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Why Virtualization is Hot – and Could Become Even Hotter

Mark Edward Soper — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:24:36 -0600

Virtualization has become one of the biggest buzzwords in IT during the last couple of years, and for good reason. Virtualization enables you to run more than one operating system at the same time on a single system, enabling you to run legacy applications in their preferred environment instead of the janky compatibility mode built into Windows. Virtualization enables you to use a single physical system to perform the jobs of two or more systems, each performing different tasks, and it makes migrating these tasks from system to system much easier, whether you're upgrading hardware or replacing a dying machine. Virtualization also enables you to create a safe "sandbox" environment for testing applications within an existing computer, so you no longer need to tie up a separate system for testing.

Because combinations of operating systems and applications can be packed into virtual hard disks (a file that contains a ready to run virtualization environment), you can also use virtualization technology to create and use ready-to-run trials of applications, such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7+Windows Vista and Internet Explorer 8+Windows Vista trials. And, virtualization enables you to use one physical system to provide tech support for different operating systems at the same time.

Virtualization's a Big Hit in Serverville

Virtualization is making deep inroads into the server room, because it provides a way to get more use out of the same number of servers, and thus makes possible significant reductions in hardware budgets, physical network infrastructure requirements, cooling requirements, and power consumption.

Estimates from IDC indicate that about 16.5% of physical servers sold in the first half of 2009 include virtualization software, compared with 14.5% in the same period of 2008.

Leading virtualization technologies for servers include Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, which includes Hyper-V virtualization technology, a subset of which is also available free of charge in Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2. VMWare also offers free server virtualization with its VMWare Server and ESXi platforms. Commercial products include VMWare vSphere and its companion vCenter Server, and Citrix XenServer.

For several years, servers have featured all of the elements needed to make virtualization work well:

The rise of 64-bit processors.
Large amounts of RAM.
Hardware virtualization support in the CPU

64-bit server processors such as Intel's Xeon and AMD's Opteron shatter the 3.25GB usable memory limit of 32-bit processors, enabling systems to use 4GB, 8GB, or more memory. Since each virtualized operating system uses a portion of total system memory, the more memory that's directly addressable in a system, the faster each virtualized OS and its applications can run. These processors also support hardware virtualization, providing much faster virtualized performance than is possible when the virtualization application is solely responsible for making virtualization work.

Virtualization for Desktops

Most new desktops and laptops now include 64-bit processors and 4GB or more of RAM, as well, fueled by low memory prices (DDR2 available for under $30/GB). There's no shortage of desktop virtualization tools available (and many of them are free).

Microsoft once charged for its Virtual PC desktop virtualization program, but now offers both Virtual PC 2007 (for Windows XP and Window Vista) and Windows Virtual PC (for Windows 7) free of charge. Windows Virtual PC enables Windows 7 ~~Business~~ Professional and Ultimate editions to run a free virtualized version of Windows XP (Windows XP Mode).

Free third-party virtualization tools for Windows desktops include VirtualBox and VMWare Player. VMWare also offers its commercial VMWare Workstation for those needing more powerful management features.

What Desktop Virtualization Needs Before It Can Take Off

With all that virtualization has going for it, why is it still regarded as an exotic use on the desktop? Many desktop and laptop systems in business are still running 32-bit versions of Windows XP with less than 2GB of RAM, a poor platform for virtualization. Although 64-bit processors from AMD and Intel have become widespread in the last few years, the lack (until recently) of mainstream 64-bit desktop operating systems and motherboards designed for 64-bit operation made a widespread move to virtualization dependent upon sweeping Windows XP-class systems out of the way.

Windows 7 is the broom that may do the job: it's making most users forget about Windows XP's presumed successor, Windows Vista, and most new desktop and laptops systems shipping with Windows 7 are running 64-bit versions with at least 4GB of RAM. So, is desktop virtualization about to make a big leap in popularity? In an upcoming column, you'll find out what pieces of the virtualization puzzle are missing from most of today's most popular small-business desktops and laptops.

About Mark Edward Soper
Mark's work has been featured in Maximum PC and MaximumPC.com, and he is the author/co-author of over 20 books on technology subjects, including these current titles: CompTIA A+ 220-701 and 220-702 Cert Guide, Easy Microsoft Windows 7, and The Shot Doctor: the Amateur's Guide to Great Digital Photos.

Murphy's Law: The Post-Windows-7 Freeware Survival Guide

David Murphy — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0500

What's the first thing you're going to do after installing the Windows 7 operating system? If you live in Japan, perhaps you'll go celebrate your new, wallpaper-shifting desktop with some cardiac arrest. If you're one of the stalwarts still clinging to your XP or Vista operating system, well, you're probably going to spin your chair around in smug defiance of Microsoft's latest bit of software. And if you're a Maximum PC reader, I would hope that you're going to treat your fresh new installation of Windows 7 as an October spring cleaning of-sorts.

