Jason Pyeron wrote: >> -----Original Message----- >> From: centos-bounces at centos.org >> [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On Behalf Of Robert Moskowitz >> Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 20:02 >> To: CentOS mailing list >> Subject: Re: [CentOS] Re: Live CD Planning systems >> >> Jason Pyeron wrote: >> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: centos-bounces at centos.org >>>> [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On Behalf Of Robert Moskowitz >>>> Sent: Monday, January 07, 2008 19:25 >>>> To: CentOS mailing list >>>> Subject: Re: [CentOS] Re: Live CD Planning systems >>>> >>>> But the big looser with my dreams is running XP inside of >>>> XEN. You have >>>> to set up an LVM partition then install XP into it withing >>>> >> XEN. And I >> >>>> cannot touch that drive. >>>> >>>> >>> Have you tried Vmware? >>> >>> >>> We have used it many a time to mount a physical drive and boot it. >>> >>> >> oh, I thought VMware had the same limitations. So the OS on >> the physical >> drive was installed directly with that OS, no touching it by VMware? >> >> It is strictly hands off the drive in this case. >> > > The existing computers were remove from their cpu/cases and installed as > extra drives in our VMWare hosts. > > We then created new vm instances and pointed them to a the /dev/hdx > (physical drive) for the presentation of the guest OS. > > Now for the caveats. Some Os'es and configs wont like the hardware change. > Are you allowed to clone the drive? If so the try with the clone first. If > not where are the ramifications of hosing the XP install (accidentally). > VMWare reccommends running a prep tool first (we don't use it). > Fortunately I am going the other direction. The XP drive stays in the system. I will have a Centos install on a USB attached drive. To this I will add VMware to boot up and run the OS on that drive. Well, thank you for this input. I will put it on sort of a back burner. I received company email saying that we will be getting Dell 630s later this month to fit in with the greater company standard. I am not happy to get an even larger unit.