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Virtual Microsoft setup

I am a Microsoft Action Pack subscriber and want to build a server that can run multiple Virtual Servers for testing.

Would the best way to load Server 2012 Standard, or System Center as the Base OS?

I'm trying to build a system on an ML350 G5 with 32gb that will have one Base Server OS and multiple Server OS's running virtualized. My knowledge of the Virtual environment is limited.

I'm thinking of running Server 2012 Std, as the Base OS, the running SBS2011 virtualized, SBS2012 Essentials Virtualized, and say Windows 8 virtualized.

I'd appreciate any direction on the proper OS's to do this with brief instructions/directions to set it up properly.

David Johnson, CD

System Center is not an operating system but an management add on. Install the base operating system as normal, add the hyper-v role, then in hyper-v you then create a new machine and then install the operating system onto that machine as you would a physical machine.

creativenetworks

ASKER

Thanks, that's what I'm doing. I'm also interested in how to backup and restore a virtual machine as well. I've heard it's VERY simple, fast, and a great way to go in case of a catastrophic failure as you basically copy the files/folders back over and whallah!

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David Johnson, CD

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creativenetworks

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Directions for Backup/Restore?

David Johnson, CD

shutdown the guest, copy the vhd's, and the avhd's or use the system backup from the host computer