In fact, I urge you to. One doesn't often get a chance to reinstall an operating system from scratch. Or, rather, it's always easier to think of the hundreds of reasons why it's just not the right time to wipe-and-reinstall the contents of your primary hard drive. Resist the temptation to take the easy route. Backup your drive, give it a good format, and install Windows 7 onto your clean-as-a-whistle partition.

And once you've done that, read the rest of this article. While my colleagues at Maximum PC have given you some good first steps into your new Windows 7 world post-installation, I'd like to go one bit further and list out my typical post-installation routine for any Windows operating system. There are a number of key freeware choices that you'll want to slap onto your system to establish a baseline environment that's as efficient as it is secure--that, and you should really take this time to establish preventative measure that will keep your PC as clutter-free as can be throughout its new Windows 7 lifespan.

After all, bloated systems make Kylie sad.

Step One: The Interwebs

After I've gone through the various Windows 7 settings and tweaked them to my personal preferences (I like my hidden folders shown, damnit), I fire up Internet Explorer for its first and last time... to download Mozilla Firefox. I'm not a Firefox fanboy through and through--especially given the memory leaks that continue to plague the browser in various ways. However, just about anything is more useful, less cluttered, and better secured than Internet Explorer. The helpful IE View extension ensures that I'll always be able to load up the IE rendering engine if I'm in a jam (or navigating Microsoft's Windows Update site). Better still, I can immediately grab all my cherished bookmarks from the Cloud using the much-loved Xmarks add-on.

Step Two: Security

Before I start downloading programs and files en masse, I like having some kind of virus scanner either running in the background or easily available through a context menu. When's the last time I actually had a virus? I couldn't tell you. But I could tell you when the next time is that a virus is likely to infect my PC: never. There's been a lot of chatter about Microsoft's free Security Essentials application. I haven't honestly tried the scanner myself. I'm a time-tested fan of good ol' Clamwin, the open-source virus scanner that's quick to install, easy to run (and update), and relatively scare in its footprint. Whatever your choice, an antivirus scanner is worth its weight in easing your own personal stress over potential computer infections... even if it never ends up finding a virus at all.

Step Three: Decrapping

Just so I can get a good habit started before I forget, I make sure to grab the latest version of Spybot S&D and set the program's advanced configuration so that it always runs on my machine at particular intervals. I like Spybot S&D for this very fact: You can literally "set it and forget it," as the popular infomercial saying goes, and have a constantly updating, spyware-free system without having to worry about starting the application manually. Another nice feature of Spybot S&D is its ability to "immunize" your system against certain spyware "infections." In short, the program adjusts your browser's settings to block out known problems before they occur--a nice bit of preventative maintenance that you don't always find in a typical "scan and delete" application.

Get ready for steps Four and Five on page two!

Step Four: Isolating and Removing

If you're one of the lucky users to get your hands on Windows 7's XP Mode, congratulations--you've just acquired a wonderful virtualized operating system for testing new files you've downloaded. If not, don't sweat it. XP Mode is merely a free, virtualized version of the Windows XP operating system that's designed to run on Microsoft's Virtual PC application. You can download Virtual PC for free and install a version of Windows all by yourself (or grab VirtualBox if you want to run non-Microsoft operating systems). It's not a complicated task by any means, and you'll receive the same virtual functionality as those fancier Windows 7 users and their XP Mode.

The bigger question remains: Why bother? Well, a virtualized operating system running overtop your Windows 7 client is a perfect sandbox for testing new applications without having to gunk up your main operating system. Unsure of whether a piece of freeware is really a fit for you? Worried that something you've downloaded might be more problematic for your PC than good? Do you only need to install a particular application for a single use (like, say, obtaining a screenshot)? These are all scenarios where the sandbox environment of a virtual operating system becomes a useful tool. If your virtual OS gets too cluttered, you can always delete it and reinstall... while still going about your daily activities in your normal Windows 7 environment.

If you're still not convinced, or if you've already found yourself with some unwanted applications on your Windows 7 OS, don't uninstall them--not using their default uninstallation routines, that is. Grab Revo Uninstaller, a third-party freeware application that goes to great lengths to eliminate all traces of a program from your machine. Included in this elimination are leftover files in the installation directory, registry settings that were somehow overlooked by the normal uninstaller application, and anything else that's been introduced into your PC by said program. Using the program is no more difficult than Windows' "Add/Remove Programs" option in the Control Panel, but it's many, many times more thorough than the uninstallation routines you'll find on most apps.

