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Hi everyone,

I copied this from the shout box- I think it has lasting value.

StephenMA: can two unique AC installs 'live' on the same system, and can they accessed from the same client?
Indy: only through virtualization - CentOS (free-more skill) or Windows ($$ - less skill)
Sandeep: @StephenMA Yes, you will need to setup two virtual machines to host AC. Windows (less skill, but less headache too.) Sorry Indy.
Bert: Why?
Indy: @Sandeep - matter of experience and perspective - once linux servers are properly configured they run for years at a time without being touched, much less headaches
Sandeep: The same holds true for Microsoft Servers. JamesNT can you send you some screenshots. The restore process is much better documented and the simplicity and familiarity of backup solutions is good for the end-user.
Sandeep: My point is sure it's easy for me/us to switch between hypervisors or use power shell or terminal or whatever OS. I've used a lot of them Parallels, Virtual Box, Cent OS, RHEL, VMware, etc. But it's not easy for the end-user or their local support to use.


Gene

Thanks, Gene.

Uptime is highlighted..

JamesNT

James am I reading that correctly - 66 days?

With the new virtualization licensing of Microsoft, it's important to know how licensing is going to work.

First, a few details.

* Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard Edition is $882 and allows for TWO virtual machines.

* Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter Edition is $6,155 and allows for UNLIMITED virtual machines.

* Each copy of Windows purchased counts as its own virtual license.

So, let's consider the following scenarios:

--You install a copy of Windows 2012 R2 Standard Edition on your physical server. You can now install two virtual guests from the exact same media. Total Cost = $882.

--You install a copy of Windows 2012 R2 Standard Edition on your physical server. You need to install three copies of Windows as virtual guests. Windows 2012 R2 Standard provides the first two licenses. You'll have to purchase a second copy of Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard for the third license. Total Cost: $1,764.

--You install a copy of Windows 2012 R2 Datacenter Edition on your physical server. You can install as many virtual guests as you want; as much as your hardware can handle. 10, 20, 50, 100. Doesn't matter as long as your hardware can run it. Total Cost: $6,155.

--You install a copy of CentOS on your physical server. CentOS does not come with any Windows licenses. Every copy of Windows you install as a guest must be purchased. For example, if you want to run two copies of Windows as virtual guests, that $882 * 2 = $1,764.

JamesNT

Yes, you are reading that correctly. 66 days ago, I rebooted to install the latest updates.

JamesNT

James, I'm a little confused.

When you use the word "Windows" are you referring to server licenses, not the desktop versions.

You still need separate licenses for those, correct?

I am referring to the server license, yes. However, if you decide to run the client (Windows 7, etc.), the same rules apply, just change the prices.

Windows 7/8 is $180.

JamesNT

66 days is pretty good. James posted one of 180-190 days a few months back. But Hyper V is pretty reliable. I had around there too but I upgraded the memory from 32GB to 64GB in mine. Now I'm at 30 days. Either way, your VM's running windows will need to restart (updates) and if you're like most practices, you'll probably have only one VM to host on your server.

The main benefit of virtualizing is flexibility. You can move to new hardware easily (that means restores are easier since you won't need some special discontinued motherboard for your Dell Server to be up and running). There's also replication and many other benefits.

When it comes to uptime, discussions can get pretty complicated pretty quickly. Some people believe any downtime is just pure bad. Others differentiate between planned downtime and unplanned downtime. I'm in the latter camp. There is no such thing as a year without some type of downtime. The question is, did you plan for it so you can properly maintain your machine or did you just wait for the thing to explode before deciding to take a look at it?

Why do you get oil changes every 5000 miles? Doesn't that count as planned downtime for your car?

JamesNT