Installing a Virtual Server on SBS 2008 Premium
Hey Everyone -
I have a client who has a SBS 2008 Premium Server and would like to run a small virtual server (2008 Standard) on that server as a print server. I've heard from one of my partners that it is not possible since they should have installed the Esxi server first then install the SBS 2008 and then another virtual server for the print server.
However, I think it's possible since Premium offers that feature with Hyper-V enabled...
Am I way off? Is this possible to run a Virtual Server on an already installed SBS 2008 Prem? Also, is this possible using the free version of VMWare? I looked on their site last night and everything looks a lot different than it did about 2 years ago.
I have a client who has a SBS 2008 Premium Server and would like to run a small virtual server (2008 Standard) on that server as a print server. I've heard from one of my partners that it is not possible since they should have installed the Esxi server first then install the SBS 2008 and then another virtual server for the print server.
However, I think it's possible since Premium offers that feature with Hyper-V enabled...
Am I way off? Is this possible to run a Virtual Server on an already installed SBS 2008 Prem? Also, is this possible using the free version of VMWare? I looked on their site last night and everything looks a lot different than it did about 2 years ago.
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kevinhsieh
I would not install a VM for a print server. For Hyper-V installations, SBS is not supported running in the parent partition. SBS must be running as a VM under Hyper-V.
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ASKER
Wow. Thanks for the responses everyone! We were nervous installing our DC as a virtual machine so it was installed bare metal. The client leases and sells copiers and printers so they'd like a testing environment for drivers and applications.
I think I already know the answer based on the responses, but is it at all possible to run a virtual server on our Server 2008 Std server?
I think I already know the answer based on the responses, but is it at all possible to run a virtual server on our Server 2008 Std server?
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Your best bet is to take an old x64 capable PC or server (or buy a new one), and use that as a virtualization platform for Windows 2003, 2008 x86, and Windows 2008 R2 VMs acting as print servers. If you only run 1 VM at a time, you only need to purchase 1 copy of Windows 2008 R2 for the new machine. You also may be able to run evaluation copies of Windows server in the VMs, but you will need to check the license agreement carefully, and be prepared to keep trashing and rebuilding the VMs (hint: install the OS and then sysprep it. Keep a sysprepped copy of the VM for easy redeployment).
ASKER
Thanks everyone for the good info.
Any suggestions for making a box capable of running a viirtual SBS 2008 Prem and 2008 Std? Are there any good practices to base off of?
Any suggestions for making a box capable of running a viirtual SBS 2008 Prem and 2008 Std? Are there any good practices to base off of?
First tell us about your host server. CPU RAM and Disk Space.
The way I would do it is use ESXi and then put the Windows SBS and Windows 2008 on that as VM's
The way I would do it is use ESXi and then put the Windows SBS and Windows 2008 on that as VM's