Oracle DBA Tips Corner |
|
Installing VMware Workstation 4.5 - (Windows XP)
by Jeff Hunter, Sr. Database Administrator
Contents
Overview
With VMware Workstation, the virtual machine is nothing more than a directory
of several files. After creating a virtual machine (Linux, Solaris, etc.) I typically
close down the virtual machine and backup the directory to my NAS. Once
this directory is backed up, I have a complete copy of the virtual machine
that can be restored at any time. This leaves me the ability to install
and configure Oracle on the virtual machine without the worry of messing anything
up that will take a long time to fix. When I want to go back to a fresh virtual
machine, I simply restore the directory and I am done - back to a fresh install.
Obtaining VMware
System Requirements
Installing VMware
The first screen is simply a Welcome screen. Click [Next] to
start the installation process.
Read over the user license agreement. If you agree with it, click
[Next] to continue.
The default destination folder for VMware is C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Workstation\. I typically
keep the default. Click [Next] to continue.
This screen is pretty much a confirmation screen. To start the installation
process, click [Install].
The installation process...
During the installation process, you may be prompted with a dialog box
indicating that your CD-ROM is configured with the autorun
feature enabled. Some virtual machines will have unexpected behavior
when this feature is enabled. VMware provides you this warning and the
ability to turn it off. I typically select No and have never
had an issue with autorun enabled. This may change for me
in the future however.
Another dialog box will be presented near the end of the installation asking
if you want the VMware installation process to search for
old virtual disks and suspended state files. This is a new version of VMware
and I do not have any virtual disks to rename. Here I select No
to continue without performing a search.
The next dialog asks for user information and serial number for the product.
Although this is an optional step (it can be completed at a later time) I
typically get it out of the way and enter all information required.
Click [Enter] or [Skip] to continue.
And that's all there is to it. VMware is now installed and ready for you
to start creating virtual machines. Click [Finish] to exit the installation
wizard.
Oh, you thought we were done? It wouldn't be complete without the annoying
hassle of rebooting. It just wouldn't be Microsoft without it!
Next Steps
All articles, scripts and material located at the Internet address of http://www.idevelopment.info is the copyright of Jeffrey M. Hunter
and is protected under copyright laws of the United States. This document may not be hosted on any other site without my express,
prior, written permission. Application to host any of the material elsewhere can be made by contacting me at jhunter@idevelopment.info.
I have made every effort and taken great care in making sure that the material included on my web site is technically accurate,
but I disclaim any and all responsibility for any loss, damage or destruction of data or any other property which may arise from
relying on it. I will in no case be liable for any monetary damages arising from such loss, damage or destruction.
This article presents the steps necessary to install VMware Workstation 4.5 (build 8848)
on the Windows XP operating environment. The question you may have is, why
would an article on installing VMware Workstation be located in the Oracle DBA Tips
section of this site? Well, this product provides a unique opportunity for
me to have Windows XP running on my laptop with the ability to install
another operating environment (Linux, Solaris x86, or even another version
of Windows) on the same machine without the need for dual-booting.
VMware provides me with a virtual machine that can run any of the
above mentioned operating systems simultaneously with Windows XP on my laptop.
I often find it necessary to do new installs of Oracle while not interrupting
my somewhat stable Oracle install on the laptop.
VMware Workstation can be obtained directly from their website -
http://www.vmware.com.
A 30 day evaluation copy is available for download directly from the
website. If you decide to purchase WMware Workstation, you can purchase it
directly from VMware for US$189.
For what this product can do, it is well worth the price.
I wanted to include this section as a reminder of the requirements
you will need to use Oracle with VMware. Oracle alone (9i or
10g) requires 512MB or RAM and around 2GB of hard disk space.
These resources will have to be available to your virtual machine plus
the memory and disk space required for your actual machine. In my case,
I have a laptop configured with 1GB of RAM and a 60GB hard drive. When
creating a virtual machine, I typically give half of the memory to the
the VM and keep the other half for the laptop. This gives my virtual machine
512MB of memory - plenty to run either Oracle9i or Oracle10g.
As for disk space, I like to give 10GB to the virtual machine. This gives me
plenty of room for the Oracle RDBMS software, a database (or two), and
spare room to play around.
Finally, we take a look at the installation process. Start the
installation by running the file
VMware-workstation-4.5.2-8848.exe and following
the screen shots below.
Screen 1: - Welcome
Screen 2: - License Agreement
Screen 3: - Destination Folder
Screen 4: - Ready to Install the Program
Screen 5: - Installation Progress
Screen 6: - CD-ROM autorun enabled
Screen 7: - Rename Virtual Disks?
Screen 8: - Registration Information
Screen 9: - Installation Wizard Complete
Screen 10: - Installation Wizard Complete
After rebooting your machine, you can get started by creating
a virtual machine. Included below are several links I have
on how to create a Linux and Solaris virtual machine:
Creating a New Virtual Machine - (White Box Enterprise Linux)
Creating a New Virtual Machine - (Solaris 9)
Creating a New Virtual Machine - (Windows XP Professional)
Sunday, 20-Nov-2005 11:22:24 EST
Page Count: 7764