Can a Virtual Server host run multi-processor applications?

Can a Virtual Server host run multi-processor applications?

We are considering using Microsoft Virtual Server. We have one application that would benefit greatly from a multi-processor environment. The other "servers" would be minimal resource users. Is there any major issues with running the multi-processor application on the "host" and then running the others in small virtual servers. The host system will be a dual processor 8 GB ram RAID 5 machine with two to three virtual systems with only 1 GB ram dedicated to those systems. And say 100GB of disk.

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While I've often seen recommendations that specify that a virtual server host should not be running any other applications, I certainly think that it's an option in some situations – like yours. Assuming that the VMs (virtual machines) require minimal resources, and you have a capable host server, your configuration should work fine.

Here's the catch: While you might have adequate capacity for some types of resources such as CPU and memory, the VMs may not cooperate in the areas of others, such as disk and network. Keep in mind that the VMs don't have any idea of what's running on the host (or on other VMs, for that matter). I recommend you try the configuration you've outlined, ideally in a test environment, and that you monitor overall performance. If everything's running smoothly, you should be fine in production. Good luck!

This was first published in October 2006

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