Windows Server 2008 in a VM having a physical drive

[VinylxScratches]

Is there any way to have Windows Server 2008 (VM) in a VM in Win7 (HOST) but be able to have it's own hard drive?

I want to run Windows Server 2008 in a VM on my C: drive. But I want to format a D: drive and only allow Server 2008 have it.

I want to have a fileserver on my PC but I want to to act like it's not on my PC if that makes sense.

So if I want to access the files from Win7 I would have to authenticate against Windows Server 2008 to get access to them like //WinFS-2k8/FOLDER from Windows 7.

 

[masteryoda34]

VMware workstation can do this I think.

 

[VinylxScratches]

I guess it's called Raw Disk. Do you know if VirtualBox or Virtual PC 2007 can do this? I suck at google.

 

[RebateMonger]

Yes, Hyper-V can use a physical disk. You take the disk offline from the Host server.

http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_...ks-to-hyper-v-vms.aspx

 

[VinylxScratches]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Yes, Hyper-V can use a physical disk. You take the disk offline from the Host server.

http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_...ks-to-hyper-v-vms.aspx

I can't tell but it looks like the Host in that blog post is Windows Server 2008. Will it work if my host is Win7 Pro running Virtual PC 2007?

Edit: It looks like Hyper-V is a OS flavor of Server 2008? I have Server 2008 from college...

 

[GhettoFob]

You could create a virtual disk the same size as your d: drive and attach it to the VM. From your Windows 7 host, you would just see the .vmdk and you would have to go through the Windows 2008 VM to get to the actual files.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: VinylxScratches
I can't tell but it looks like the Host in that blog post is Windows Server 2008. Will it work if my host is Win7 Pro running Virtual PC 2007?

Edit: It looks like Hyper-V is a OS flavor of Server 2008? I have Server 2008 from college...

I mis-read your post. I thought you were running Server 2008 as the host. Sorry.

 

[VinylxScratches]

Originally posted by: GhettoFob
You could create a virtual disk the same size as your d: drive and attach it to the VM. From your Windows 7 host, you would just see the .vmdk and you would have to go through the Windows 2008 VM to get to the actual files.

That will probably kill my read/write access though...?

 

[tomt4535]

VMware workstation can do this. Just add a new disk to your VM and select the option that says "Use a physical disk." You can set it to an individual partition or the entire disk.

 

[VinylxScratches]

VMware is so expensive ><. I guess I have no choice.

 

[Nothinman]

I'm pretty sure VMware Server can do it too, however the vmdk option would probably be fine.

 

[GhettoFob]

Originally posted by: VinylxScratches

Originally posted by: GhettoFob
You could create a virtual disk the same size as your d: drive and attach it to the VM. From your Windows 7 host, you would just see the .vmdk and you would have to go through the Windows 2008 VM to get to the actual files.

That will probably kill my read/write access though...?

I wouldn't expect the performance to be too bad, especially if you pre-allocate the space (when you create the vmdk).