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NetManOne
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Wanted: Best practice on how to deploy workstation 9 on a laptop

Hello:

I have been goggling and looking around this forum. So far, I have not yet found a best practice for this topic

I have:

  • A new laptop with an i7 processor
  • 16 GB of ram
  • 1TB SSD drive
  • Workstation 9 license

I want:

  • deploy WS9 so that up to four gust OS can be deployed at the same time
  • use this as a test bed for some training. Vmware, GNS for cisco  and juniper simulations.
  • deploy Win7, Ubuntu  and other guest OS
  • store ISO, OVE, OVF and other image formats
  • be able to activate multiple OS simultaneously

I would like to know the best means to configure, prepare and deploy WS9 on a laptop

  1. I plan to deploy MS server 2k8 R2 as the host OS. What is the best way to minimize its load as the base host?  What services can I safely run off, what must
    still run?
  2. Should I partition the SSD? My initial plan is a 95 GB partition for the host OS. And two 400GB partitions for the actual user data and VM requirements. Is there a best practice on partitioning  before VM WS is installed?
  3. once the OS is in , WS 9 is installed, what are the best practice so  that WS9  can see the host OS file system.
  4. What is the best practice for deploying a file system that WS 9 can use. Does it need to create a VMDF type system. If so where. Inside an NTFS FS or as its own partition?
  5. How should the underling SSD files system be best setup so that  the VM guests can access it

I hope that the people in this forum can shed some light
on this deployment.

    

As a new user of WS9 ,I would appreciate hearing of best
practice before I just dive in.

    

Cheers

    

Walter

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8 Replies
a_p_
Leadership
Leadership

VMware Workstation runs as an application (as well as a service if you want) on any supported host OS. Please take a look at VMware Compatibility Guide: Guest/Host Search for supported host operating system to see which is also best supported for your laptop. Virtual machines are consist of a couple of files which are stored on your native file system (i.e. NTFS) and it's only within the guest where different file systems come into play. Regarding partitioning, it actually depends on what else you want to install so make sure the OS partition size is sufficient. Personally I would go with 2 partitions, one for the OS and applications and one for the VMs.

André

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

NetManOne wrote: As a new user of WS9 ,I would appreciate hearing of best
practice before I just dive in.

The best practice and advice is to start by RT*M! Smiley Happy  Have a look at: Using VMware Workstation (pdf)

Walk through all of the menus and dialog boxes so as to see what commands are available and whatever you don't readily understand then lookup it up in the Help file or manual.  An important chapter is 5 "Configuring Network Connections"! Smiley Wink

Also I agree with André on two partitions vs. three and without knowing everything you're going to install OS and Application wise I can't comment on the actual size for the OS partition however my base install was 50 GB and is now at 70 GB and I'd want my OS partition to be at least 200 GB on a 1TB Drive.  YMMV

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NetManOne
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thank you. i will check the link

if i create three partitions as listed, should #2 be NTFS for windows and should i then leave #3 free for WS9 to create as a VMFS?

cheers

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a_p_
Leadership
Leadership

The VMFS file system is only used by ESXi. As mentioned before you only need the native file system for the installed host OS, which is NTFS for Windows.

André

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NetManOne
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

OK

thank you

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WoodyZ
Immortal
Immortal

NetManOne wrote: if i create three partitions as listed, should #2 be NTFS for windows and should i then leave #3 free for WS9 to create as a VMFS?

VMware Workstation does not create or directly use VMware VMFS.

Virtual Machines created by VMware Workstation are basically nothing more then any of the other files that reside on the Host's Filesystem created  by any given application! Smiley Wink   Have a look at Virtual Machine Files on page 38 of Using VMware Workstation (pdf).

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NetManOne
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

thank you for the link

i am reading it now

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jsa
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Well reading will help, but you are over thinking this whole thing.

Just install it taking all the defaults. Don't partion anything.

Then go in and install something small for practice. Maybe a spare license of windows xp or 2000 just to learn.

You can delete them after the fact and even uninstall vmware and reinstall if you want.

Don't make a big deal out of it, it's just software.

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