ACCESS FEED: RE: [MS_AccessPros] Virtual Machines

Minggu, 10 Februari 2013

RE: [MS_AccessPros] Virtual Machines

Thanks Jeff,

My understanding was that each VM had to have a licenced OS but I wasn't thinking in terms of mirrors.

Glenn

From: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jeff Jones
Sent: February-10-13 11:33 AM
To: MS Access Professionals
Subject: Re: [MS_AccessPros] Virtual Machines

Glenn,

Ive had no problems with OS activation codes. Each VM is a separate file and once activated, a copied VM mirrors the first so there's no duplicate activation codes issues that I'm aware of. Even Microsoft has a free VM app that is easily used and I saw nothing about having to purchase a separate license for each on a Microsoft site. But, then I admit that I didn't look very hard.

Jeff

----- Original Message -----

Jeff,

This is embarrassing. I knew the VMs were just files but somehow I failed to make the mental leap that I could just copy them as files. What happens with respect to the OS activation code when you have several clones of the same master VM, possibly running at the same time?

Glenn

From: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com [mailto: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com ] On Behalf Of Jeff Jones
Sent: February-10-13 10:12 AM
To: MS Access Professionals
Subject: Re: [MS_AccessPros] Virtual Machines

Glenn,

Yes you do, depending on the PC and what I do with it I have 1 to many VMs on a PC. They are really nothing but files that may be copied like any other file so with a current, from the perspective of the OS, version with needed utilities on it, it takes less time to install client specific apps for development purposes than it does to open an older version of a VM and allow all the OS and other basic updates to occur.

Jeff

----- Original Message -----

Jeff,

Do I understand you correctly that you can copy a VM (not booted, of course) from one real machine to another? Mine are VMWare Workstations. When I am set up with the new box, I will have VMWare Workstation 7.1 running on my old system. I understand that I will need version 9 to be able to run VMWare on the Win 8 system.

Glenn

From: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com [mailto: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com ] On Behalf Of Jeff Jones
Sent: February-10-13 9:44 AM
To: MS Access Professionals
Subject: Re: [MS_AccessPros] Virtual Machines

Hi Glenn,

Thank you for the kind words. (Big honking secret: I don't want anyone to catch me planing as that will just raise their expectations!!)

I totally agree that keeping multiple virtual machines up-to-date can be a real pain in the database. I've found that the ones I keep current are the baselines and the current one used for development. This means that I have to "schedule" time to keep the baselines current, but can do so on a PC that's not in use while I use my current VM on my primary PC. After capturing some metrics, I've found that infrequently used virtual machines are more quickly made available by copying a baseline and installing what I need when I need it than it is to install the plenteous plethora of pleasantly playful updates from Microsoft et al.

Certainly this is far easier with mobile virtual machines and multiple computers. The bottom line is that I'm basically lazy and therefore work hard to make things easy. However, what may be easy for me may be likened to trying to inflate a fishnet for someone else. Each needs to decide what is "easy" for themselves.

Jeff

----- Original Message -----

Jeff,

Thanks very much for your candid thoughts. Incidentally, although they my only seem worth 02 cents to you, the advice you have given is worth several orders of magnitude more to me.

You have helped me realize that, contrary to my usual practice, I should not just jump in and start doing on the new box without some thoughtful prior planning. (Yes, I have always known and preached planning but my own practice usually falls short of the ideal mark.)

I presently have several VMs and, except for one problem, really like using them. The one problem is managing updates. Some of the VMs I need only occasionally so when I do boot them, there can be quite a queue of Windows updates wanting to be installed. I'm not a good multitasker so tend to focus on the project du jour to the exclusion of everything else and thus forget to boot most of the machines until there comes a need to use one or the other. That can, of course impact my productivity as I bring the updates current.

Thanks again,

Glenn

From: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com [mailto: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com ] On Behalf Of Jeff Jones
Sent: February-10-13 8:57 AM
To: MS Access Professionals
Subject: Re: [MS_AccessPros] Virtual Machines

Like Bill, I'm going to be very slow to adopt Windows 8 simply because of ergonomic concerns. I can see having a touch screen for ipads or hand-held notebooks. However, to embrace the wonderfulness of reaching up to a monitor to get things done because mouse-centric control has been diminished is not something my finely tuned body would cherish.

I can not picture me using touch screens for my primary multi-monitor computer (28'' and 22'') or my secondary desktop with 2 22'' monitors or my 16GB, 17'' laptop with a 23'' monitor attached to it.

