We're running VMware with two different configurations right now, one
with Windows as the host, and the other as CentOS as the host, windows
virtual server isn't quite what I would call production ready, I've had
too many issues with it, plus it requires windows as the host, and
VMWare is proven.  Both work well, but CentOS has some great advantages
that work well in the virtualization arena.  When using windows as a
host OS, you have to typically reboot when patching the system, and
either schedule the shut down of the virtual machines or suspend them
until the host comes back up; with centos, an update doesn't mean you
have to reboot. I've only had to reboot a handful of times in testing,
one of which was to install an iscsi initiator.  Also, CentOS is a
pretty solid OS in general, I've never had any issue with it failing,
not booting or getting compromised and it uses very little resources as
far as memory and CPU, allowing it to be more efficiently used by
VMWare.  I would recommend going the route of CentOS for a host. Is this
for production use? Or for as test environment?

Kevin Floyd
Health Information Technology


-----Original Message-----
From: MSU Network Administrators Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Stephan Andre'
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 3:57 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MSUNAG] 2 Virtualization Qs

On Monday 25 June 2007 15:10:34 David McFarlane wrote:
> I am building a new machine and want to use virtualization to run
Microsoft
> Vista, Linux, etc.  I would like your opinions on two related
questions:
>
> 1) VMWare vs. Microsoft Virtual PC?
>
> 2 )Linux (or FreeBSD) as host OS with Vista as a guest, vs. Vista as
host
> OS with Linux (or FreeBSD) as guest?
>
> Thanks,
> -- David McFarlane, Systems Designer
>     Dept. Psychology, Michigan State University
>     [log in to unmask]    www.msu.edu/~mcfarla9
>     Voice: (517) 353-0799    Fax: (517) 353-1652

I would strongly prefer the idea of using FreeBSD as the host.  The
idea of trying to do secure things with an unsecure op system 
around you doesn't make me feel great.  Then again, I'm no expert
in virtual systems -- can you have FreeBSD as the host?

--STeve Andre'
Political Science