Windows 7, i5 2.5ghz x64 8gb RAM
VMWare v9.0 with a virtual machine for every different manufacturer of software. This allows me to load the vm with little resources allocated to it, typically 1gb RAM (sometimes this needs to be increased on the Siemens VM when using the WinCC runtime simulator). But that's the beauty of VM, add and remove resources at your leisure!!
Virtualizing your machine has several advantages.
- Backing up is a piece of cake, most of my VMs are around 30gb so it doesn't take long at all.
- If you have a PC failure (which happened to me the other day) then getting back up and running is a matter of moving the vm to your new PC and with your backup away you go.
- Host system remains light on installed programs and starts quicker.
- Ability to run the VM direct from an external USB drive. Means you don't have to take up a large quantity of HDD on the host machine storing the VM. And if you run it from a USB external drive, there's no noticeable performance loss. I did try it from a NAS drive once. Not recommended.
- Add shared folders and use it in conjunction with the host machine
BUT..it's not all plain sailing
If you get a PC without a serial port, then you're left with little option than to use a USB>Serial adapter. Great. Until..
Some programs cannot manage the comms like this. I've encountered it using the Siemens teleservice software, ABB drive software and a couple others that I can't remember. Communication faults regardless of settings, whilst flicking over to S7 sees the comms works fine with a serial MPI/DP adpater.
In the end, I've been reduced to installing XP as a boot option alongside Win 7 and installing any problematic programs there to achieve comms. Still with the USB>serial adapter but no VM. Then it works.
So all in all, VM is a great option and with the need for serial comms ever diminishing, the above problem will die a death over the coming years. Ethernet is the emerging victor in standard comms so you'll never have a problem with that and VM.