I have multiple virtual machines with either XP or Windows 7 installed. I created each and then declared victory with each with just my standard utilities and other "must haves" installed. Then I copied each and installed a different version of Office in each. I did this after discovering that even though I successfully installed Office 2003, 2007, and 2010 on my primary development PC, I found that I couldn't successfully open the VBE in Excel 2010, even though all office apps worked fine without the VBE opened. Since I do all this development, finally, because I want to and have fun doing so, I decided to keep my PCs as clean as possible and to use the virtual machines for development, testing, and what-if installations.

This works for me but I suspect that, like curry in India, there's a different flavor in use by each individual.

So, for what its worth, here's my 02 cents.
Jeff

----- Original Message -----

Thanks Bill,

I may be a veteran when it comes to Access but when it comes to hardware, I
frequently feel lost in the wilderness.

As to Windows 8, my thoughts are to run the box on 8 but use 7 for the VMs.
I love touch on my phone and tablets but when it comes to my desktop and
development work, I just can't see how touch would improve that
'experience.' However one of the hats I wear, training, makes it important
for me to become familiar with what people can expect when they start to
convert to 8. Like you, I also love 7.

Using an external drive for the VMs appeals to me from the portability
perspective. Several systems ago, I used an external drive as my data drive.
That made for an easy transition to the next box. Unfortunately, I reverted
to a single drive configuration that time. This time around I will be going
back to storing data on an external drive.

I hadn't thought of a solid state drive and I like your suggestion. I will
probably wait awhile, however, until the cost/byte approaches the equivalent
value for the older technology.

Thanks very much for sharing your insight,

Glenn

From: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com
[mailto: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com ] On Behalf Of Bill Mosca
Sent: February-09-13 7:38 PM
To: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [MS_AccessPros] Virtual Machines

Hi Glen

I'm flattered that a veteran like you is asking my opinion. My personal
experience is that using an external drive frees up your local drive so you
don't get slowdowns with other applications fighting for memory paging. You
probably won't run up against that with a 1 TB drive, but see how it goes.
Solid
state external drives are really fast, and you can always add one later if
you
find a need for it. You might see a significant increase in performance. I
don't
know.

And as to Windows 8...you pays your money and you takes your chances. I'm
still
not convinced that Win 8 is the way to go for non-touchscreen systems. I've
always hung back from upgrading OS. I refused to go with Vista, but I love
Win
7. I'll reserve my judgment about Win 8 after the dust has settled a bit.

Regards,

Bill

From: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com

[mailto: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com
] On Behalf Of Glenn
Lloyd
Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2013 4:08 PM
To: MS_Access_Professionals@yahoogroups.com

Subject: [MS_AccessPros] Virtual Machines

@Bill Mosca,

I noticed in one of your recent posts that you suggested an external hard
drive for virtual machines. I have been using VMWare workstation for some
time now but had not considered using an external drive for the VMs. In your
opinion is an external drive a better choice than allocating space on the
system drive?

At the moment I am considering buying a Windows 8 box with a 1TB internal
drive. With the price of USB external drives these days, it's not really a
stretch for me to add one or two to the new system's configuration. Would a
5000 rpm portable external drive be suitable for basing the VMs one or would
7200 rpm be a better choice? On the new system I would use USB 3 ports to
connect these two drives.

Would it be a good strategy to use the real computer only to run virtual
machines where I would local all applications? In my current configurations
I run my day to day applications on the main Window 7 system and use the VMs
for testing and older o/s and applications testing.

Right now I have one WD 1TB Passport portable drives (both 5000 rpm) as
supplemental storage and one as backup. I really like these because they are
each about the size of a deck of cards.

I'd appreciate whatever thoughts and insights you would care to share.

Thanks,

Glenn

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--

Jeffrey Park Jones
Excel, Access, Word, Office Expert
Excel and Access, LLC®
http://ExcelAndAccess.Com

919-671-9870
5109 Deer Lake Trail
Wake Forest, NC 27587
jpjones23@centurylink.net

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--

Jeffrey Park Jones
Excel, Access, Word, Office Expert
Excel and Access, LLC®
http://ExcelAndAccess.Com

919-671-9870
5109 Deer Lake Trail
Wake Forest, NC 27587
jpjones23@centurylink.net

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--

Jeffrey Park Jones
Excel, Access, Word, Office Expert
Excel and Access, LLC®
http://ExcelAndAccess.Com

919-671-9870
5109 Deer Lake Trail
Wake Forest, NC 27587
jpjones23@centurylink.net

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--

Jeffrey Park Jones
Excel, Access, Word, Office Expert
Excel and Access, LLC®
http://ExcelAndAccess.Com

919-671-9870
5109 Deer Lake Trail
Wake Forest, NC 27587
jpjones23@centurylink.net

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]