[Article]-Virtual Lab with VMware

[don]

For anyone looking to setup a virtual lab, whether it be for certification studies or just for testing new tools, here is a tutorial on setting it up using VMware software. Many thanks to member Negrita for this contribution.

Virtual Lab with VMware

Feel free to add comments or suggestions regarding the article,
Don

[Dengar13]

VMWare is a great tool especially of you don't have the $ to buy hardware and it takes a little of your systems resources.  The possibilities are endless.

[don]

Something else that works to save money is to use Microsoft's now free Virtual Server to create your virtual machines, then use VMware Player to run and network the machines.

Here's another cool resource to check out:

Iron Geek's Video Presentation on 'Using VMware Player to run Live CDs (Bootable ISOs)':
http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=videos/vmwareplayerlivecd

Don

[Dengar13]

BTW Negrita, that is a great article!   

[Negrita]

BTW Negrita, that is a great article!   

Thank you Dengar13.

Well, this is the corresponding thread mentioned in the article for you all to comment an criticise. I would actually be interested in reading about any other type of lab set up using some other type of virtualization software other than VMware.

This is also the place to mention a slip-up. In the article, amongst all the Windows, Linux, Novell and UNIX supported guests lists, I inadvertintly forgot to mention that DOS too is supported. More info can be found here.

[Dengar13]

Not sure if this was ever posted, but here is a link that helps you create a session based on what you want.   It is fantastic if you are new to VMWare.

http://www.easyvmx.com/

[don]

Posted this to digg.com. Feel free to 'digg this story' using the link on the top left of the article. But be sure to only do it once! 

Don

[don]

Congrats Negrita. This article got the attention of VMware on their blog. Go to:

http://www.vmware.com/vmtn/blog/

And search for ethical hacker.

Don

[Negrita]

Cool. 

I actually watered the article down so that it would be more "user friendly" to newbies. I hope someone found it useful.

[Negrita]

I finally co-erced an expert into replying. Andy Costello is VMWare Certified (VCP-101E) and is awaiting his results for VMware VCP311 exam (VI3), and judging from his posts at bb.mcsebraindumps.com (where I moderate), he has years of experience with VMware and keeps himself up to date too. I tried to get him to reply here but he prefered to reply there.

Very impressive read :thumbup:
A few comments (as requested) :-
1 - From what a collegue tells me (i havent verified it myself) as long as you have a 64bit chip, even if the host is 32bit, you can run a 64bit guest os
2 - VMWare workstation as you've said is a pay purchase or trial use only. VMware Player and VMware Server both are free products the main difference being that VMware Player can't change the config (although you can edit the config and manually change) whereas VMware server allows the config to be changed so I would recommend techies skip player and go server from the start.
3 - Re installing using ISO's dont forget you can change the ISO image that the VM / guest is connected to on the fly and its much quicker to install from an ISO than the CD itself. So I prefer to create an ISO of the CD and mount and use that (unless the CD will only be used once)
4 - you will probably love this article below. Basicly you can take a physical server and virtuallize it as is (great to test hacking a real server without breaking the origional).
http://www.rtfm-ed.co.uk/?page_id=174