Step Five: Saving

I'll hand it to Microsoft, their built-in "Backup and Restore" feature for Windows 7 ain't half bad. If you're sick of installing freeware at this point, then it's worth your while to fire up this Windows 7 application and schedule a drive backup to run on whatever interval you're most comfortable with. If you're a gambling person (or otherwise too impatient to wait for a full system restore should your primary drive hit the fan), you can select the individual files and folders you want Windows to copy over to a new location per your schedule. You can also bundle this piecemeal approach with the creation of a full system image. You won't be able to pick and choose files to restore should you, say, erroneously delete a folder that you didn't include in your piecemeal backup. However, if your computer goes haywire, you'll be able to restore the full. working contents of the your drive elsewhere.

I prefer to use Syncback Freeware for my backup needs--here's why. The program comes with a strong set of filters for the inclusion or exclusion of files or folders, as well as a solid list of "if this file does/does not exist on the backup drive, what should I do?" options for further specificity. I use both of these elements to customize a file synchronization between my primary hard drive and a secondary drive.

Why's that? I don't really want to waste time backing up files I'm never going to need in the event of a complete system meltdown. I'm the kind of guy who opts for the format-reinstallation of an operating system when danger arrives. It's the easiest way to turn back to a blank slate of perfection for my system, and I really don't mind copying the contents of my music, picture, and video folders from the backup drive to the primary. Well, that and all those program reinstallations... but, really, a meltdown is kind of like a forced spring cleaning to me. Consequently, I only want to back up the files that I'm going to need to copy back to the drive. I'd much prefer to reinstall everything else.

Step Six: Your Turn

Of course, these five topics are the first steps I take when my system's brand-new desktop screen pops up for the first time. This list is hardly comprehensive, however--there's much more I install after-the-fact, mostly programs that are less critical to my system's general operations than those represented by these five categories. What about you? What are some of the first steps on your Windows post-installation to-do list?

Ten bonus points and a traffic cone if anything with the word "plants" and "zombies" shows up within the first five items.

David Murphy (@ Acererak) is a technology journalist and former Maximum PC editor. He writes weekly columns about the wide world of open-source as well as weekly roundups of awesome, freebie software. Befriend him on Twitter, especially if you have an awesome app or game you're dying to recommend!

Microsoft Makes It Easy to Give IE8 Beta 1 a Try

Mark Soper — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:15:11 -0600

Something Redmond Forgot to Tell Us...

...when they rolled out Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 earlier this week is that they would be offering a "canned" version of IE8. As I suggested, the safest way to try IE8 is by running it on a virtualized operating system. Well, great minds think alike, and Microsoft has now put up the download links you need to make it easy - and safe - to try IE8.

Download, Add VPC 2007, and Stir

For some time, Microsoft has offered combinations of Windows XP SP2 and IE6 or IE7 as preconfigured virtual hard disk (.VHD) files you can run with Virtual PC 2007. Now, it's added a VHD featuring Windows XP SP2 and IE8 Beta 1 to the list (IE8_VPC.EXE, 438.6MB). Choose your favorite combination at the Internet Explorer Application Compatibility VPC Image webpage. You can also take Windows Vista with IE7 for a spin (IE7-VIS1.exe). However, there's no word on whether Vista + IE8 will be offered - or when.

Take It for a Test Drive - until July

These preconfigured images aren't "dead in 30 days" demos, either. The images expire on July 3, 2008, so you have plenty of time to see what's happening. Read on to see how easy it is to get started with Virtual PC.

What You Need to Get Started

Because these .VHD image files contain both a host operating system and your choice of Internet Explorer "flavor," all you need is a free copy of Virtual PC 2007. Here are condensed instructions to get your VHD image up and running.

1. Download the VHD image file you prefer and note its location.
2. Install Virtual PC 2007. You can install it on Vista Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate editions (you'll be prompted for administrator credentials, thanks to UAC), or on Windows XP Professional, XP Professional x64, or XP Tablet PC editions. Read over the release notes before continuing.
3. Start Virtual PC 2007.
4. Click New to create a virtual machine with the New Virtual Machine wizard.
5. Select Create a Virtual Machine. Click Next to continue.
6. Enter a name for the VM, such as Windows XP + IE8 Beta 1. Click Next to continue.
7. Select Windows XP as the operating system. Click Next to continue.
8. Select Adjusting the RAM to allocate more RAM. Click Next to continue.
9. Adjust the allocated memory to 512MB (if you have 1GB or more RAM in your host system). Click Next to continue.
10. Select the option to use an existing virtual hard disk (.vhd). Click Next to continue.
11. Browse to the location of the VHD file you downloaded in Step 1 and select it.
12. To enable changes to the VHD file to be saved, click the Enable Undo Disks checkbox. Click Next to continue.
13. Click Finish.
14. Click Start to run your virtual machine. After it boots, you have Wndows XP SP2 running IE8 Beta 1 running in a window on your desktop!

