Building a workstation specifically to clone

[gregulator]

We have an expensive piece of software in house that can only be activated 5 times before we have to order a new license (stupid I know).

I am thinking of building a workstation with a fresh install of Windows and this software, and then clone the base build. If we ever have a component fail, or need to reinstall the software/OS for some reason, then I can just restore the system from the original clone. I am assuming/hoping that the software isn't designed to detect such workarounds.

I am looking for suggestions/answers for:

1) It looks like I need a retail copy of Windows 7 to be able to replace a motherboard if that fails, correct?
2) What current CPU/mobo combo is the most reliable, and mass produced? We will likely want a lifespan of 3-5 years if possible and I would like to be able to replace any failed component with an exact match.
3) Is Acronis still the best PC cloning software? Haven't cloned a PC in years.

Any other considerations? Thanks!

 

[Blain]

😕 You'll be needing to activate the software more than 5 times in the 3-5 year lifespan?

 

[Cerb]

1) It looks like I need a retail copy of Windows 7 to be able to replace a motherboard if that fails, correct?

Only if you can't replace it.

2) What current CPU/mobo combo is the most reliable, and mass produced? We will likely want a lifespan of 3-5 years if possible and I would like to be able to replace any failed component with an exact match.

That one over there. I've not had good experiences with low-end MSI motherboards, and try to avoid ECS/PC-Chips in general. I've had nothing but good experiences with ASRock, Asus, and GB.

3) Is Acronis still the best PC cloning software? Haven't cloned a PC in years.

To make a big clone, rather than constantly doing backups, I see no reason not to just use Clonezilla.

Any other considerations? Thanks!

Have an electrician check out your wiring, and add a surge protector, or UPS. If the PC is DIY, use a good PSU, like a Seasonic or Superflower. If OEM, get decent business models. If you expect to need to replace enough parts on a single computer in <=5 years to eat up 5 licensing attempts, you either have an electrical problem in your building, have been using very bad PSUs (like L&C, Allied, Raidmax, etc.), or both.

 

[Torn Mind]

Desktop boards only stay on the market as long as their corresponding processor are sold at retail outlets. Z68 boards are rare find nowadays, and the same will be true for the "7"-series chipset soon. You'll probably need to look at server boards, as they tend to be on the market longer. Or, look for a desktop board with a long warranty.

 

[OSULugan]

Have you considered using the software in a Virtual Machine?

 

[mvbighead]

Have you considered using the software in a Virtual Machine?

This, about a 100 times over. So long as the system doesn't have any specific needs for a strange dongle or something, you can simply build a VM and remote into it from other systems. If components fail, it'll be on the host and you can simply move the VM to a functional host so long as you have it properly backed up.

 

[mfenn]

Desktop boards only stay on the market as long as their corresponding processor are sold at retail outlets. Z68 boards are rare find nowadays, and the same will be true for the "7"-series chipset soon. You'll probably need to look at server boards, as they tend to be on the market longer. Or, look for a desktop board with a long warranty.

Or get an OEM workstation. Dells, HPs, and to a lesser extent Lenovos (only because they have had a shorter amount of time to prove themselves) are all designed to have primary parts availability at least out to 5 years, and the secondary market extends it out even further.

 

[gregulator]

Have you considered using the software in a Virtual Machine?

Interesting, I did not think of this. The software is used to program PLCs (don't get me started on how I hate PLCs), and primarily uses an ethernet port to communicate with the live PLC, as well as program it. It also uses USB to program compact flash cards. Would there be any issues with this? I have only ever used VMs to have Linux on my PC, using VMWare. I am not sure I want the hassles of what ifs using a VM.. even though there shouldn't be any.

An OEM PC sounds decent too since they have long life components.. but I would want to wipe and clean install my own OS.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[mvbighead]

Interesting, I did not think of this. The software is used to program PLCs (don't get me started on how I hate PLCs), and primarily uses an ethernet port to communicate with the live PLC, as well as program it. It also uses USB to program compact flash cards. Would there be any issues with this? I have only ever used VMs to have Linux on my PC, using VMWare. I am not sure I want the hassles of what ifs using a VM.. even though there shouldn't be any.

An OEM PC sounds decent too since they have long life components.. but I would want to wipe and clean install my own OS.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Based on your need to program something via USB (IE - compact flash) I would strongly suggest you give the VMWare workstation platform the free 30 day test run.

ESXi and other Hypervisors may give you USB access, but you'd have to pull up a console from a remote system to do anything with it.

With VMWare workstation, you can build a system that is in essence a file that you would need to backup. Open it on whatever hardware you have, connect the USB through the desktop you are on, and allow it through to your VM. Then, the hardware never changes as far as the VM is concerned, and so long as you keep your files safe and backed up, you should always have access to the software.

And, with the 30 day trial, it certainly wouldn't hurt to test the functionality of the USB throughput and see if it bothers you enough to avoid. But at $250 for that software, it'd save a lot of hassle cloning and building duplicate systems.

 

[sm625]

Any other considerations? Thanks!

Buy used off-lease systems off ebay. For the price of a retail windows license you can have a full system with a valid legal oem license. Is a 3GHz Core 2 fast enough? If so you can easily find 5 identical PCs for $100 each. Then when one fails you just pop the HDD into the next box and you're up and running. (Or restore a backup image if the HDD died.)

 

[mfenn]

Interesting, I did not think of this. The software is used to program PLCs (don't get me started on how I hate PLCs), and primarily uses an ethernet port to communicate with the live PLC, as well as program it. It also uses USB to program compact flash cards. Would there be any issues with this? I have only ever used VMs to have Linux on my PC, using VMWare. I am not sure I want the hassles of what ifs using a VM.. even though there shouldn't be any.

You can pass USB devices through to a VM without issues using VMware Workstation. You can also set up the VM to be bridged to the physical network interface, at which point is is practically indistinguishable from an actual PC as far as the network is concerned. Definitely give the 30-day Workstation trial a shot.

An OEM PC sounds decent too since they have long life components.. but I would want to wipe and clean install my own OS.

The workstation images actually have next to no bloatware on them. Most IT shops wipe them anyway though.