[mythtv-users] Mythbacked on ESXi 5.0

Joe Hickey jfwd at phlobus.net
Tue Oct 25 14:45:11 UTC 2011


On Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 10:20 AM, Matt Mossholder <matt at mossholder.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Oct 25, 2011 at 9:36 AM, Raymond Wagner <raymond at wagnerrp.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> The only thing mentioned there that would necessitate a virtual machine
>> would be Windows Server.  However, that questions the need for Server
>> 2k3.  It's sitting in a cupboard, so you're not using it as a desktop.
>> Were you using it for development work, you likely would have upgraded
>> to 2k8.  You're running Postfix/Dovecot, so it's not hosting Exchange.
>> Is there no Linux alternative to whatever you're running on there?
>
> One of the points that seems to be glossed over here is complexity. While
> adding virtualization adds some level of complexity to the mix, it can also
> be a tool to remove it. One reason to utilize virtualization is to remove

I will second that. I've been running a "consolidated" server for
years.  Basically starting with mythbuntu for my backend, plus the
regular selection of samba, apache, print server, and other various
services like OpenVPN so I can connect to my network remotely.

For the "fun" stuff like myth, I am always wanting to upgrade to the
latest release every time a new release comes out which generally
means upgrading the whole OS and going through the pain and several
days/weeks of frustration in getting everything working together
again.  In theory this should be an easy upgrade but in reality it
never actually works that easy.

Similar issues occur when I upgrade the hardware.  Although I find
linux far better than windows in this regard, there is still some
effort to get everything working correctly on the new box.

I have many times thought about and even attempted to split these
services into separate virtual hosts, because it basically gives the
best of both worlds - isolation as if I was running many different
servers and not forcing me to upgrade all at once, without the
downside of the power, space and noise of actually running different
servers, and the bonus of much easier migration to new hardware.
Basically a win-win, but last time I tried I had issues getting my PCI
capture cards working, so I gave up.  Might try again next time I have
to upgrade the box.


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