MCSE ..VMWARE question

Andr3w

Hi,

I intend to learn this MCSE. I am new to this MCSE and VMWare.

I have e2160 Intel Dual CPU, 1GB DDR-RAM2, 80GB (divided into 3 partition).

I intend to read those MS Press books to prepare for MCSE.

I have a few questions. Hope somebody can help me.

1) VMWare Server / VMWare Workstation
Which is better to prepare for this MCSE exams? I do not care about the cost factor. The ease of use and setup and suitability for learning is what important to me.

2) I have Windows XP installed in my main partition. Do I need to uninstall that 1st before i install VMWare or can I just install VMWare straight away?
(Sorry as I never use VMWare before and I do no want to mess up my com)

3) When I setup those VMWare and Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP (if I have to), will it affect my 3 partitions? Meaning in the middle of all those, will I suddenly be in a situation where I have to destroy all my partition and repartition again? This is very important because all my important files on those other partitions will be lost right?

Hope someone can answer my this noob questions.

hetty

1. I would go with VMware workstation
2. Install it like any other program
3. If you are going to run out of space then maybe. Your files should be moved to another drive before repartitioning.

Best solution would be to buy another hard drive and add another 1gb or 2gb of RAM to your machine IMO.

dynamik

hetty wrote:

1. I would go with VMware workstation
2. Install it like any other program
3. If you are going to run out of space then maybe. Your files should be moved to another drive before repartitioning.

Best solution would be to buy another hard drive and add another 1gb or 2gb of RAM to your machine IMO.

Yep. I prefer Workstation as well. Server is a great product, and it's free, but it's missing some of the features I like in Workstation. The installation is a little more involved than a regular program. It hooks itself into the OS and adds some additional networking components. I've never had a problem installing or uninstalling it, but you may wish to backup if you have something critical on your system. You can either create a file which will be the hard drive for your VMs (default behavior) or you can specify a partition or physical device. I agree with the memory upgrade. 1gb will give you about 512mb for the host OS and 256mb for each server machine. That'll get you buy for awhile, but you're probably going to want more things running later on. You can drop your servers down to 128mb, but they'll be a bit sluggish. VMWare offers a 30 day trial, so download it and check it out. If you find you're not using the Workstation-specific features, just go with Server and save some money.

undomiel

Another alternative you may wish to consider is virtualbox. http://www.virtualbox.org/ I've found it easier for use and configuration than vmware personally. For instance, network connectivity worked right out of the box unlike vmware for me.

dynamik

Blasphemy!

I've actually heard some good things about VirtualBox, and it'll only get better now that SUN is behind it. Have you tried the new version yet? It looks like it came out less than a week ago. I haven't used it yet myself. I wonder if it'll install inside of a VM in Workstation...

undomiel

New version is what I've been using on my new machine actually. I installed it and started it up and boom new splash screen. That was different. Then found out that it will start-up VMs now out of the box instead of having to turn on the kernel driver under linux. That was a huge plus because I was always forgetting to start that up first. Other than that it has been running great for me. So yeah I'd recommend checking it out.

HeroPsycho

I personally would use VMWare. Even if it's more complex, actual experience with VMWare is an additional valuable experience employers are looking for.

Workstation vs. Server?

If you're gonna run the VM's on your local box, or need more advanced snapshot functionality, go with Workstation.

Me? I built a computer specifically for VMWare, so Server is a better choice for that because you can access the VM's on any machine you install the client. Since my wife is also trying to learn Sharepoint, it made sense to use Server.

Andr3w

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the replies.

If just say I have VMware workstation already in hand, I am safe to say there is no point in using those free VMware server, virtualpc , virtualbox...?

Something that must be paid is always better right? (or I am wrong :P)

I am just wondering is those easier/suitable to use/configure/setup for the purpose of certification learning.

hetty

Andr3w wrote:

If just say I have VMware workstation already in hand, I am safe to say there is no point in using those free VMware server, virtualpc , virtualbox...?

