MCSE Virtual Lab Setup Advice

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I need advice on the best way to construct my lab for studying towards my MCSE. I am using Windows Virtual PC running on Windows 7 Pro as my host OS.

I am right in thinking I should create two base unconfigured VM’s of Windows XP Pro and Windows Server 2003 then take a copy of each to work off, so when I need a member server or a second client machine I have two clean VM’s I can copy again and again to work with?

Or is there a simpler solution I’m missing?

 

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Surely you should know with your experience?

 

just setup a dc a few clients (throgh VPCs VHD) a few users with various permissions and have a fiddle.

 

that will be a good start! good luck.

 

I was just wanting to double check, doesn't hurt too! I just wanted advice on the best way to config my lab, the last thing I want is to get into a situation where I need to have a member server for the domain and have to waste time sorting out creating base vhd then, I just want to be organised before I start.

Thanks

 

Well, initially a lot of the MCSE content covers installations of client and server from scratch, you are expected to know the various ways that the OSs can be deployed. For example, attended, unattended, over the network, from a syspreped image, using a PXE compatible NIC (was RIS now called something else) etc.

 

I created one master copy of a Windows Server 2003 VM and one master of a Windows XP Pro VM. I left both in a workgroup and took copies of each and created a domain with those copies.

You'll find that for both 70-290 and 70-291 the study material uses two Win Server 2003 computers joined together in a domain for their exercises and practices. In my virtual network I have two DCs and one workstation.

 

Thanks! That is how I was going to set it up my lab originally. I just wanted to make sure I was going for the correct configuration of a base install of Server 2003 and XP Pro, then copy the vhd’s and then configure domain etc retaining the originals to add additional workstations or member servers later into the course

I didn't want to run into problems down the line that's all.

Thanks everyone

 

Good luck Valo. Check out Craigies guides to his lab for each exam also as they may help. He links them in his signature i believe. Let us know how you get on.