Virtualising New Server

[SimpleSi]

Decided quickest way to get new server up and running was to bring it home and set up tonight

Thought - I've got Xeon processor - gigabytes of ram - should be easy/quick to create a virtual server

Set up basic machine and then decided to see if VMWare has been updated since I last did this a year ago and and download VMServer 2 - then the fun and games started

W2k3 didn't even want to run it until I'd altered local sec policy and then I find they've completly changed the UI to some sort of web thingy!

No doubt there'll be a few more suprises along the way

Simon

[FN-GM]

Yep i got that message this is what you do to get it running

Click Start -> Control Panel
Open Administrative Tools
Open Local Security Settings
Click Software Restriction Policies
If no software restrictions are defined, right click the Software Restriction Policies node and select New Software Restriction Policy
Double click Enforcement
Select "All users except local administrators"
Click OK
Reboot the machine

[somabc]

Alternatives to VMware Server 2 include VMware ESXi and Microsoft Hyper-V server, both are free and as 'bare-metal' hypervisors should give you better performance.

I'm currently using ESXi at home but it does have limited hardware support so YMMV

[googlemad]

...And Hyper V requires (hardware) processor virtualization support does it not?

I have ESXi sat on a Dell C521 in my house believe it or not!

[tmcd35]

I think what Somabc was referring to is how picky ESX(i) is with the hardware it will run on. As in you must have the right motherboard chipset, graphics card, network card(s), scsi card(s), etc. If your hardware is on VMWare's 'Harware Compatibility List' you may have un-resolvable driver problems which will effect or stop ESX.

Yes the only hardware requirement for Hyper-V (and Xen of you want to run Windows VM's) is a processor running either Intel-VT or AMD-V. Hyper-V (and Xen) will run on almost any box.

[SimpleSi]

I've used the basic VMServer as my virtualisation tool for a couple of years now - I use it in schools to convert my old Win98 machines into VMs and then run them inside a new w2k3 install.

The main problem I ran into last night is that due to doing the install via VNC from my NC10 ( ), I (i think VNC sent a key twice) entered the wrong admin password twice

Tried all combinations - gave up - tried using my NT password resetting cd - wouldn't regcognise that I had a valid NTFS partition (all this is virtual so you can imagine how much fun it was )

So, re-did the virtual w2k3 server again and then started on the Win98vm so i could just copy by backup file from the broken oringal machine - I couldn't get the VM to recognise the CD drive once it had got past the boot screen- finally switched VM setting from ATAPDI to direct and it worked

Then my trusty Win98SE disc failed - a small bit of the CD is damanaged and it wouldn't copy one of the cab files

Never mind - I've come to one of my other schools and I'll just copy an exisiting Win98VM - of course I hope VMServer2 will take VMServer 1 VMs?

(ANd I'll root out another Win98 cd that'll be buired somewhere in the ICT Co-ord cupboard

regards

Simon

[tmcd35]

Then my trusty Win98SE disc failed - a small bit of the CD is damanaged and it wouldn't copy one of the cab files

(ANd I'll root out another Win98 cd that'll be buired somewhere in the ICT Co-ord cupboard

Hope you learned your lesson! Always keep .iso copies of your system discs so you can always burn a new as required. Also never use the original copy, always work from backups.

[Ric_]

@SimpleSi: I know you like to keep things simple so you may also want to consider XenServer Express from Citrix. You shove the CD in, answer a couple of questions and it's done.

[SimpleSi]

. You shove the CD in, answer a couple of questions and it's done.

I think you've spent too much time with DB and succumbed to his rosy view of IT

Nothing in IT behaves like youi've described

The last thing I thought that just worked (press switch for computer, press switch for camera) was Avervision Visulisers - until yesterday when one of them locked up and took 30 mins to get it to display a stable image again

regards

Simon

[powdarrmonkey]

I think you've spent too much time with DB and succumbed to his rosy view of IT

Nothing in IT behaves like youi've described

I beg to differ. I had a similar experience capturing all our existing server with Xen, it was the easiest morning's work I've ever had.