Home lab server setup

Big Chris

Big Chris

Big Chris

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Joined
5 Apr 2004
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Bloxham
Just started a few MS courses and have managed to procure an 'old' HP PC which currently runs a Core2 Duo, 1GB RAM and an 80GB drive.

Figured I could stick 4GB DDR2 RAM and a 500GB HDD in there fairly cheaply and start messing around.

I'm doing Win7 Desktop courses but having never played with a server before was wondering if it might be worth installing Server 2008 R2 then having some VM's running Win7 so I can get a general idea of how it all installs/configures and runs.

I'm not going to specialise in servers I don't think, but it can't hurt to know the basics and I've always been curious about this kinda stuff even though I'm solely in Desktop Support at the moment.

Am I talking sense, or barking up the wrong tree?
 
See my post below - I'm in the same situation :)

EDIT: I used to live in Leam before I moved over here :)
 
Yeah I read your thread, hoped it would answer my questions but I didn't really follow most of it!

I'm a complete beginner at this stuff, I've installed Windows plenty of times but no idea how best to knock up this latest idea of mine.

I figured if I installed Server 2008 then I could run some Win7 VM's and play with DNS etc, just not sure if it will work that way or if there's a better solution for just teaching myself the basics. This setup isn't actually going to run anything as such, just a plaything in lieu of any actual training since my employers are tight and I've got some of the MS course textbooks from a colleague.

As for Leam, small world! :)
 
Any thoughts guys? Just want to know if installing Server 2008 R2 as the O/S then running VM's is the best way to go here for just general fiddling around.

Will it be able to 'administer' the Win7 VM's so I can play with setting up DNS etc?
 
Ok cool. So I can install Server 2008 R2 and I can administer the Win7 VM's as per a mini network/domain right?

Do I have to stick with Hyper-V or can I try VMWare too? My plan is to just have a play with various methods really, so can I have 1 of each VM, and if so can they both be 'managed' by Server 2008? Apologies if I sound like an idiot, this is all new to me! :p
 
Big Chris said:
Ok cool. So I can install Server 2008 R2 and I can administer the Win7 VM's as per a mini network/domain right?

Do I have to stick with Hyper-V or can I try VMWare too? My plan is to just have a play with various methods really, so can I have 1 of each VM, and if so can they both be 'managed' by Server 2008? Apologies if I sound like an idiot, this is all new to me! :p
Click to expand...

You can install anything you like and do what you like, after all this is the whole reason virtual machines is so adorable in the world of IT. Break it... ah just restore. :) unless ofcourse the restore fails... :p
 
Sweet, I'll get cracking then! I just want to know how each approach works really, then once I've got a few VM's up and running successfully I can play with the server options in 2008 R2.

I've got some of the MS server course materials which I'm going to look through, but since most of it will probably go over my head to begin with is there an idiots guide to getting started?
 
Make sure your CPU supports VT-x virtulisation extentions first. My C2D does so you should be ok.

For virtual environments, ram is king. Get as much in there as possible if you want to run multiple VMs with any sort of speed. Can you imagine installing 2008r2 and 3 copies of Win7 on 4 physical machines with only 1GB of ram each ?. CPU wise you will probably be ok.

I use VMwares vSphere (free) and is works fine, installs on to a USB key and is very lightweight. It will handle Win server and Win 7 VMs fine if it has the resources to do so.

Network wise, I would suggest you create a separate subnet if you want to run your own DNS / DHCP server to avoid clashing with your home ISP router which usually performs the task for most users.

If you install PFSense as a VM, you can connect one virtual network port to the virtual switch which is connected to the physical network controller and the other virtual network port to a virtual switch which you then connect all your other VMs to. PFSense will then act like a router between the two networks. Just give then different subnets (home lan is 192.168.1.0-254 then make your virtulised lan 192.168.2.0-254 with the gateway as the IP address of the PFSense vport on the 192.168.2.0-254 network).

ISP router ---> vSphere server
(192.168.1.254) ---> (192.168.1.200)

vSphere server
Physical network port (192.168.1.200) ---> vSwitch ---> PFSense VM port1 (192.168.1.201) -- PFSense VM Port2 (192.168.2.254) ---> vSwitch ---> Multiple VMs (192.168.2.0-254)

2008r2 DNS / DHCP manages 192.168.2.0-254 subnet with gateway of 192.168.2.254
ISP router handles 192.168.1.0-254 subnet and internet connectivity.

This should work fine although I have a second physical router in my own setup and connect the ISP router to the WAN port on it then connect it to the vSphere host. The second router has DHCP and DNS turned off so my virtual Win SBS 2011 server can manage them.

You can probably do the same with Hyper-V but I have no direct experience as I work with more than just Microsoft based VMs.

RB
 
Thanks RimBlock, however as mentioned earlier I'm a complete newcomer to this sort of stuff so most of your post went about 3ft over my head I'm afraid!

For example, the following question may be very stupid: if I run say 2 Win7 VM's on this machine, will they be networked, as in able to see eachother and the Server 2008 host as per machines on a physical network?

Is there some sort of beginners guide to setting this sort of thing up or do I just need to get stuck in and see what happens? I wasn't planning on getting this machine on the internet as such, it's just a plaything for now.
 
Sure, understand but if you take a look at vSphere (ESXi) and have a play around then you can refer back and it should make a lot more sense.

Again, I am more of a vSphere person so cannot really advise on how Hyper-V works. If you do use vSphere then all VMs will usually be linked to the same vSwitch on creation so they can all talk to each other.

Have a browse around for tutorials as there are lots out there. ESXi is more mature so you are likely to find more information but on the other had quite a bit may be out of date. It really is pretty simple to get to grips with though. Install the host software on the server (on to a memory stick is fine). Download the vSphere client and then just login to the server via the client from another machine supplying the IP address and the username / password you setup in the install part. Play around with the options ;).

RB
 
Physically, as many as you have. License binding, I would have to check.

vSphere client can only connect to one server though (vCentre can manage many servers from a single instance depending on licensing purchased). You can, however, have multiple instances of vSphere client running on your desktop machine to manage multiple servers.

RB
 
GodAtum said:
Or I could just change the Ip when logging into vSphere client?
Click to expand...

Yep, one vSphere client has a dropdown list so you can choose from multiple vSphere hosts but can only connect to one at any one time per instance of vSphere client. Multiple hosts at the same time means running two or more copies of vSphere client at the same time, which is no real hassle as long as you do not get the subsequent windows mixed up.

RB
 
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