies, crank of
  a new box and run a restore in just a few minutes

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Things you can do to impress your friends

• You can build a base test image, take a snapshot,
  run multiple tests on it, destroy it, and then
  just revert back like nothing happened
• You can clone it for future work or pass it on to
  someone
• You can set up small server-client/server test
  environments
• I have an parallel Active Directory domain
  complete with an Exchange Server, SQL Server, IIS
  box, etc.
• You can join your own domain and test concepts
  from permissions to group policy
• You can pause in the middle of working on a
  project and come back to it later

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Things you can do to impress yourself

• Run Symantec ghost into or out of your VMware
  system- Dell GX1s and Pentium III systems work,
  others may not. In other words- put your current
  system into VMware easily. You can use the import
  tool for this as well.
• Test out multi-homing systems by adding
  additional virtual NICs
• Really learn how to script/MSI package by doing
  some really potentially destructive ones without
  hurting your live systems
• Virtual Teams- set up a template system,
  distribute tests without damaging the original

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Things you can do to impress your boss

• Leverage VMware to drastically improve your speed
  of testing, server, and workstation deployment
• Do live demonstrations of concepts using VMware
  systems to drive a good point home
• Reduce your wasted time by pre-configuring images
  that are in various stages of deployment

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Things you can do to impress your users

• More thoroughly test upgrades, rollouts, and
  deployments to perfect the concept before going
  live. This means way less downtime for users and
  of course- a more polished look
• Learn how to script if youve got more than just
  a few computers. This is a great platform to
  teach yourself on!
• Learn how to MSI package software with custom
  builds and try deploying these onto test systems
  using Group Policy- computer goes on, and so does
  the new software- without fumbling!

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Recommendations

• Minimum of a 1 GHz processor, 512MB RAM, 80GB
  drive
• What I recommend for testing 3GHz processor,
  1GB RAM, 15k RPM SCSI purely for live VMware
  systems, 80GB drive for image storage

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Useful links

• http//www.vmware.com
• Dont want vmware? Try Virtual Server 2005 R2 by
  Microsoft http//www.microsoft.com/windowsservers
  ystem/virtualserver/default.mspx
• Or Virtual PC 2004 http//www.microsoft.com/windo
  ws/virtualpc/default.mspx
• Buy from http//www.programmersparadise.com