Version 7 of VMware Workstation adeptly virtualizes Windows 7, Windows XP Mode and enterprise VMware platforms.
VMware
Workstation 7, the latest version of VMware's desktop virtualization tool,
carries on the tradition of providing premium technology for developers and
power users.
Released in
October with a list price of $189, VMware Workstation 7 fully supports Windows
7 and Windows XP Mode virtual machines. And, for the first time, VMware
Workstation supports running VMware enterprise virtualization platforms as
virtual machines.
In what was
a veritable virtualization riot, I was able to run an entire VMware vSphere 4
infrastructure, Windows Virtual PC with an instance of Windows XP Mode and an
instance of Windows XP Mode inside VMware Workstation 7-all at the same time on
the same system, a Lenovo T400s.
VMware
Workstation 7 also still runs on older hardware that lacks CPU virtualization
extensions, robust Windows graphics virtualization and extensive support for VMware's
own top-of-the-line server virtualization products.
Windows 7 Support
Chief among
the new features in this version of VMware Workstation is support for Windows 7
and, in particular, the Windows 7 Aero interface.
I installed
both the 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows 7 Enterprise edition as virtual
machines running under VMware Workstation 7. My main test computer was the Lenovo
T400s, equipped with an Intel P9600 Core2 Duo CPU with 4GB of RAM. The
system was running Windows 7 Enterprise 64-bit as the base OS. The physical
host was equipped with an integrated USB-based
fingerprint scanner, a four-point touch-enabled trackpad and the usual assortment
of USB and eSATA
ports found on Lenovo's current line of business-class systems. The system was
also equipped with an SSD hard
drive.
I enabled
the Intel Virtualization Technology hardware capabilities and the Intel VT-d
feature for directed I/O on my main test system. On a second Lenovo T400s test
system, I disabled the Intel Virtualization Technology and turned off the Intel
VT-d feature.
On both of
my test machines, VMware Workstation 7 was able to virtualize all of the
Windows and Linux guests that I normally install during a virtualization test.
While the Lenovo system with virtualization extensions enabled showed slightly
better performance, the ability to run VMware Workstation 7 on older desktops
and laptops without such extensions enhances its attractiveness.
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Cameron Sturdevant is the executive editor of Enterprise Networking Planet. Prior to ENP, Cameron was technical analyst at PCWeek Labs, starting in 1997. Cameron finished up as the eWEEK Labs Technical Director in 2012. Before his extensive labs tenure Cameron paid his IT dues working in technical support and sales engineering at a software publishing firm . Cameron also spent two years with a database development firm, integrating applications with mainframe legacy programs. Cameron's areas of expertise include virtual and physical IT infrastructure, cloud computing, enterprise networking and mobility. In addition to reviews, Cameron has covered monolithic enterprise management systems throughout their lifecycles, providing the eWEEK reader with all-important history and context. Cameron takes special care in cultivating his IT manager contacts, to ensure that his analysis is grounded in real-world concern. Follow Cameron on Twitter at csturdevant, or reach him by email at cameron.sturdevant@quinstreet.com.
