Try it: you’ll like it….

This is aimed at the small to medium business that wants to get started in virtualization but thinks it takes too much of an investment. Well I’m here to tell ya – That aint the case. There are two VMware products with which you can start to learn what it’s all about and if you want to go further. One is VMware Server. VMware Server is a Free and easy way to get introduced to virtualization. VMware Server provides a risk-free introduction to Windows and Linux application server virtualization. I am currently evaluating it and the other introductory product – VMware Workstation 7.
The top three reasons many business use either of these products is (a) Test and Development of software and IT environments, (b) use of virtual machines to evaluate software, and (c) they want to assess what this virtualization thing is all about. Now before we go any farther, I want to let you know that there is another free product out there: It’s the VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXI). However, it does require a dedicated server (recommended 4GB Memory and dual socket, dual core). The next step after ESXI would be vSphere. So if you have a server with the requisite configuration, go for it. But if you are just feeling your way – look at VMware Server or VMware Workstation 7 to begin. There is a cost for VMware Workstation 7 – Approximately $190.00. Now let’s do a quick comparison of these two products.
First of all neither require a dedicated server. They both can run on a Dual Core PC (XP, Win 7, or Linux) with 2GB Ram. This is the minimum that I would recommend. Remember the more ram and processing power, the more virtual machines/better performance. Both can run either Windows or Linux as a guest operating system. OK, what are the differences? They are Basic. VMware Server is designed with the Data Center in mind… it is a Server product while VMware Workstation 7 (while more flexible) is built for the desktop/laptop. With Workstation 7 you can demonstrate a complete network solution on your laptop – You can even run ESXI on one of your virtual machines. OK, which should I use….? Remember the universal answer – It all depends.
Actually, I plan to use both…. I can use VMware Server to establish a small test and development lab to evaluate software. When I am ready, I can use the VMware upgrade roadmap so that I do not lose my infrastructure investment. I can also use VMware Workstation as a demonstration platform both for the infrastructure and developed solutions.
How will you use these entry points?