BIOS: Technology Means Business

VMware Workstation is a really neat virtual machine program that allows several operating systems to run inside of either a Windows or GNU/Linux host. This allows you to run a full, valid copy of Windows, Solaris, BSD, or other GNU/Linux distributions inside of a standard GNU/Linux installation (or all of those OSes inside of Windows).

Besides those who just like to play with multiple operating systems, this level of functionality is useful for software testers who need to work with multiple platforms or different versions of the same OS, but don’t want to repeatedly restart their computer or have multiple machines on their desk. IT personnel will also love the fact that it allows you to provide support on different operating systems using just one system.

The latest version of VMware’s excellent Workstation virtualisation software supports 64-bit guests for AMD64 and Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T) systems. Workstation 5.5 also sports new features and significant platform enhancements, including an enhanced vmrun interface to allow organisations to automate repetitive manual tasks. Unfortunately, devices that are not supported in the host operating system will also not be supported in the guest - such as USB and FireWire devices.

The software utility lets you can create a library of virtual machines for 32-bit and 64-bit x86 operating systems, including Linux, NetWare, Solaris x86 and Windows, that replicate production environments. The virtual SMP capabilities support dual-core, dual-CPU, and single- or multiple-CPU systems that have Hyper-Threading Technology enabled. The latter, however, was not designed as a replacement for dual-core or dual-CPU systems, and will probably have very poor performance if you try to assign a virtual CPU to a virtual machine.

Among the major new and enhanced features in VMware Workstation 5.5 are 64-bit guest support for AMD and Intel processors and two-way virtual SMP (experimental), which makes it possible for a single virtual machine to span two processors. Building on the 64-bit host operating system support introduced in previous releases, VMware Workstation 5.5 delivers support for 64-bit Linux and Windows guest operating systems and experimental support for 64-bit Solaris x86 and FreeBSD. This gives developers and testers the flexibility to run 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems simultaneously on the same hardware.

New vmrun features include the ability to take snapshots, list all snapshots for a virtual machine and revert to a selected snapshot. Virtual machines created with the software can be deployed to enterprise-class VMware GSX Server and data centre-class VMware ESX Server platforms. Once deployed on GSX Server or ESX Server, VMware VirtualCenter can manage these virtual machines. This lets development teams more easily manage the software life-cycle process and move computing environments from development to testing, and from staging to production.

You can also import a variety of other virtual machine images into VMware and convert Symantec Ghost images into virtual machines or to open those images in their native format without any modification. Software support for two-way virtual SMP brings server-class virtual SMP to the desktop. Virtual SMP makes it possible for a single virtual machine to span two processors, enabling developers and testers to configure real-world production environments on developer-class desktops.

The latest version of VMware’s solid product is an improvement over its predecessor in terms of operating system support and networking capabilities, but its features may not warrant an upgrade for many existing customers. For instance, you’ll likely want to give it a miss if you don’t need 64-bit guest OS support. Having said that, those with VMware Workstation 5.0 can upgrade for free! The software ran really well in our tests, but we’d like to see better GNU/Linux integration and improved video modes (monitor refresh rates can be low). And how about a Home Version too, for those looking to use it on a non-commercial basis?

VMware Workstation 5.5 is available for both Linux and Windows host operating systems. The electronic download is £99.99 via the VMware Store and the boxed version available for £125. VMware Workstation is also available with VMTN Subscription, which provides developers with the range of VMware products, support and upgrades for an annual subscription of £199 per user. [8]

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