[lug] What is a good virtual for installing Windows into?

[Jason Vallery]

I'm a big fan of VMware ESXi.  I need a number of boxes for the development,
configuration, and test of the work that I do.   With VMware I can easily
spin up virtual boxes as needed.   You can use their free converter utility
to virtualize any physical machine.   This is great for when I start work
with a new client and they force you to use their laptop to connect to their
VPN.   I quickly just pull an image of the laptop and convert for ESXi.
The laptop goes in the closet and I can work remotely on their network from
the virtual machine.

The downside is that it requires dedicated hardware, ideally from their
Whitebox HCL  (http://www.vm-help.com/esx40i/esx40_whitebox_HCL.php).   If
you can afford it though it offers a really fantastic solution for no
software cost.   I have a mix of virtual Windows Server 2008R2, Windows XP,
Vista, 7, and several Linux distros running on mine.   The performance is
really amazing.   It actually shocks me that they are virtual sometimes.

My whitebox config:

VMware ESXi 4.1.0
Motherboard:  Supermicro X8SAX
Processor:  i7-920
Memory:  Crucial 24GB
Storage controller:  Adaptec 2405
Disks:  4 x 2TB SATA (Seagate Barracuda LP)

-JV



On Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 10:54 AM, Ken Weinert <kenw at quarter-flash.com>wrote:

>  I know, I know - but I need Windows to remote in to work and I have
> some web sites that I have to ensure work under IE. I no longer have any
> Windows at home and I'd rather run it as a virtual than as a dual boot.
>
> A related question: which version of Windows runs easiest in a virtual?
>
> Thanks for any pointers.
>
> Ken
>
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-- 
Jason Vallery
jason at vallery.net

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