Best hardware for Virtualization?

Hello all!
I am studying for my Security+ and MCSE concurrently. I am also due for a new desktop (last one i made it having it's 9th birthday this october). I have been using my laptop for some virtualization environments to assist in learning server 2003, backtrack (for OSCP), etc. but I can't get a whole lot of guest machines on there.

What would be some good hardware to be able to implement a whole virtualized network? So I can practice for MCSE. I kind of want to be able to implement the whole #! (Shebang for those non programmers), AD, dns server, email server, web server, and a couple xp-vista clients, and most likely one "malicious" client (backtrack). So maybe 8-10 virtual machines.

I mainly use Ubuntu, so if some hardware can revolve around that (nvidia, intel, etc.) But just some good recommendations. Would I pretty much need to beef up on RAM?

I'm also a college student lol. So perhaps any setup under $1,000 would be preferable. $600-800 would be supreme.

Thank you very much in advanced.

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Comments

dynamik

Just get a CPU that is 64-bit and supports NX and virtualization (pretty much any modern CPU). Plan out your memory requirements based on what you want to be doing. Things like Exchange and SQL Server will eat up a decent amount. I have 16GB in my box. While that might be overkill for you, 8-12GB probably wouldn't be out of the question. Another strategy is to get a lot of small, affordable 7200RPM disks. A single disk will be a huge bottleneck. I'd try to have no more than 2-3 VMs per disk.

inc0mplete

Thank dynamik. Bonus points for you again

TopTech

You need a lot of RAM really.
I use XP as the host OS as it uses less overhead than Vista or Win7. Then MS VirtualPC as the virtual application, as it is easy to set up, little learning curve, and just does the job quickly and easily for training purposes.
Each guest server can run with 128mb of ram, though 256mb is better (some servers, like Exchange need 192mb to even install). Each client guest (XP, etc) might need 256mb or more. With 4gb of ram you should be able to set up a nice environment for your whole MCSE study.
Don't know much about Linux, but your mileage may be even better.

inc0mplete

Thank you! Yeah I use ubunutu host ( i slim it down to mostly barebones ) and just run virtualbox. I have another idea of just setting up win2k3, a DC/DNS and maybe 1 host on one laptop running 2 gigs of RAM and duo core, then trying to internetwork them to another laptop that have a virtual environment with other servers i might want to add. I have never tried to internetwork 2 virtual environments let alone know if it's possible, but i'll make it happen that i'll have a "playground" to play "god" as heh.

RobertKaucher

Systemax servers are pretty affordable and rock solid. At one place I worked they had one that had been running since the start of the company. It was ancient.

Custom Build to Order Servers, BTO Server, Custom Configure Servers at TigerDirect.com

Good for a lab computer if you can stand the noise.

Lamini

Core i7 Configurator

orderS have always well worth the wait, ie flawless. customization is hard to beat (best Ive found)

personal preference: buff up that server if you dont want to run real machines, ie i920, pair of raptors (10,000rpm drives), 6+gb RAM), etc. Treat yourself to multiple monitors as well. nothing like having to switch out displays or fiddling with KVMs cuz you have a single monitor (a 25" does fine), put those old LCDs/CRTs to use (watch CBT on one, while doing the practice on the other).

nielpeel

Lamini wrote: »

personal preference: buff up that server if you dont want to run real machines, ie i920, pair of raptors (10,000rpm drives)

Forget about the Raptors, they're old and slow technology now, you'd be better off investing in cheaper (and faster) Western Digital Blacks or Samsung F3 drives.

An i7 920 system would be way out of your budget, too, you'd probably be better off sourcing a second hand quad-core Intel from Ebay, based around the LGA775 socket.

ian g

If you really want to cut overhead down to virtually nothing, pick up an image of VMWare's ESXi hypervisor. It's a bare-metal solution, meaning you don't have the extra layer of a host OS. Just remote in from your laptop's browser. You'll have a more responsive rig, and pick up some valuable enterprise-level virtualization knowledge.

Hyper-Me

I just built a new i5 quad core box, with 4GB of ram, a 1GB ati radeon, and a fat SATA disk.

Right now I can run 4 Server 2008 R2 vms and play modern warfare 2 at the same time and nothing be affected

Im gonna throw some more ram and disks in it as money becomse available, btu this setup cost me less than 1000$.