Virtualisation of servers on a single machine

[hARSH007]

I want your opinion on the operation of server virtualization on a single machine? In terms of security? In terms of resource? Please note that I will be having this on a single machine (for reasons of cost): a Windows XP (IIS and SQL Express), a standard Linux server (SME Server, which would use as a Web server, SIN , Mail server...), and a typical machine HTPC (Windows 7) which would allow me to listen to music, film,... If I realize this, the virtual machine will be running Windows (my IIS server in fact), and this OS will be having the 2 other machines that I need. Do you think this is feasible? Have you ever done such an arrangement? Especially at the network interfaces I'm not sure how it will happen, and in the various system files and this is why I asked here. If the first solution is not possible, I would opt for a HTPC machine and another machine with XP server that hosted the SME. In fact what I think is important is not having to take an additional machine for a Windows server that would serve me something to accommodate 2-3 in DOTNET and a SQL Server database.

[HiSpeed]

"In terms of security?: IIS web server is not what I choose if I wanted to stream content over the Internet. The principle of a DMZ is to concentrate on the machines providing services to the Internet. Then the LAN meets the machines that do not have access to the Internet directly, except through the machines in the DMZ. It is notable that one should NEVER virtualize virtual machines located in areas (networks) differ on the same host. The reason is obvious: if the host is compromised, all VMs will also be compromised. The effectiveness in terms of virtualization is to use a hypervisor. And thus avoid a virtualization host "heavy" (eg virtualbox on Windows and Hyper-V). The hypervisor is a lightweight, focused on access to resources and virtualization. In short, there are opportunities to play but it will be neither secure nor efficient.

[Connect_Me]

An http server on the Internet without the protection of a firewall application (reverse proxy for example) has little chance to escape from getting compromised completely or partially (possibly without your knowledge). Even a .IIS and then .Net does not provide safety in this situation. Will you be accessing the "server" from outside world? If this is the case then I would suggest to virtualize the Windows and the SME with a hypervisor, and the HTPC should be on another machine. In fact you should better describe what you want.

[hARSH007]

Actually what I want is as mentioned below:

Solution 1:

- I have an Internet connection with a classical BOX and can be imagined machines servers (DMZ) and a HTPC machine (ie LAN), and a machine that serves as a router (entry point), all connected by virtual network interfaces between different virtual machines.
- The machine has three network interfaces
* An input interface to the machine "router"
* DMZ interface output for connecting additional machines in case
* An output interface for LAN stations at home

The server machine with DMZ: I need a machine with SME Server that would do anything to (Mail, Web Server, ...), a server where I could have a SQL Server database and a website with ASP.NET. The machine with LAN: I need a file server (NAS-type), and a typical HTPC machine. The rest are machine of type desktop / laptop that already exists

I do not know if this configuration is possible, especially at the level of communication between virtual machines per virtual links, it is like wiring a virtual network within virtual machines. Then from what you say, I'd better make a clean machine in DMZ server side and a machine suited to the LAN. The reason for wanting to do this is that if I took a machine by field of use, it would be very underutilized and I had even spoken about the cost and also where I could put all these machines, there is a lack of space.

Solution 2:

Basically I went to use SME Server directly connected to the BOX, and the LAN connected to the SME would have been in server and gateway mode, but in this scheme I do not see or save my IIS server (maybe on the same position as SME but virtualization?). Another thing: Looking on the net virtualization systems I've seen a linux distro which is called Proxmox, it may be interesting for me? What do you think of this distro?

[HiSpeed]

SME includes a web server (Apache), a tool for website development (PHP), Database (MySQL). In brief SME (L) supports AMP platform and most used for Web sites. Just count the number of machines of different OS to understand how difficult it would be and we must try to reduce the number of machines! Proxmox is not a distribution that provides a virtualization system, but two! On one side it has OpenVZ (known commercially via Virtuozzo) for instances of type Linux (various and 32 or 64 bits). On the other it has KVM that is intended to "replace" pushed by Xen and RedHat in particular, for instances such as Windows or Linux or BSD. However I don't think it should be used in corporate business.