Help Requested on Deploy Strategy for Win7 Using VirtualBox

[DougInToronto]

I'm sure this has been covered many times, but after reviewing literally hundreds of posts in both the General Use and Windows forums, I haven't found an answer.

I'm trying to create a strategy to install Windows 7 on workstations at my small business (7 workstations). I thought that VirtualBox might help, especially because I want to run multiple operating systems on a couple of the workstations.

Resources:
3 workstations currently running Windows 2000 (Pentium D Dual-Core 64-bit 2.8GHz)
4 new workstations (not yet purchased)
7 packages of OEM Win7 Pro, never before installed and not tied to any specific computer (until they are installed).

Network:
The workstations connect to a server running Windows Small Business Server 2003 and Outlook Exchange 2003. Someday it will be upgraded to SBS 2008 or 2012.

Goal:
1) I want to configure Windows7 and a group of programs ONCE, on one workstation, and then deploy that to the other 6 workstations.
2) I want to be able to run Windows 2000 as a virtual machine, and maybe even MS-DOS, on at least 2 workstations (it's ok if I have to spend time doing a custom install of VirtualBox on those two machines)
3) The workstations will run Google Earth, Autocad, Microsoft Office, email & browsers. One will run a custom Autocad add-on using Windows 2000. On one, we'll have to play DVDs.
4) I would like to be able to periodically re-install a workstation to eliminate any corruption/messes created by users, update it with current updates and save a new image for future use.

Question:
Any suggestions on the best way to do this? I've thought of two pathways:

1) Build a Win7 workstation with programs and deploy it to the other six workstations using Acronis. Then, install VirtualBox on two workstations to run Win2k and DOS guests. Periodically all workstations can be backed up using the Win7 built-in backup option.

or

2) Build a Win7 workstation, install 'VirtualBox on that workstation, and then build a Win7 guest (with full set of configured programs), a Win2k guest and a DOS guest on it. Next, install Win7 on each of the other workstations and VirtualBox. Finally, copy the 3 guests (with configured programs) to each of the other workstations.

Option (2) seems like a better solution to me, but maybe I won't be able to activate Win7 as a host and as a guest on the same computer. Or maybe (more likely!) my inexperience has resulted in me m missing a completely better way of doing this.

Any suggestions or criticisms would sure be appreciated!

Thanks
Doug

[BillG]

No, you cannot install Windows 7 on the host and guest using the same license. There are tricks to get it to activate but it is not legal and would invalidate Microsoft support.

You cannot install the same image on a virtual machine and a physical machine. The "hardware" of the target machine must exactly match the machine on which the image was created. This would be true for vms if the image was created on a vm (and you used the same template to create the target vms). It would not be true for the physical machines. The vms do not use the host machine's devices directly - they use their own emulated devices (which is why they can be created to match). So the drivers in the vm image would not work on a physical machine.

[DougInToronto]

.
Thanks for the quick reply BillG - that was really helpful. Obviously I'm just learning about this.

I used your comment to come up with an alternative strategy - maybe you, or anyone else that doesn't mind spending a couple of minutes, could comment?

For deploying Win7 on a handful of different workstations:

1. Install Ubuntu on all workstations.
2. On one Ubuntu workstation, use VirtualBox to create Win7 as a guest OS. Install and configure our various Win7 application programs on the vm. Don't activate.
3. Setup VirtualBox on the rest of the workstations. Copy the Win7 VM from the first one. Then run microsoft activation on the various vm's.

This way the time consuming Win7 and software applications setup is done only once and then copied over to other workstations with different hardware.

Do you think that might work? Assuming I can learn how to deal with Ubuntu (I've learned how to spell it, how difficult can the rest be...).

If it does work, I can't imagine why every owner/operator small business doesn't do this.

Thanks again,

Doug

[BillG]

Yes, that should work. The "Hardware" of each vm should be identical, so the image should install without problems. And you certainly should not have any licensing issues. I think it is worth testing on a couple of machines as proof of concept.

[Twisted Lucidity]

This is a relatively common strategy.

Just remember that each instance of the VM on the client will need a unique name and MAC address or you'll be in for some fun and games.

[DougInToronto]

Hi BillG and Twisted Lucidity

I've been away for a few days and just read your replies. Thanks!

BillG - I will definitely test it out, good advice. I'm very much looking forward to becoming a guy who has just installed Linux!

Twisted Lucidity - Thanks also - I guess this is a little like running SysPrep on a system in the old days. I've come across some online suggestions on how to modify the Windows7 registry to reset the MAC address, as well as some utilities that will do it automatically. And it looks like changing the computer name in Win7 is straightfoward. I assume by installing Ubuntu individually on each physical computer, the hardware itself/host combination will already have a unique MAC address.

Thanks very much guys - this is new ground for me so I've been apprehensive about pouring myself into ubuntu and VirtualBox, only to find out 2 weeks later that I was following a no-hope strategy. I really appreciate the advice and reassurance.