I currently use GSX and im trying to figure out how to run mutiple Windows 2000 server guests but with only 1 base read only image (that never gets changed) using redo logs.
Prime reason is because most of the virtual machines are identical hardware and software configs and are mostly just running web servers. The Base image is basically a 1.2 gig image that gets copied everytime i want a new server. The only difference between the virtual servers is the configuration of the web server. it seems kind of a waste of HDD if the only difference between 2 virtual machines is the IIS configuration or a few COM+ components
HDD overhead shouldn't be a problem, as the host server is a HP DL380 G3 with RAID and SCSI.
my thoughts currently are.
1. I setup a syspreped Windows 2000 Server in a VM.
2. Start it up and do a snapshot before the computer name is entered
3. Shutdown the VM and mark all the files read only except the redo logs with NTFS permissions
(Unknown step)
4. setup another VM and use the read only files as the image but a different set of redo log files(???).
5. Somehow 2 virtual machines will have a different set of redo logs in different directories, but the 'server' bit is running of a shared image in a separate dir which is read only (via NTFS permissions).
6. Developers are happier since they can do snapshots and reverts without fear of destroying the master image (which is read only to their user accounts)
Is this even possible? im sure i did something like this on the workstation version ages ago, but it used undoable disks.