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VMware Server On Windows vs. VMware Server On Linux

Thursday, 07 December 2006 by Michel Roth

SearchServerVirtualization.com has published an article on whether to run VMware Server on Windows or Linux: VMware Server is great, but should you run it on Windows or Linux? Both have their pluses and minuses. In this article, I'll discuss how to determine whether VMware Server on Windows is the way to go or if it's best to stay true to the penguin party by hosting VMware Server on a Linux server.

Let's first take a look at the negative aspects of running VMware Server on Windows. The first area we will look at is cost. VMware Server does not support Windows XP; this means that you need a server license for Windows Server 2003 to run VMware Server with Windows. Windows Server 2003 is currently retailing for around $1,200 on NewEgg.com. Strike one -- the free server virtualization platform from VMware is not exactly free on Windows.

Windows also has inconsistent marks in its track record when it comes to security. One report says this, and another says that. The fact of the matter is that I manage both Windows and Linux servers, and I have to install far more patches on the Windows servers than I do for their Linux brethren. Out of the box, Linux simply trounces Windows when it comes to pre-configured security.

Read the entire article here.