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Is VPC the right solution for my scenario?

Source: microsoft.public.virtualpc
Sent: 06/12/2007
From: dfosbenner [MCSE]
Message:

VPC no doubt has its benefits, but perhaps not for the application I
envisioned at my company. I have an instrument in our lab that runs software
that runs on Windows 2000. It will not run in XP or Vista, and the vendor
has no intention of upgrading it. (The instrument cost $70,000, btw - how's
that for shafting the customer??)

I envisioned taking a new PC, installing Vista, and running the app in a
Windows 2000 VPC. In my mind, this would give me a newer, more secure
platform, since the Vista box would have the latest security updates,
patches, antivirus, etc.

However, I'm realizing now that the VPC is very much its own PC, and needs
its own antivirus, and other protections. If this is the case, instead of
solving any problems, all I've done is create more work, since I have TWO PCs
on one box to secure, not to mention double OS licenses, etc.

Am I missing something? Maybe I should just install W2K on the box and
leave it at that.

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Related Messages

Re: Is VPC the right solution for my scenario?

Sent: 06/12/2007
From: dfosbenner [MCSE]
Message:

I absolutely do realize W2K is way past EOL. That's one of the reasons I was
thinking that VPC might be a solution. Oh well, at least I've gotten some
familiarity with it.

"Mark Rae" wrote:

Show quoted text

> "dfosbenner [MCSE]" <(email address - cut out)> wrote in message
> news:(email address - cut out)...
>
> > I envisioned taking a new PC, installing Vista, and running the app in a
> > Windows 2000 VPC. In my mind, this would give me a newer, more secure
> > platform, since the Vista box would have the latest security updates,
> > patches, antivirus, etc.
>
> The host won't protect the guest from viruses, malware etc...
>
> > However, I'm realizing now that the VPC is very much its own PC, and needs
> > its own antivirus, and other protections.
>
> Correct - to all intents and purposes, the guest is no different from a real
> machine...
>
> > If this is the case, instead of solving any problems, all I've done is
> > create more
> > work, since I have TWO PCs on one box to secure, not to mention double OS
> > licenses, etc.
>
> That's right.
>
> > Am I missing something?
>
> No - that's exactly what VPC is for i.e. to create virtual machine which are
> to all intents and purposes the same as real machines...
>
> > Maybe I should just install W2K on the box and leave it at that.
>
> If your software is as expensive as you say it is, I'd say it probably
> deserves its own machine... :-)
>
> I appreciate the fact that the vendor doesn't have an update available, but
> you do know that mainstream support of Windows 2000 was retired almost two
> years ago, don't you...?
> http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/search/?sort=PN&alpha=Windows+2000&Filter=FilterNO
>
>
> --
> http://www.markrae.net
>
>

Re: Is VPC the right solution for my scenario?

Sent: 06/12/2007
From: (email address - cut out)
Message:

On Jun 12, 4:47 pm, "Mark Rae" <(email address - cut out)> wrote:

There shouldn't be any reason that the app would not at least work on
XP. If the installer does not work due to a restriction then that can
be removed. If it's not an installer issue and some other issue like
permissions/missing files then it's a simple matter to monitor
register/file access while the app is installing on Windows 2000 and
then move those over to XP.

If you can get it working on XP then it's even more likely to work in
Vista. Why you'd trust a 70,000 product on an OS that was just
released I won't even bother to ask.

Show quoted text

> "dfosbenner [MCSE]" <(email address - cut out)> wrote in message
>
> news:(email address - cut out)...
>
> >I absolutely do realize W2K is way past EOL. That's one of the reasons I
> >was
> > thinking that VPC might be a solution.
>
> Er... installing W2k on a virtual machine would not change the underlying
> support from Microsoft...
>
> --http://www.markrae.net

Re: Is VPC the right solution for my scenario?

Sent: 06/12/2007
From: "Mark Rae" <(email address - cut out)>
Message:

"dfosbenner [MCSE]" <(email address - cut out)> wrote in message
news:(email address - cut out)...

The host won't protect the guest from viruses, malware etc...

Correct - to all intents and purposes, the guest is no different from a real
machine...

That's right.

No - that's exactly what VPC is for i.e. to create virtual machine which are
to all intents and purposes the same as real machines...

