Best solution for WinSrv08R2 Guest "Always On" server

[aspheris]

So Im torn and was looking for some input on a potential "best" approach here...

I have a need to host a Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit) out of my home office and my home internet connection. My problem is that I only have my single desktop computer at the house and I can not afford, nor do I want to run a seperate physical machine for this.

At home I need to run both my desktop (which I use for development, gaming, general purpose, etc) and a psuedo-production server environment. I could just use Workstation for this just like I do with my work development environments, but I typically use those for a short period of time and then shut them down when I'm done with them. Would using Workstation still be the best approach for an "always on, 24x7x365" server?

Ive been potentially looking at using VMware Server instead of Workstation since it seems to be better setup for a production hosting, "set and forget" server. I dont mind downloading, playing with, and learning Server if its the best approach I'm just unsure whether it is really necessary... I also have VMplayer on my home computer currently for some system backups I made before formatting some systems. Using VMware Server would I then loose the ability to readily have access to those and copy out files quickly to my desktop?

Below is my current environment and needs, I'm hoping someone has already gone through this and may have some good input or best approach

Host OS: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

Guest OS(s):

"Always On" Server - Windows Server 2008 R2 (64-bit)...

Several Windows Vista (64-bit) backups (VMware Player VMs which I only boot if I need to get off an old file)

Windows XP (SP3 I think?) backup (VMware Player VM which I only boot if I need to get off an old file)

CentOS Linux backup (VMware Player VM which I only boot if I need to get off an old file)

Hopefully the above makes sense.

[Borja_Mari]

Hi,

IMHO for production vms (or almost) i will chose vmware server or better esxi but in your scenario it has two handicaps:

1) Maybe you don't have compatible hardware to run esxi. Anyway is possible to find cheap hardware to run esxi. For example search the web using "cheap lab esxi". To find hardware compatible with esxi you can check this: http://communities.vmware.com/blogs/virtually_noob/2010/02/19/esxi-compatibility-guides

2) In vmware server 2, 3D doesn't work (for gaming). In fact, 3D just works in Workstation.

Then, maybe the best option for you is Workstation. Latest versions of Workstation always support the newest desktop and server operating systems

If you have some vms backup, perhaps doesn't work directly in Workstation and you for example can use the free vmware converter to convert the vms to Workstation.

Finally to be able to run 64 bits guests, some requirements must be satisfied. Check this: http://communities.vmware.com/blogs/virtually_noob/2010/02/20/requeriments-to-run-64-bits-guests-in-...

Regards/Saludos,

Pablo

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[aspheris]

2) In vmware server 2, 3D doesn't work (for gaming). In fact, 3D just works in Workstation.

With regards to this... I was assuming that I would only be running the Server08 R2 (Guest OS) as a virtual machine ontop of the Host OS using either VMw-Workstation or VMw-Server. I would be using the Host OS (Windows 7) as my normal desktop which would have my development environment as well as be the standard gaming platform with all my hardware drivers etc.

It almost seems based on your response that you would recommend (especially with the reference to ESXi) that it would be best to virtualize both my standard desktop (daily use OS) AND the server OS both. Am I understanding this correctly?

I am already running several backup VM's in VMware player which are 64-bit OS's. So that is not a problem. However, these only get booted up so I can find an old file that I may have forgotten to copy off before I wiped out an old machine/laptop and then copied off. I dont run these for extended amounts of time and never as a backgrounded type process.

I guess I would prefer to use Workstation for this requirement because its what I'm familiar with. So to help give some more focus... Can I, or should I, use VMware Workstation to install a Windows Server 2008 R2 as a web hosting environment which will always be on and just permanently minimize it into my taskbar?

What are the performance implications of this (other than the physical hardware resources being allocated to the Guest OS)? Would I run into any type of auto shutdown or suspend issues? Can you batch startup Workstation so that if my PC gets power cycled that Workstation and that specific VM will get auto started when the Host comes back up (as well as all the services that were running within the VM)?

[Borja_Mari]

Hi,

in your case using the esxi hypervisor is discarded because you maybe don't have compatible hw and it doesn't support 3D if you want a gaming virtual machine. And obviously, if you are running a virtual machine in esxi, you can't run at the same time a physical windows operating system.

IMHO maybe i will run in the host a windows XP better than Windows 7 (or vista).

XP consume less hw resources and more free resources are left to run vms in the workstation or server vmware host virtualization software.

If you are more familiar with workstation, maybe is a good reason to chose workstation.

Worstation is capable to run some pseudo production virtual machines with sufficient hw resources.

Another thing to thing about, is the fact workstation works better in Windows 7 than server. In fact vmware server doesn't support Windows 7 hosts and guests operating systems.

Hope it helps you

Regards/Saludos,

Pablo

Please consider awarding any helpful answer. Thanks!! - Por favor considera premiar las respuestas útiles. Muchas gracias!!

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