Koozali.org: home of the SME Server

Xen vs. VMware Server

Offline sonoracomm

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Xen vs. VMware Server
« on: March 19, 2006, 04:57:54 AM »
Hi Folks,

I'll be implementing a new server that will serving hundreds of users...for myself, this time...hopefully about the time SME 7 goes gold.

I am interested in implementing virtualization for testing and security reasons.  Primarily, I'd like the ability to test upgrades and contribs without risking the availability of the primary server functions.

I've run Linux on my desktops for years and I use VMware Workstation for testing, so I'm familiar with VMware in general and I like the Workstation.

I've read all the threads here I could find pertaining to both Xen and VMware Server.  It sounds like VMware Server has more users...  I didn't see anything at all pertaining to the new Xen 3.0.

Does anyone have any tips, impressions or experiences to help me decide where to start testing?  Xen sounds cool and fast...and I won't be running Windows on this box any time soon.  VMware Server is still in beta, but it's from a company with a demonstrated track record...and it's free too.

Thanks in advance,

G

Offline andy_wismer

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SME on VMWare Experiences
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2006, 03:30:00 PM »
Hello

I've been using SME Prductive (about 10 SME 6 Installations) running encapsulated in VMWare for about a year now.

VMWare Host: SuSE 9.0 with VMWare GSX Server 3.1
Hardware: Slowest is a PIII/750MHz, fastest is a 3.2 GHz.

Allocated Memory: In VMWare, SME Server 6 is allocated 256 MB, in a few cases 512 MB.

I've had to change the Hardware several times, most of the VMWare Mashines were setup on my Windows 2000 Notebook, using either Workstation 4.52 or GSX Server.

The two times I've had the VMWare Host crashed was due to someone pulling the wrong plug during renovation of the server room at a client. After removing the VMWare Disk lock files (.lck), SME booted again without problems. Uptimes of almost one year is NO problem.

This stuff runs stable a rock(!).

I didn't have the need so far to migrate a virtual mashine back to "real" hardware.

I have used VMWare to test and build up environments I later implemented on real Hardware. That's what makes VMWare sooo cool.

BTW. To the SME Team: Great Work in 6 and in 7! Keep it up!

Regards
Andy Wismer
www.rootadmin.org

Offline sonoracomm

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Xen vs. VMware Server
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2006, 04:08:53 PM »
Thanks much for your reply!

As I use Suse 10 for my desktops, I'll probably duplicate your configuration...except I want to use SME 7 and the new VMware Server.  I may even try the Player to see if it works.

I hadn't actually thought about prototyping/building the VM on my desktop, but I can see the advantages.  I guess I was under the impression that the VMs built on the latest Workstation were not compatible with the VMware server... Hmmm.  

Thanks again,

G

Offline andy_wismer

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Xen vs. VMware Server
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2006, 07:06:31 PM »
Hi

Just finished installing LX-Office (A german fork of SQL-Ledger) on SME 7.
The SME 7 Server is running encapsulated in VMWare - on my Notebook.

It is setup with 2 LAN NICS, one pointing to a Host-Only Network (Developer-LAN), the other using VMWare-NAT. That ensures I can develop stuff on SME and get to the Internet even using a restricted WLan for Uplink as I am at the moment. No way I could get (or even want) to set up SME Server to use this WLan - the owners allow me to use my notebook only.

But this Setup is great. :-)

Browser/Putty on Notebook - SME7 (eth0/LAN)
SME7 (eth1/WAN) - VM NAT (8)
VM NAT - Notebook WLan > Internet

Actually, the latest VM Workstation is more advanced than the server versions, but as rule of the thumb,

Workstation 3x = GSX2x
Workstation 4x = GSX3x
Workstation 5x = VMWare Server (cur. Beta)

That way, the "seen" Hardware and BIOS are more or less equivalent.

Linux based stuff, especially servers without fancy grafic or sound aren't that fussy about the hardware. NT wasn't that fussy either, but 2000, 2003, XP... A new NIC might cause a re-registration ;-(

The mentionned time issue with SME7 doesn't bother me, as I have three stable NTP servers on the net, and they act as master NTP Servers.

A personal tip:
Always keep the last and current Version of VMWare handy, upgrading the virtual hardware (a VMWare internal thing) is usually not much problem.

Have fun.

A.

Offline sonoracomm

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Xen vs. VMware Server
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2006, 07:11:40 PM »
Thank you so much Andy.  This is very helpful information.

G