Virtualising Windows

Managing a Windows environment (2 separate domains, one running a couple of 2003 Servers and Exchange, the other running SBS2003), there are times when I need to run a Windows client.  Not least because the management tools required for our PBX phone systems (an Avaya IP Office and an Alcatel OmniPCX), our CCTV system (RMC), our photographic archive (iBase), our EPOS system and Sage Line 50 require windows to run and Wine is insensitive to. There are various other windows specific tools that effectively mean that I need a functional copy of windows to work, rather than beng able to switch over to linux as my sole desktop machine.

At the moment I use a KVM switch to swap between the 2 desktops I use (one is XP the other Ubuntu Hardy Beta).  I spend about 99% of my day in Ubuntu, but can’t escape windows completely….this means 2 machines under the desk – which at best is not very environmentally sound, and at worst is downright inconvenient.

The solution? well a virtualised copy of Windows running on the Linux box is the obvious solution, but what about all the apps and data accumulated on the Windows machine over the last x years…..this may seem like a small concern, but it would take a LONG time to reinstall these apps – because of the custom nature of them they are heavy on configuration time, and while they could be installed, it would be a pain in the backside….

Along come the nice people at VMWare though with the Vmware Converter (http://www.vmware.com/products/converter/) a tool that simply installs and then allows you to convert a physical install of an OS into a Virtual OS that can then be opened in VMware Workstation, Server or Player!

While it is designed to allow for the virtualisation of server environments this is the perfect solution for the likes of myself who still need to use Windows apps, that aren’t Wine compatible but REALLY want to ditch the spare Windows machine sat under the desk…