Controls Laptop

Tomo453

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I am setting up a new laptop that needs to run both Siemens Software (Simatic Manager, Simatic Step7; Simotion Scout; etc.) and Rockwell Automation Software (Studio 5000; RSLogix 5000; RSLogix 500; etc.). I want to run each installation as a seperate Windows 7 VM on a Windows 10 host. The VMs will be installed onto a partitioned SSD that is seperate from the SSD that the Windows 10 host is installed on. Should I use the Hyper V that is built into the Windows 10 host or a third party virtualization software? I would also like to know if the application software should be installed directly onto each VM respectively or onto the host. I also need to know if the licenses and or activations should be manged by the VM or the host. These applications will only be used by theses VMs installed here.
 
Tomo453 said:
I am setting up a new laptop that needs to run both Siemens Software (Simatic Manager, Simatic Step7; Simotion Scout; etc.) and Rockwell Automation Software (Studio 5000; RSLogix 5000; RSLogix 500; etc.). I want to run each installation as a seperate Windows 7 VM on a Windows 10 host. The VMs will be installed onto a partitioned SSD that is seperate from the SSD that the Windows 10 host is installed on. Should I use the Hyper V that is built into the Windows 10 host or a third party virtualization software? I would also like to know if the application software should be installed directly onto each VM respectively or onto the host. I also need to know if the licenses and or activations should be manged by the VM or the host. These applications will only be used by theses VMs installed here.
Click to expand...
I use Vmware and when I do it I put the license on the host and pull it from there. It's a lot easier way when you use multiple VMwares all the time.
 
bigbaddawgjr said:
I use Vmware and when I do it I put the license on the host and pull it from there. It's a lot easier way when you use multiple VMwares all the time.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I am more comfortable with VMware anyway. Any benefit of installing the applications onto the host? I am thinking they will run better on the Windows 7 insatllations anyway.
 
Tomo453 said:
Thanks. I am more comfortable with VMware anyway. Any benefit of installing the applications onto the host? I am thinking they will run better on the Windows 7 insatllations anyway.
Click to expand...

I'm slightly confused. The whole point of the VMs is that you DON'T put the application software on the host. If you're asking "should I use VMs or not", then I'd recommend VMs. In theory Siemens and Rockwell play nice, most of the time, except when they don't. I don't want the hassle of finger pointing when something goes wrong and i'm under the gun.

About the licensing, My experience is mostly on the Siemens side, but I'd definitely recommend storing the Siemens licenses on the host. That way if you end up needing two virtual machines that use the same license, whichever one you're using can grab from the host over the VM network.
 
mk42 said:
I'm slightly confused. The whole point of the VMs is that you DON'T put the application software on the host. If you're asking "should I use VMs or not", then I'd recommend VMs. In theory Siemens and Rockwell play nice, most of the time, except when they don't. I don't want the hassle of finger pointing when something goes wrong and i'm under the gun.

About the licensing, My experience is mostly on the Siemens side, but I'd definitely recommend storing the Siemens licenses on the host. That way if you end up needing two virtual machines that use the same license, whichever one you're using can grab from the host over the VM network.
Click to expand...

yes after posting I realized that it was confusing. My idea was that the host could act as a server for multiple VMs to access the applications, but that will not be necessary as I would be using only one VM running either IDE at any given time, and that VM could use the license stored on the host.
 
Keep it simple and robust. 1 VM for Siemens, 1 VM for Rockwell. Keeps licensing on the VMs.

Install everything, get it working and take snapshots. Copy both to an external drive along with the VM software. Repeat every month of so.

You now have a fully functioning system with a 'get out of jail' backup which, even in the event of a laptop failure can get you running within minutes of receiving a new laptop.

Happened to me when on-site miles from home, I was up and running again within minutes of getting back from the computer shop with a new laptop.
 
janner_10 said:
Keep it simple and robust. 1 VM for Siemens, 1 VM for Rockwell. Keeps licensing on the VMs.

Install everything, get it working and take snapshots. Copy both to an external drive along with the VM software. Repeat every month of so.

You now have a fully functioning system with a 'get out of jail' backup which, even in the event of a laptop failure can get you running within minutes of receiving a new laptop.

Happened to me when on-site miles from home, I was up and running again within minutes of getting back from the computer shop with a new laptop.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I keep multiple VM's for different versions of Rockwell, Siemens, Mitsubishi.

Just take a backup of the VM every month or at a big change. If my laptop fails, as you say I can be back up an running in an hour.

Much like PLC code, backup, backup and backup your backup.
 
Asked and answered. Thanks to all respondents. The ability to run multiple Operating Systems is nice, but my needs for the VMs are primarily to insulate against potential conflicts between the two environments and for insurance against hardware failure.
 
Just make sure the laptop has a decent spec.

As running VM's can be quite memory intensive.

Mine currently is an i7 processor with 32gb Ram. I can run both my Rockwell VM and Siemens VM simultaneously with no issues. However one of the lads in the office has only 8gb of ram an he struggles running the Siemens VM when using TIA portal.
 
Rob... said:
Just make sure the laptop has a decent spec.

As running VM's can be quite memory intensive.

Mine currently is an i7 processor with 32gb Ram. I can run both my Rockwell VM and Siemens VM simultaneously with no issues. However one of the lads in the office has only 8gb of ram an he struggles running the Siemens VM when using TIA portal.
Click to expand...

Mine is a 3ghz I7 with 16gb Ram. I thought I would give that a go and add more ram if i have issues. If I allocate 4gb Ram to each VM is that going to be sufficient? My expectation is that I would only be using one VM at any given time, but that could be wishful thinking. We only have one production line that uses Siemens. I am trying to keep the hardware + software under the capital expenditure mark.:oops:
 
Give it a go, if not up them to 6gb.

Just don't with a single vm allocate it more than half of what the base machine has. You can end up with memory bleed an weird things happening.
 
I'll add my voice to the suggestion of keeping your licensing on the VM as well. I've known the Siemens and Rockwell licensing servers to bicker with each other in the past. The only time I keep licensing on the host is when I'm only using Rockwell and have multiple VM environments for multiple OS's.
 
Tomo453 said:
Mine is a 3ghz I7 with 16gb Ram. I thought I would give that a go and add more ram if i have issues. If I allocate 4gb Ram to each VM is that going to be sufficient? My expectation is that I would only be using one VM at any given time, but that could be wishful thinking. We only have one production line that uses Siemens. I am trying to keep the hardware + software under the capital expenditure mark.:oops:
Click to expand...

I use a Siemens PG for work but have a Windows 7 VM on it with Allen Bradley software. I have 4GB of RAM allocated to it and it does ok. It takes a bit to load RSLogix5000, but other than that it isn't too bad.
 

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