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Obsolete Releases => SME Server 7.x => Topic started by: peterhocking on March 22, 2010, 02:15:32 AM

Title: Any problems rinning SME inside a virtual machine
Post by: peterhocking on March 22, 2010, 02:15:32 AM

Hi

A friend has asked me to setup a small web & email server for which I was going to use SME server.

I've since found out his business has quite a powerful Windows Server 2003 server with Vmware already installed so my thoughts have turned to setting it up in virtual machine on that server.

Are there any problems or gotchas I should be aware of with doing this?

Sorry if there are posts already covering this, but when I searched, I only found references to running Vmware on a SME Server, not SME Server in a virtual machine.

TIA,

Peter

Title: Re: Any problems rinning SME inside a virtual machine
Post by: marsa_matruh on March 22, 2010, 09:54:52 AM

I use VMWare Server on Windows XP Home for testing. So I only do short time testing, not long term production. Some times, I have a problem. I can't access "remotely" to the server. Everything seems to be right on the server (ifconfig, internet connection test...). So, I don't know where is the problem: SME, VMWare, Windows? Restarting SME is usually not enough. I have to restart Windows. Also, please note that once you acceded SME one time, you never lost the connection until you stop the server.

Title: Re: Any problems rinning SME inside a virtual machine
Post by: Stefano on March 22, 2010, 10:18:56 AM

Quote from: peterhocking on March 22, 2010, 02:15:32 AM

Hi

A friend has asked me to setup a small web & email server for which I was going to use SME server.

I've since found out his business has quite a powerful Windows Server 2003 server with Vmware already installed so my thoughts have turned to setting it up in virtual machine on that server.

Are there any problems or gotchas I should be aware of with doing this?

Sorry if there are posts already covering this, but when I searched, I only found references to running Vmware on a SME Server, not SME Server in a virtual machine.

TIA,

Peter

Hi Peter..

I'm using SME under Vmware in production.. on in Vmware server 2 on a windows XP pro machine (very small office, 2 users) and one as a Vmware Esx 3.5 guest.. no problem at all.. but in both cases I have Vmware tools installed

HTH

Title: Re: Any problems rinning SME inside a virtual machine
Post by: peterhocking on March 22, 2010, 11:28:23 AM

Thank you for the replies.

So far, so good.

Thanks,

Peter

Title: Re: Any problems rinning SME inside a virtual machine
Post by: mmccarn on March 22, 2010, 12:50:12 PM

I've been running a virtual SME under vmware on win 2003 since 2006 with no problems.

I made some changes to the boot and ntp configuration that I documented at http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,32139.msg139191.html#msg139191 to deal with the common vmware clock drift issue.  (If you don't customize these, you will need to install vmware tools or the clock will drift dramatically).

Title: Re: Any problems rinning SME inside a virtual machine
Post by: Stefano on March 22, 2010, 12:56:20 PM

Quote from: mmccarn on March 22, 2010, 12:50:12 PM

I've been running a virtual SME under vmware on win 2003 since 2006 with no problems.

I made some changes to the boot and ntp configuration that I documented at http://forums.contribs.org/index.php/topic,32139.msg139191.html#msg139191 to deal with the common vmware clock drift issue.  (If you don't customize these, you will need to install vmware tools or the clock will drift dramatically).

shouldn't it be in the wiki?

Title: Re: Any problems rinning SME inside a virtual machine
Post by: marsa_matruh on March 22, 2010, 01:14:22 PM

I think the clock drift is gone since a while (VMWare Server 2 ?)

Title: Re: Any problems rinning SME inside a virtual machine
Post by: mmccarn on March 23, 2010, 12:36:04 PM

Quote from: marsa_matruh on March 22, 2010, 01:14:22 PM

I think the clock drift is gone since a while (VMWare Server 2 ?)

That would explain why I haven't had any trouble for so long...

Quote from: Stefano

shouldn't it be in the wiki?

Not if marsa_matruh is right 8)

Title: Re: Any problems rinning SME inside a virtual machine
Post by: Stefano on March 23, 2010, 12:51:01 PM

Quote from: mmccarn on March 23, 2010, 12:36:04 PM

That would explain why I haven't had any trouble for so long...

Not if marsa_matruh is right 8)

no, I had many problems with vmware server 2 and clock drift on a virtual SME some months ago.. resolved with vmware tools