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Support for Small Business Server 2011 on VMWare

Does Microsoft Support Small Business Server 2011 on VMWare Hypervisor 4.1? We would like to install the SBS 2011 platform on one VM and the Add on Server with SQL on another

Lee W, MVP

SBS 2011 should be supported (I'd run it in Hyper-V, but VMWare should also be supported).

Beratung

ASKER

Why would you prefer Hyper-V over VMWare? I would have to purchase anothe OS license for that would I not? SBS O/S, Add-on OS and an OS Core for the Hyper-V host?

Paul Solovyovsky

Not sure if officially supported but I have run SBS 2003-2010 servers in VMWare without issues

Lee W, MVP

Hyper-V is free. If you purchase SBS Premium Add-on for the SQL and second server license, then you get 1+1 rights - meaning, you can install the second server as a GUI based Hyper-V host provided that's the ONLY ROLE it runs and then install it a SECOND time in a VM. It costs the same as VMWare (ie FREE) and it's 100% Microsoft supported.

SBS 2008 and SBS 2011 are supported as GUEST operating systems in Hyper-V and I'm 99% certain they are supported under VMWare. SBS 2003 STANDARD I THINK is supported as well, but 2003 Premium (because of ISA Server) is not supported.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

Cliff Galiher

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Paul Solovyovsky

If everything that Microsoft stated was unsupported over 50% of all servers wouldn't be virtualized. I've virtualized thousands of servers and as long as we're a partner they state that "we'll assist but we can't guarantee results" which is tru even if they support a product.

Just in case I keep a trial copy of Symantec BESR and put it on physical hardware to prove the tier 1 overseas tech support that it's the freakin software..

Sorry for the rant..it's late but that's my $.02