Optimum setup/configuration for dedicated VM Host

Hi

My apologies if this is posted somewhere else that I could not find with my search criteria.

I need some advice on how best to configure/plan a setup that will allow me the following... (Using OS X as the host)

We need to be able to run a Unix DataStage server as well as a Windows DataStage client for testing and demo purposes and/or replicating bugs. The setup also needs to be as mobile as possible so it can be demo'd on site. As the client is only available in windows, it would make sense to rather use a windows platform, but I like OS X.

My main machine is a quad-core MBP with 16GB RAM which I'm sure will not be up to the task because I have a number of other applications running that I would not always want to close.

My next thought was to buy a Mac Mini and have it setup to run the DataStage server and possibly the windows client. According to IBM one would need a min of 4GB RAM for the server and 2GB RAM for the client, but we all know 8GB and 4GB would be better. Then if we strip down OS X as recommended here ( http://www.happymac.info/cms/knowle...server-instances-under-vmware-fusion-mac.html ), then everything should be able to co-exist RAM wise.

I'm assuming that an SSD is also better suited to run VM's and would help compensate for the dual core limit of the mac mini.

The alternative would be to buy a new Macbook and use my current one as the mac mini, however, I don't like the new mac books and am hoping that they would bring back at least the Kensington lock on them.

The final complication is that I'll probably have to share the vm's in the team who all will be using Windows/VMWare :-/

Any suggestions, recommendations?

Thanks

Paul

 

Hi Paul,

The suggestion would be to have a Mac with more than 16GB RAM.
You can install the server and client OS as Virtual Machine in Parallels : http://kb.parallels.com/4729
To share the Virtual Machine files, you can share it through network (Go to VM configure http://kb.parallels.com/117287 -> Hardware tab -> Network1 -> Change Type to 'Bridged default adapter').