[os-infrastructure] State of the onion

[Durwin Wright]

Recent Intel machines that have the EMT64 and VT BIOS options enabled
can install not only 64-bit host operating systems but you can use a
32-bit host OS, with a 32-Bit VMWare Server and install 64-bit VM Guest
Operating systems.

I have a DELL Optiplex 755 with 4 Gb of memory and a single dual core
processor.  I run 32-bit Windows XP on that system and have installed a
64-bit Windows 2003 Server and 64-bit Windows 2008 Server operating
systems along side by normal 32-bit VM guest operating systems.  I have
not really experimented with 64-bit Linux on this configuration.

It works very well and I am very pleased.  The DELL Optiplex 745 systems
only have the EMT64 feature but not the VT feature.  These features are
enabled in the BIOS and are turned off by default.  Turning them on has
not affected the operation of my 32-bit host in any way.

If you are interested in more details just drop me a line.

Durwin Wright | Sr. Architect | Durwin.Wright at ingres.com | Ingres | 500
Arguello Street | Suite 200 | Redwood City | CA | 94063 | USA  +1
650-587-5523 | fax: +1 650-587-5550 

-----Original Message-----
From: opensource-infrastructure-bounces at lists.ingres.com
[mailto:opensource-infrastructure-bounces at lists.ingres.com] On Behalf Of
Jason Boissiere
Sent: Friday, June 06, 2008 1:38 AM
To: Michael E. Touloumtzis
Cc: opensource-infrastructure at lists.ingres.com
Subject: Re: [os-infrastructure] State of the onion

VMware (or Xen, though I have no personal experience) is a good answer
for clean-box testing. You can snapshot before you do anything and
revert to the snapshot after you're done, guaranteeing the environment
is clean every time. Other big advantage is the ability to run multiple
OS in parallel on the same hardware, so you can continue using your
desktop while the build VM is busy.

You can run 64-bit guest machines on most recent 64-bit CPUs, VMware
supply a tool to verify that your CPU supplies the appropriate
functionality.

Performance is generally comparable to bare-iron, in my experience.
Worth allocating the disk space before use and increasing the default
Video RAM for Windows, at least.

Jason
 
On Fri, 2008-06-06 at 00:05 -0400, Michael E. Touloumtzis wrote:
> These platform ports have to be on a "clean" box - with a vanilla
> install.  
> Once extra build tools or packages for Xerces etc. (let alone
> testenv  
> users and such) are added to a machine, then we can no longer mimic
> the  
> non-Ingres user experience. I have no spare box for this, so will
> install  
> a scavenged 40GB drive for a new Ubuntu 8.04 installation. This will
> do  
> for 32-bit. It would be very useful for those in the vanguard of
> platform  
> support for the community builds to have "extra" hardware. I know I
> can  
> buy a 32-bit 1-CPU build box for about US$100 and I suppose Ingres
> Corp  
> can free up such a scratch box for OS installs and quick svn pulls
> and  
> builds. Even more useful (as I already have some 32-bit hardware that
> I  
> can dual-boot) would be a 64-bit machine. [Steve, any prospect of my  
> getting a lower-end castoff of this sort?]
> 
-- 
Jason Boissiere
Senior Quality Assurance Engineer
Ingres Europe Limited
jason.boissiere at ingres.com
PHONE  +44 01753 559529
www.ingres.com 

This transmission is confidential and intended solely for the use of
the recipient named above. It may contain confidential, proprietary, or
legally privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient,
you are hereby notified that any unauthorized review, use, disclosure
or distribution is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
transmission in error, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and
delete the original transmission and all copies from your system.
_______________________________________________
opensource-infrastructure mailing list
opensource-infrastructure at lists.ingres.com
http://lists.ingres.com/mailman/listinfo/opensource-infrastructure