Requirements for Virtualization

Now that you have decided that virtualization is something you need to try, how do you get started? You will need the following items:

1. A Computer

2. An operating system

3. VM software of your choice

4. Another operating system

The computer should have a powerful processor, a network card, and lots of memory and hard disk space. While a 3GHz Pentium 4 CPU with Hyperthreading is a decent processor, a Core 2 Duo or Quad would be a better choice if you have it. Fast hard disks are inexpensive, so don’t use that circa 1999 15GB Western Digital on your bookshelf. VM run better in high-performance hard drives and you will need extra space for the (frequent) disk defragmenting you will be doing. The computer’s RAM will be also used by the VM and guest OSes, so now is the time to decide if you need 64-bit hardware for more than 3.5GB of free RAM.

The operating system that boots on the computer will be your VM’s host OS. Use Windows if you must, but I think Linux is a better choice. If you will be making a computer that only runs VMs, a really small Linux server that comes with VM software (CentOS ) is the way to go. Remember your choice to use 32- or 64-bit hardware when you pick your OS.

The VM you choose will probably be based on the recommendation of people you know who are already up and VMing. It is likely you will pick the favorites of VMWare Player (or Server) or Virtual PC. But don’t be afraid to try others, like Virtual Box, or the 50+ VMs not mentioned in this post. In any case, pick a free VM package that is compatible with your hardware and host OS.

Finally, you will need one or more guest operating systems to run in your VM(s). As previously mentioned, virtualization software does not make Windows free to use. You must have a licensed copy of any OS to install and use it, even if it is free. If you do not choose a VM package capable of making its own virtual disk images, you will need to use a utility like VMWare Converter to convert existing disk images, or a service like EasyVMX that allows the (free!) creation of virtual disk images. Fortunately for the IT person on a budget, many Linux distros are available already in VHD format. It is also possible to create load a guest OS in Microsoft Virtual PC and convert it to a VHD image file using VMWare Player.

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