Any thoughts on using free version of VMWare Server in a production environment?
Current Network Environment:
— Windows Server 2003 AD network with PDC and BDC
— Server RAID 5; 2MB RAM; 32-Bit; Single Core
— Six client workstations all running XP Pro
— Shadow Protect Disk Imaging software running on server and workstations
Question:
— I suspect the existing server hardware will limit any value from virtualization, but if hardware was up to recommended specs, what advantages (if any) would there be in moving to vmware for disaster recovery, over the existing Shadow Protect option?
— If there are advantages to virtualizing under the recommended server hardware specs, is it acceptable to virtualize the server in a production environment using the free version of vmware server? (Best practices suggest that the free version is best used in test environments, and not production. What sayeth the group?