If your software is as expensive as you say it is, I'd say it probably
deserves its own machine... :-)

I appreciate the fact that the vendor doesn't have an update available, but
you do know that mainstream support of Windows 2000 was retired almost two
years ago, don't you...?
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/search/?sort=PN&alpha=Windows+2000&Filter=FilterNO

--
http://www.markrae.net

Show quoted text

> I envisioned taking a new PC, installing Vista, and running the app in a
> Windows 2000 VPC. In my mind, this would give me a newer, more secure
> platform, since the Vista box would have the latest security updates,
> patches, antivirus, etc.
> However, I'm realizing now that the VPC is very much its own PC, and needs
> its own antivirus, and other protections.
> If this is the case, instead of solving any problems, all I've done is
> create more
> work, since I have TWO PCs on one box to secure, not to mention double OS
> licenses, etc.
> Am I missing something?
> Maybe I should just install W2K on the box and leave it at that.

Re: Is VPC the right solution for my scenario?

Sent: 06/12/2007
From: "Mark Rae" <(email address - cut out)>
Message:

"dfosbenner [MCSE]" <(email address - cut out)> wrote in message
news:(email address - cut out)...

Er... installing W2k on a virtual machine would not change the underlying
support from Microsoft...

--
http://www.markrae.net

Show quoted text

>I absolutely do realize W2K is way past EOL. That's one of the reasons I
>was
> thinking that VPC might be a solution.

Re: Is VPC the right solution for my scenario?

Sent: 06/13/2007
From: dfosbenner [MCSE]
Message:

The vendor is a rather arrogant company from Germany that makes an
spectrometer instrument which is used to analyze the chemistry of metal. I
wasn't involved in the purchase. Being an IT person, I am of course keenly
interested in their software and software support in the future.

When XP came out, we tried, unsuccessfully, to get the instrument to
communicate with their application using XP. When we called them, they told
us flat out it won't work, and even if we got it to work, they wouldn't give
us support since it's not a supported configuration. Wonderful vendor,
aren't they?

As stated, my misconceptions abput VPC led me to believe I could essentially
run an emulated W2K system inside Vista. It wasn't clear to me until
yesterday that a VPC instance of W2K is actually a *real* computer, and this
isn't a solution for me.

In the future, I would strongly discourage buying from a vendor with such an
attitude. But this is my issue now, and I have to deal with it. For the
time being, we're running W2K for that system, and blocking any internet
access for security reasons.

Thanks all for the help and input.
-Dave

Re: Is VPC the right solution for my scenario?

Sent: 06/13/2007
From: "Mark Rae" <(email address - cut out)>
Message:

"dfosbenner [MCSE]" <(email address - cut out)> wrote in message
news:(email address - cut out)...

Are they still actually selling this software...?

If so, I would seriously consider a "name and shame" exercise in the trade
press of your industry...

You could start off by naming them here, and providing their website...

It is totally unacceptable to sell a product which can only run on an
obsolete operating system...

--
http://www.markrae.net

Show quoted text

> In the future, I would strongly discourage buying from a vendor with such
> an
> attitude.

Re: Is VPC the right solution for my scenario?

Sent: 06/14/2007
From: dfosbenner [MCSE]
Message:

The company is Spectro. They are at www.spectro.com.
Presumably their new instruments come with software that is compatible with
current OS's. However, they don't have an upgrade path for older
instruments. While an instrument purchased in 1999 may sound "old", a
$70,000 instrument is a purchased with an expecation that it will last for
decades.

As an example, we have an instrument purchased in the 1960s that we're still
using. A couple years ago we had the electronics upgraded, and the software
runs in XP.

Re: Is VPC the right solution for my scenario?

Sent: 06/14/2007
From: "Mark Rae" <(email address - cut out)>
Message:

"dfosbenner [MCSE]" <(email address - cut out)> wrote in message
news:(email address - cut out)...

The question really is whether they are still *selling* instruments which
will run only on obsolete operating systems...

--
http://www.markrae.net

Show quoted text

> The company is Spectro. They are at www.spectro.com.
> Presumably their new instruments come with software that is compatible
> with
> current OS's. However, they don't have an upgrade path for older
> instruments. While an instrument purchased in 1999 may sound "old", a
> $70,000 instrument is a purchased with an expecation that it will last for
> decades.

Post Reply | This is Spam! | Mark as Spam

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