[ale] Semi-OT, Windows as VM guest

[Damon L. Chesser]

As long as by "another physical system", you mean "another physical
system running the same type of hypervisor, hopefully on the same type
of CPU (ie., intel to like intel, AMD to like AMD, not intel to AMD, or
intel OLD to Intel brand new)".  Say, you move a kvm from host one to
host two, both running Sandybridge CPUs, you are golden.  The VM does
not know it.  If you go from Sandybridge to AMD, it will still work, but
you will not do a live migration.





On 11/28/2014 05:21 PM, Ken Cochran wrote:
> Thanks for y'all's responses.
>
> Answer to one of my questions:  The .iso images of Win7 that
> are available are several months old, so evidently they're
> not patch-maintained.
>
> Q:  Does running Windows in a VM "abstract" the hardware enough
> that Windows itself does *not* "see itself" differently if its
> "VM image" is moved from one physical computer to another?
>
> Methinks this likely a feature/characteristic of the hypervisor(?)
>
> Scenario:
>
> The only versions I'm finding of Win7 available for purchase
> are OEM, not retail.
> The OEM license is tied to a single computer, single installation.
> The Retail license is subject to the above restriction.
>
> What if I install/run in (some) VM & want to move/migrate that
> "VM image" to another (physical) system?  Will Windows see
> that as a new install & call for another activation?
>
> Gosh, licensing & license-administration is A Booger...
> Virtualization tosses a number of things on their heads... :)
>
> Thanks, -kc
>
>> From: Jim Kinney <jkinney at jimkinney.us>
>> Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 11:04:26 -0500
>> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts <ale at ale.org>
>> Subject: Re: [ale] Semi-OT, Windows as VM guest
>>
>> Worse. It's an OEM license and it's tied to a specific class of
>> hardware. The OEM submits their supplied license keys along with the
>> hardware list it shipped on to Microsoft. If your installation is to a
>> system that's too different, it refuses the key.
>>
>> Migrating the certificate file will also fail as the hardware checksum
>> will fail on next test and the update process will refuse to create an
>> updated cert as the new hardware is too different. A motherboard change
>> is allowed as long as the hard drive is the same. Moving from physical
>> to virtual will change both drive and motherboard thus invalidating the
>> license cert. The exception to this is if using a company bulk license.
>>
>> On November 28, 2014 10:35:24 AM EST, Michael Trausch <mike at trausch.us> wrote:
>>> Yes, but doesn't that require copying the certificate from the host
>>> firmware and grafting it into the VM BIOS image?
>>>
>>>> On Nov 27, 2014, at 10:11 PM, Beddingfield, Allen <allen at ua.edu>
>>> wrote:
>>>> Look at the computer you are wanting to run it on...if it shipped
>>> with some OEM version of Windows (look for the MS product code
>>> sticker), you can run that license in a guest.
>>>> Allen B.
>>>> --
>>>> Allen Beddingfield
>>>> Systems Engineer
>>>> The University of Alabama
>>>> ________________________________________
>>>> From: ale-bounces at ale.org [ale-bounces at ale.org] on behalf of Ken
>>> Cochran [kwc at shell.TheWorld.com]
>>>> Sent: Thursday, November 27, 2014 3:47 PM
>>>> To: ale at ale.org
>>>> Subject: [ale] Semi-OT, Windows as VM guest
>>>>
>>>> Semi-OT, so off-list reply ok & I'll try to summarize back.
>>>>
>>>> Hey ALErs & Happy Thanksgiving!
>>>>
>>>> I have a few applications that *require* Windows & won't run in
>>>> an emulator (a la Wine/CrossOver, believe me, we've tried).  They
>>>> should run fine in a VM though.
>>>>
>>>> Questions:
>>>>
>>>> What is the "best" (or recommended version(s)) of Windows to run
>>>> as a guest/hosted in a VM?  Looks like my choices are 7 Pro or
>>>> 8.1 Pro.  I'm thinking 7Pro - everyone else I've talked with
>>>> *hates* 8; thought I might ask here.
>>>>
>>>> Should it be the OEM DVD or is this something I can/should
>>>> download & make into a USB/flashdrive install?
>>>>
>>>> Does MS maintain the download images with service packs and/or patches?
>>>>
>>>> Can I "migrate" a Windows VM to a different machine, as needed?
>>>>
>>>> If I download it, how do I go about getting proper/valid/legal
>>>> license key(s)?
>>>>
>>>> As usual, pointers to FAQs, docs, FMs to RT are quite welcome.  :)
>>>>
>>>> -kc
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-- 
Damon at damtek.com
404-271-8699