Running two Virtual Machines

ms9cw · 9 Oct 2007 at 20:59

I'm trying to run two Xubuntu VMs under VMware Server. One seems to run OK, but if I try to run both at the same time, using separate instances of VMware, one of them tends to fall over after a few hours (also getting BSDs). I run a Burn-In test for 10 hours without a problem. What's better to run under VMware: Xubuntu or Ubuntu? Or should I try two WinSMP clients?

ms9cw

Cob · 9 Oct 2007 at 21:06

I've had no trouble running a pair of Ubuntu VM's on both XP and Vista. I haven't tried Xubuntu tho.

What do you mean by "using separate instances of VMware"? Do you mean you have two versions of VMWare open at the same time?

Berserker · 9 Oct 2007 at 21:25

I ran two Ubuntu Server VMs in parallel for a while to see how it would compare against one. It was slightly slower (only have two cores), but worked fine.

All the graphics-y stuff wastes memory for a cruncher. If you can live with a command line interface then Ubuntu Server is well worth a try and most of the SMP guide still applies.

ms9cw · 9 Oct 2007 at 21:36

Cob said:
What do you mean by "using separate instances of VMware"? Do you mean you have two versions of VMWare open at the same time?

Yes. Although I've also tried running both VMs under one instance of the program, with similiar results.

Berserker said:
All the graphics-y stuff wastes memory for a cruncher. If you can live with a command line interface then Ubuntu Server is well worth a try and most of the SMP guide still applies.

I did try Ubuntu Server, but got a little stuck when trying to set it up (EDIT: couldn't get gedit to work....or was I trying to use the wrong editor)

ms9cw

Cob · 9 Oct 2007 at 21:47

I would stick to the one instance tbh. VMWare eats memory as it is.

How much memory do you have allocated to each VM?

ms9cw · 9 Oct 2007 at 21:52

Cob said:
How much memory do you have allocated to each VM?

1024MB each. I have 2 GB RAM - I know is not much RAM, but Windows Task Manager said I was only using around about 500MB with both machines running.

ms9cw

Cob · 9 Oct 2007 at 21:55

I would drop that down a fair bit.

With 2gb of memory and running two linuxSMP clients per VM (four clients in total) I allocate each VM 512mb, and allocate VMWare (Host) itself 1108mb. Each VM could probably do with ~720mb to kill any chance of paging, but dedicating 1108mb to VMWare already slows a machine down.

Is it a dedicated cruncher?

Berserker · 9 Oct 2007 at 21:58

ms9cw said:
I did try Ubuntu Server, but got a little stuck when trying to set it up (EDIT: couldn't get gedit to work....or was I trying to use the wrong editor)

Yeah - gedit won't work in that environment. Use nano instead.

Cob · 9 Oct 2007 at 22:04

Berserker said:
Yeah - gedit won't work in that environment. Use nano instead.

Could you recommend a lightweight desktop that can be loaded from the cl when needed.

I tried the Server a few weeks ago but I'd really like access to a desktop now and again.

Berserker · 9 Oct 2007 at 22:24

Not really. I find the CLI to be adequate and don't run a GUI most of the time even on my Linux desktops. But then, I was brought up that way.

ms9cw · 9 Oct 2007 at 22:42

Cob said:
With 2gb of memory and running two linuxSMP clients per VM (four clients in total) I allocate each VM 512mb, and allocate VMWare (Host) itself 1108mb. Each VM could probably do with ~720mb to kill any chance of paging, but dedicating 1108mb to VMWare already slows a machine down.

Is it a dedicated cruncher?

Yes it is a dedicated cruncher. I've changed the settings to what you've suggested (although I'm still only running one client per VM) and I'll let you know it if still running in the morning.

ms9cw

Cob · 9 Oct 2007 at 22:48

512mb should be more than enough for a single client.

But since it's a dedicated cruncher with memory to spare you could raise it to maybe 620mb, tho I doubt Ubuntu itself will use more than ~400mb with even the largest WU.

But we'll see if 512mb and 1108mb helps your stability.

SiriusB · 9 Oct 2007 at 23:12

Xfce for a light-weight GUI.

Stelly · 9 Oct 2007 at 23:29

ms9cw said:
Yes it is a dedicated cruncher. I've changed the settings to what you've suggested (although I'm still only running one client per VM) and I'll let you know it if still running in the morning.

ms9cw

why dont you run linux native mate?

Stelly

ms9cw · 10 Oct 2007 at 06:35

Stelly said:
why dont you run linux native mate?

Because I want to have Windows on this machine (which is also to be used for backup storage).

One of the Xubuntu VMs is still playing up (always the same one), so I might have another go at setting up a Ubuntu Server to replace it.

ms9cw

P.S. I hope they're cleared out a locker for us at the Seven-Digit club, as Team ms9cw will be arriving shortly...

Stelly · 10 Oct 2007 at 07:59

ms9cw said:
Because I want to have Windows on this machine (which is also to be used for backup storage).

One of the Xubuntu VMs is still playing up (always the same one), so I might have another go at setting up a Ubuntu Server to replace it.

ms9cw

P.S. I hope they're cleared out a locker for us at the Seven-Digit club, as Team ms9cw will be arriving shortly...

AH ok no problem mate...

Why not just run Samba in Ubuntu that you could run Linux natively and use the Linux box as a backup machine as well

Stelly