Something that must be paid is always better right? (or I am wrong :P)

If you have workstation, then you probably wont need or want the others.

As for paid-for is better, depends on what it is, and what it does. Doesnt always mean its better, but in this case it is.

dynamik

Like Hero stated, it depends on your needs. You can use their Server product as a service and have it automatically start machines, etc. It's free and it may suit you needs better. You can certainly do everything you need to in Workstation. I've played around with other things, but I've used Workstation for all my actual studies. If you don't need the functionality of Workstation, go with something else. There's no sense paying for something you're not going to use. Play around with everything and see what works for you. Workstation has a 30-day trial. Also, keep in mind that you can't have Server and Workstation installed at the same time.

mengo17

You should be able to answer these questions using the link below.

http://www.virtualization.info/lab/VMwareWKS60_vs_VMwareSVR10.pdf

ebykm

Andr3w wrote:

Hi,

I intend to learn this MCSE. I am new to this MCSE and VMWare.

I was thinking the same, but with more powerful quad core with 4gigs of RAM and if possible cisco router sim on the same/another computer.

Anyway, speaking of MCSE/MCSA, what are the requirements(how many computers you need for this exam) ? Is virtualization the cheapest, best option than having real hardware(computer, switches, routers,etc..) ?.

dynamik

ebykm wrote:

I was thinking the same, but with more powerful quad core with 4gigs of RAM and if possible cisco router sim on the same/another computer.

That'll certainly do everything you need to. You may run into some problems if you have a lot of routers and VMs going simultaneously, but you'll probably be working with either one or the other. I'm also assuming you're referring to dynamips and not some cheesy sim software.

ebykm wrote:

Anyway, speaking of MCSE/MCSA, what are the requirements(how many computers you need for this exam) ?

You could get by with 2-3. You might want to add some more to satisfy your personal curiosity and play around with a few things though. If you have a moderate system with 1gb of ram that you can dedicate to VMs, you can get by.

ebykm wrote:

Is virtualization the cheapest, best option than having real hardware(computer, switches, routers,etc..) ?.

You can get by with free virtualization software and trial OSes, so unless you can find something for less than $0, it's the best option. Plus, it requires less space, power, management, etc. than multiple physical machines.

ebykm

dynamik wrote:

You could get by with 2-3. You might want to add some more to satisfy your personal curiosity and play around with a few things though. If you have a moderate system with 1gb of ram that you can dedicate to VMs, you can get by.

Many thanks dynamik, I wonder if it is possible to Remote Install/Boot Windows 2003 using tap interfaces.

Anyway, i think it would be better than $pending ca$h on MCSE classes.

dynamik

Hmm.. I'm not really familiar with tap interfaces. Googling shows it's a loopback, or something similar. Is that right?

This might not be available in all virtualization software, but I can set my VMs to network boot, and there are various network options, such as bridged, NAT, etc., so as long as connectivity is there, I would imagine that you'd be able to.

What scenario do you have in mind? You can also put the VMs on their own private network, so if you have a RIS/WDS server on one of your VMs, you can do a network install from that.

ebykm

tap interface is a virtual network device.

I was thinking of making use of a real switch and virtual networks of VM's to Remote install/boot, do AD, even mail, etc..

Any idea which virtualization software support this ?. I'm interested in VMWare or QEMU and OpenSource ones, esp VirtualBox. My host os would be linux or solaris with multicore aware VM, and windows being the last option.

dynamik

So where does the tap interface fit in?

You can get your machines out on your network with bridge or nat network settings.

You can run VMware products on *nix. I assume Virtual Box plays nice on Solaris since Sun now owns that product.

VMware products will definitely meet your needs. I'm not real familiar with the others, such as VirtualPC or Virtual Box, but they probably have those options as well. Even if the product isn't free, there should be a free trial (i.e. VMware Workstation). Play around with them until you find something that works for you.