RE: Free Software - Create Virtual Home Automation Servers

["Ian Lowe" <ianlowe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am a massive fan of this technology =96 in fact, I=92m posting this
email=
from
a Virtual Machine at the moment.

=20

I am at work, and using my work=92s laptop on our corporate network =96
whi=
ch is
suitably restricted and protected as you would expect.. I have a USB2
external hardrive on my laptop, which stores a variety of VM images
(typically, I have a Server 2003, an Exchange Server and a couple of
client=
s
running in VM on a private LAN at the same time).

=20

Just for my own convenience, when I got my new laptop, I VM=92ed my old
lap=
top
(which was not a corporate machine) and use it, in VM, on my desktop for
private email, web surfing, testing things out etc.

=20

I use VMWare Workstation (the paid for product =96 it=92s only =A3100) but
=
the
VMWare Server product is free of charge, and lets me do stuff like (for
instance)  binding the VM network card to one specific WifI connection, so
that My =93virtual laptop=94 connects to a non corporate Test network for
internet access, rather than risking any connection to the live LAN=85

=20

It=92s *incredible* and the thought of being able to restore to a snapshot
within seconds (and it *is* that quick) is very attractive.

=20

Similarly, when I retired our old NT4 server a few months back,
(motherboar=
d
was dying), I simply VM=92ed it so that I could keep it around if needs be.

=20

One thing =96 VMs need *lots* of RAM. Not too demanding on CPU, but RAM and
Disk are a biggie.

=20

Ian.

=20

From: ukha_d@xxxxxxx [mailto:ukha_d@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Mark McCall
Sent: 31 January 2007 15:19
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Free Software - Create Virtual Home Automation
Server=
s

=20

> I have been looking at this recently as well Mark.=20

I'm surprised there hasn't been more response to my post here, I think this
is really interesting stuff. The story hasd been very popular on AH too.

> My plan is to=20
> now convert this over to be a virtual machine. I can then=20
> move this around to another server in the event of a server=20
> failure or upgrade with minimum effort.

Yep, that's what makes it so useful. I've taken an image of our server in
work this afternoon and have it running here on my desktop machine now!=20

M.

=20



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