[NTLUG:Discuss] Difference between VMPlayer and the new free VMWareServer

[Burton Strauss]

--VMWare player ... (free) Runs existing machines.  Runs on USER OSes (XP,
Linux). 

--VMWare server ... (free as of Monday) Successor to GSX.  Runs on SERVER
OSes (Windows Server, Linux).  Can create VMs but does NOT have the snapshot
capabilities a developer needs.  Designed to be used for PRODUCTION use of
VMs so it has remote control consoles, etc.

--VMWare Workstation ... (not free) Runs on USER OSes (says it won't run on
Windows Server, but it does).  Has the ability to jump forward and backwards
in time via snapshots, also teams of VMs (say you need to treat the app
server and dbms server VMs as a group).

--VMWare ESX ... (not free) Runs without an OS (based on old, heavily
tweaked Linux).  Designed for PRODUCTION use of VMs so it has remote control
consoles, etc.  Big difference from VMWare server is Vmotion - ability to
migrate RUNNING VMs.

-----Burton


-----Original Message-----
From: discuss-bounces at ntlug.org [mailto:discuss-bounces at ntlug.org] On Behalf
Of lonny.dahl at verizon.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 08, 2006 10:04 AM
To: NTLUG Discussion List
Subject: [NTLUG:Discuss] Difference between VMPlayer and the new free
VMWareServer


I guess I don't have a clue about the differences between the VMPlayer and
the new VMWare Server that's being offered.  I checked the VMWare website
and saw the comparisons between the two and see a few feature differences,
but what's the difference, really?

Maybe I have a fundamental misunderstanding about what VMPlayer actually
does.  I've never installed anything VMWare-wise, so I don't know what the
difference is between the old VMWare and the newer VMWare Player.  As I
understood the old VMWare software, it set up virtual machines you could
then install a guest OS on...as in Linux (host) with a Weenderz guest system
running in a virtual machine.  How is VMWare Player different?  I think the
website is confusing me a bit.  Quoting "VMware Player lets you evaluate new
or pre-release software contained in virtual machines, without any
installation or configuration hassles. You can also share existing virtual
machines with colleagues or friends-just use VMware Player to run any
virtual machine."  Just reading that, it looks like it's not necessary to
install the OS...just run the apps in the virtual machine.  Am I
misunderstanding this?  Or is it still necessary to install VMWare Player,
then a guest OS, then the apps you want to run in the virtual machine?

Discombobulated in Dallas,

Wayne