Getting Networks to Work in Your VM

By default, the Windows XP VM installs a virtual Intel network adapter driver that is linked to the physical network adapter in your system. By default, it points to the Ethernet adapter on your system. If you can't get it to work, or if you need to have it point to your system's wireless adapter, see the following websites for advice:

Digit-Life has a great, well-illustrated multi-part series on networking in VPC and Virtual Server.
The Virtual PC Guy's Weblog shows you how to enable wireless network support if it's disabled for virtual machines on your host operating system.
Brian H. Madsen shows you how to set up a loopback adapter (needed in some configurations).

Enjoy!

Back to the Future with Virtual PC 2007

Mark Soper — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 10:21:51 -0500

If classic games stir your gaming genes, Windows isn't always the most congenial environment for yesterday's hits. From audio and graphics issues to freeing up conventional memory for MS-DOS, Windows XP (and Windows Vista) need some help in running older games. Thanks to virtualization, you can run classic operating systems and the games that made them great inside a window.

Virtual PC 2007 - Free for Work (and Play!)

Virtualization has been around for awhile as a way to enable a single system to host one or more guest operating systems. Support and management personnel love it because they don't need to reboot to run an older version of Windows to provide help to a user stuck with legacy hardware or software. Now, thanks to Microsoft's decision to make Virtual PC 2007 free, you can try virtualization free for work - or play. You need Windows XP Professional (including x64 Edition) or Tablet PC Edition (including x64 edition) or Windows Vista Ultimate (32 and 64-bit versions) or Windows Server 2003. Get it here. It's a 30MB download, so it won't take long.

A New Home for Orphaned Operating Systems

To use Virtual PC 2007, you need a spare copy of an older operating system that you can install into a virtual machine you create with Virtual PC 2007. I'm an OS packrat, so I still have old Windows CDs and floppy disks no longer in use on a system, and a copy or two of MS-DOS. I've used Virtual PC 2007 to create virtual machines running Windows 98 and even (wait for it….) MS-DOS 6.22! Although Virtual PC 2007 doesn't officially support MS-DOS, it will work. If you want to run a DOS game, but don't have any MS-DOS disks, grab a copy of http://www.freedos.org/.

VMs and Your PC

A virtual machine (VM) uses two system resources: a chunk of your hard disk space and some system RAM. If you want to run a VM along with other programs, having 2GB or more installed RAM is a good idea. When you set up a VM, you specify how much disk space to use and use the guest operating system's utilities to prepare the VM for use. It seems weird to run the DOS command 'format' inside a VM, but don't worry: you're only formatting the disk space reserved for the VM. The VM is stored on your hard disk as a file with the .vhd extension.

Help Me VM!

To learn more about installation and use, read the Virtual PC 2007 Release Notes in your browser. The Virtual PC Guy's Weblog is also a helpful resource. For example, you can set up a Virtual PC DOS application that runs from a command line in Windows: users don't need to know anything about virtualization to use it – a perfect solution for making a retro game available to anyone whose eyes glaze over when you say "virtualization."

Optimizing MS-DOS Memory - How Do I Do That?

After you install the operating system into the virtual machine, install the programs you want to use and run them normally. If you're planning to do some gaming in MS-DOS 6.22, you will need to crack open an old DOS manual to learn how to free up conventional memory (memory under 1MB) inside the VM with drivers such as EMM386.EXE or commands such as DOS=HIGH, UMB. You can also see Knowledge Base article 134399 for help, or use the MEMMAKER.EXE utility included in MS-DOS 6.22.

Red Baron Flies Again!

Does virtualization work? You bet! I was able to play Sierra's Red Baron, one of the best classic WWI dogfighting games ever written for MS-DOS (and a notorious memory hog that was impossible to run under Windows XP or Vista) within an MS-DOS virtual machine with full sound effects (keep in mind that your audio support may vary from game to game). If you prefer to run older Windows versions, Virtual PC 2007 is up to the task as well.

Virtual PC's Not Perfect, But It's Not the Only Virtualization Game in Town

Virtual PC 2007 isn't perfect: it doesn't support USB storage devices (although it will access programs on CDs if you install the appropriate device drivers) and needs lots of RAM to provide good performance, but it's free – and fun – to try. Other virtualization environments you can try free include VirtualBox and DOSBox. VMWare also offers some virtualization products free of charge, but not its flagship VMWare.