Move on with VMware Server

Last month I walked you through the basics of using the Microsoft Virtual Server 2005. This month it’s the turn of VMware and its VMware Server, which can similarly be downloaded and used to build and host virtual machines completely free of charge.

Why VMware?
On the face of it VMware Server would appear to be a relatively new product, but in fact only the name is new. It’s really based on a much more mature server virtualisation solution, called GSX Server, first released long before Virtual Server 2005 put in an appearance, and with a number of significant advantages over the Microsoft package.

There are some similarities. For example, like Virtual Server 2005, it can be deployed on 32-bit or 64-bit x86 hardware and requires a host operating system to run, but it differs in that this can be either Windows or Linux. VMware Server also differs in the range of guest operating systems it can handle with, as well as Windows and a huge number of Linux distros, support for Sun Solaris and Novell NetWare.

You also get support for two-way virtual multiprocessing, although you’ll need at least two physical processors to get this facility. Plus it can take advantage of the latest processor virtualisation technologies, and can even import and run virtual machines created with the Microsoft package.

Getting started
Here you’ll find all the relevant links for downloading the program and registering (free but required) with VMware. You’ll need to decide whether to go for the Windows or Linux version but, either way, be prepared for some hefty (100+ MB) download files.

VMware Server comes in two parts – the core server plus a client package containing, among other things, the console needed to create, run and generally manage virtual machines. The client package also comes in both Windows and Linux flavours and can either be run on the host server or remotely, enabling you to manage a Linux server from Windows and vice versa.

The Windows implementation is the easiest to start with, installing like any other Windows application. However, the Linux version isn’t that much harder with a choice of either a Tar binary or an RPM package.

Anyone with a modicum of Linux knowledge should be able to follow the instructions provided with a couple of install scripts involved in each case. That said, unless you’re particularly adept at compiling applications it’s best to stick with one of the supported Linux hosts, like Red Hat, Suse or Ubuntu for which pre-compiled binaries are provided.

You’ll also need to activate the server. However, there’s no charge and once you’re registered you’re emailed the serial codes required which can be applied during the install or later from the management console.

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