Do you favor using a virtual machine for AB Software?

I regularly use VMWare for legacy software that need Windows XP. I use a Windows 10 Pro, 64 bit laptop for my tech work. It's a Lenovo T530 with an i7, 2.90 GHZ processor, 16 GB of RAM, with a SSHD for my operating system and programs, and a regular HD for documents and files.

One of my customers is getting me RSLogix 500, with RSNetworx for DeviceNet and ControlNet so I can help them when they have issues on their SLCs. (yes... 500, not 5000). While I wait for the email to arrive with the download info, I'm contemplating if I should just install it on my laptop, or put it on a virtual machine (by itself). If I go the VM route, I'll need to fork over another $200 of my own money to buy the Windows 10 Pro 64 bit OS. It's not a lot of money, but there are plenty of other tools on my wish list. I know lots of folks use VMs because I work with guys from big control firms who discuss this with me.

Do any of you folks have opinions on this? I've thought about some of the advantages for backing up the software on a VM, but I don't know how well they pertain to Allen Bradley software. Thoughts?

As an SI I have to have every version of Rockwell Wonderware etc. so I have nothing but virtual machines. Easier to backup too. Just copy them off to a removable drive and ur done. Also if my pc blows up I can be back up and running in a few minutes with another pc.

The only software installed on my host is VMWare. Every brand of PLC has it's own little world to run it's software in.

Side note: I would probably go for a Windows 7 VM for your AB software. The Windows 10 support is just not quite there yet for too many packages.

We also have all our automation programs installed in VMware VM's (mostly AB and Siemens). If you have a good Laptop, it runs really good and fast. I had big doubts about moving everting to VM's, because i feared it wouldnt work well, be laggy, copy/paste issues. But i'm really suprised how good it runs, even with 2 or 3 VM's (Windows 7 and 10) running at the same time (i have 32 gigs ram).
Give it a try.

Its a complete no brainer, especially if you go out in the field.

Backup your VM's to an external disc periodically and if your laptop ever stops working / run over by a fork lift / dropped from a great height etc, its quite literally a 10 minute job to restate once you have sourced another laptop.

This actually happened to me whilst on a job in South Korea, it took about an hour to get back to where I was and that included a trip to the local store to buy a new laptop.

I would go with W7 Pro for any VM at this stage. Just make a VM with a fresh clean install of W7 as your base, then copy and install whatever you need.

From memory, I bought a key for W7 Pro for about £5. The ISO is free to download.

Its also worth getting the Pro Version of VMWare so you can make a snapshot of the VM, that way, if an update goes wrong it takes only seconds to roll it back.

EDIT: 1 last point, fit an SSD to your laptop if you haven't already.

If you have any Rockwell software installed on your base machine, you are only asking for pain and suffering.

VM's all the way.

I went with VM mainly because its pretty rare that I use logix, and I didn't want to have to worry about it interfering with my Siemens software that I use regularly.

The first time running it, it took me a little figuring out as far as bridging Ethernet interfaces and so fourth, but beyond that its really quite nice.

As already pointed out, vm's all the way.

make your vm(s) and get them running.
back them up
the hard drive dies, copy them to the new hard drive and your running.
That's all we use.

james

janner_10 said:

Backup your VM's to an external disc periodically and if your laptop ever stops working / run over by a fork lift / dropped from a great height etc, its quite literally a 10 minute job to restate once you have sourced another laptop.

This actually happened to me whilst on a job in South Korea, it took about an hour to get back to where I was and that included a trip to the local store to buy a new laptop.

Click to expand...

You can add "accidentally filled up with curry" to your list of laptop mishaps. Took me a little longer than an hour to resolve that one, but that was only because the apple store wasn't open for a couple of hours yet when it happened, and I had to call the office and get them to air freight one of my backup drives over

Filled up with curry sounds like the end to a good night out!

I never install PLC software on my main machine. PLC software ALWAYS must be installed on virtual machine.