Virtual Machine Tips

NetNathan

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when you are building virtual machines...
Do you keep a master with just Windows Installed?
Then make copies of the VM to install your PLC software?
 
I start with a clean "Base" VM. I have one for Windows 2000, 1 for XP and one for Windows 7. Then I use the handy "Clone" feature of VMWare using the base .vmdk - this allows one to use far less hard drive space with the downside of not being able to simply move the VM you created to another machine by itself. You would need to move the base VM along with it. You can clone complete copies as well if you want that functionality.
 
Yes, it is best practice to have a 'gold' or master VM with just base Windows that has been optimised for virtual machines.

You then make clones of this to install your software on, eg. one for Rockwell, one for Siemens, etc.

Don't bother with linked clones - more headaches than they are worth and poor performance.

Just make full clones that are fully independent and transportable.

Optimisation guides:
http://www.vmware.com/techpapers/2010/optimization-guide-for-windows-7-and-windows-8-vir-10157.html
https://pubs.vmware.com/view-50/ind...UID-E712DAE6-88DF-4208-BEFA-09513A01A26E.html
http://bright-streams.com/?p=528
https://miketabor.com/my-vmware-view-windows7-optimization-guide/
 
I assume I need the full version of VM to transport the VM. Otherwise the free version can only run the VM on the original PC.
 
If you have the free version of VMWare then I don't believe you can create clones easily. If you do some googling there is a manual way to create full clones. However the VM and it's associated virtual disk files (.vmdk) reside in a folder that you can still move around easily.

Example, my master Windows 7 VM is called 'Windows 7 - x64' and resides in a folder of the same name.

I do a full clone of this and call it 'Windows 7 x64 - Rockwell' and it also creates a new folder called the same name.

I can move this entire new Rockwell VM to another PC by simple moving the folder.
 
I guess you guys are meaning VMware Player when you say "the free version of VMware".
I dont think that VMware Player is free today. I used to be free; in version 4 I think.
If there is a free type of VMware of a current version I sure would like to know.
Virtualbox is free.

VMware Player can run a vmdk that has been created with VMware Workstation.
I think it also possible to convert a vmdk to Virtualbox, but it takes quite a few steps. I havent tried that myself.
 
Make a VM Template file. I would run sysprep first.

Doing it this way will make sure when you create a new VM from a template you will have a new SID and won't ever have any problems if you set it up on a network or such.

Using a template is a little better than just making a new machine from a straight up clone of another VM.
 

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