[COLUG] Linux on VMware

[Jim Wildman]

On Fri, 16 Nov 2007, Duane wrote:

> Jim Wildman wrote:
>> Other issues
>>
>> - do I need a specific version of Linux?  (I can probably run almost
>> any version on vmware, on Xen, I need a Xen enabled kernel)
>
> Most distros have these now, or soon, afaik, well the distro's I have to
> use :)

Right, if I get a new kernel.  Existing apps may not like that.  ie, I
can run rhel2.1 on a vmware guest.  Not on Xen.

>
>> - do I need 32 and 64 bit guests?  on the same box (no problem on VMware)
>
> Pretty sure Xen will do both, but performance sucks mixing and matching
> apparently on all VMs that use virt ext in the CPUs
>
>> - do I need to support Windows (NT, 2000, 2003, blah 98)
>
> ditto...

Only if I'm doing hardware virt, not paravirt on Xen.

>
>> - do I need to migrate an existing base to virtual instances (VMware has
>> nice migration tools, ymmv)
>
> Most everything VMware can do other can do via qemu tools :)
>
>> - do I want to be able to over commit my memory?
>
> VZ/OpenVZ allows this with some interesting situations when you run out
> as a result "it's like flying along the interstate at 100 mph and
> suddenly hitting an invisible brick wall", does VMware handle this more
> gracefully?

I'll defer to more experienced folks.

>
>> - how enamored is management of pretty graphs and gui tools?
>
> http://gplhost.com/software.html is a Xen hosting company and has
> released a bunch of software for Xen hosting under GPL.
>
>> Just off the top of my head and the tip of my fingers :-)
>
> I'm glad this came up, it's confirming that Xen (and or
> Citrix/XenSource) is seems to cover everything VMware seems to.
>

and this leads back to the level of knowledge available and the level of
managment comfort.  VMWare gives you a single stop that 'just works'
(for some subset of "works").

On the open source side there is a lot of stitching together, and
rebaking of stuff.

>

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Wildman, CISSP, RHCE       jim at rossberry.com http://www.rossberry.com
"Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best
state, is a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one."
Thomas Paine