Creating a virtual machine

Hello folks,

Here's what I want to do. We have several HMI computers throughout our Mill that have Wonderware and the corresponding WW application on them. We don't currently have any spares and when one fails, which happens quite often due to the atmosphere the computers are in, I have to build a new machine from scratch.

I'm far from a Computer wizard and could use some help. I do know how to clone hard drives but that only works for specific computers. I'd have to have a million cloned hard drives for each specific HMI computer. What I'd like to do is make an exact copy or "virtual machine" of my master Wonderware computer that has all the applications on it. I could then use this computer as a spare for any one of the HMI computers.

My problem is I don't know how to make a Virtual machine, and don't know what software to download that is safe. Is any one on here experienced with doing this? I know this isn't much of a PLC issue but learning this could really improve my Job and help the Mill out for downtime in the future. Is this even the right way to go in the first place or can someone suggest a better way to do this!

thanks a million, TEX

Teaching you Virtualizion in a forum is going to be a bit much.

Read up on it and watch Youtube. VM Ware the leader in Virtualization has many free training videos on thier site.

VM Ware workstation or Virtual Box would fitr your needs best.

Virtual Box is free and Workstation is $249.00 but I would spring for workstation if you have the funds as it has more to offer IMHO.

You could set up a server that operates and houses the VMs and just use thin clients as the work stations. This way if the computer fails you just rebuild and launch the client. Or you run the client on another VM and RDP into that VM while that VM runs the client to the Server.

thanks for the reply guys! i'll have to do some more researching o VM's. Its too bad I didn't have every drivers and utility disks ever made then I could just use cloned hard drives on any computer, lol. Rootcon ive never done anything like that and I bet it would be quite tricky to learn that's for sure!

thanks for the help guys

sparkytex said:

thanks for the reply guys! i'll have to do some more researching o VM's. Its too bad I didn't have every drivers and utility disks ever made then I could just use cloned hard drives on any computer, lol. Rootcon ive never done anything like that and I bet it would be quite tricky to learn that's for sure!

thanks for the help guys

Click to expand...

If you can already do cloning and imaging then it should be pretty easy for you to learn. It's not as difficult as it sounds.