[SOLVED] How does virtualization affect computing performance?

[MrMasters]

I want to rent a server for CPU intensive calculations but I don't want to pay for windows OS (but windows is required for the software I want to use). My plan is to install a win10 through VirtualBox. My question is how much the virtualization decrease CPU computing performance? The win server OS would be 1/3 the cost of the server so I could live with a few % performance drop to avoid paying for the license.

 

[USAFRet]

Per Microsoft licensing terms, even a VM requires a valid license.
No free lunch with a VM.

Which OS are you looking at using?

 

[Math Geek]

a virtual machine gets dedicated hardware that it uses exclusively. this includes ram and cpu cores.

so running the vm pieces flat out won't bother the host os (that's what the Os running the virtual box on is called) at all. of course whatever you give to the VM is not available to the host os. so make sure the server you create has enough to run both the host os and the vm's you wish to run.

i'd say probably 2 cores and 4gb ram for the host and then whatever is needed for the vm software after that

 

[Math Geek]

Per Microsoft licensing terms, even a VM requires a valid license.
No free lunch with a VM.

Which OS are you looking at using?

this is true but windows could run unactivated in the vm without any issues. that won't be possible running it natively through the cloud service as they have to pay that fee and pass it on.

no idea what service you plan on using but i use digital ocean al the time myself. there is no windows available from them but there are ways to upload a windows iso and install it to a server on that service. you get linux running first and then upload the iso as a "back-up" and then restore your vm to that back-up . never done it myself as i use linus for what i do in the cloud but i know it works. i have found digital ocean to be cheaper than aws and azure for what they offer. for instance i have a personal vpn i pay about $10 a month for on that service. the server is about $5 and the rest is extra bandwidth/net usage

 

[USAFRet]

this is true but windows could run unactivated in the vm without any issues. that won't be possible running it natively through the cloud service as they have to pay that fee and pass it on.

This is true. As you prob know, I have a long running test for exactly this.

However, what I gleaned fromt he OP statement was that running in a VM does not need a license at all. This is not true.

Yes, a Win 10 Home or Pro will run unactivated. That does not mean that it does not need a license, even in a VM.
And why I asked about which specific OS this is going to be. WinServerWhatever does NOT fall into this concept.

 

[Math Geek]

yah that's true. can't run windows server unactivated for sure. i took the op as meaning he'd like to install virtual box to a linux host and then create a windows vm inside that. at least that's how i took it to mean.

i just know that the service won't care about it running unactivated in a vm. they won't even know. but to run the main server with windows natively they control and you have to pay that fee.

just experience from working with cloud services lately. been using MS azure and digital ocean a lot this year.

 

[kanewolf]

I want to rent a server for CPU intensive calculations but I don't want to pay for windows OS (but windows is required for the software I want to use). My plan is to install a win10 through VirtualBox. My question is how much the virtualization decrease CPU computing performance? The win server OS would be 1/3 the cost of the server so I could live with a few % performance drop to avoid paying for the license.

The "server" you rent may be a VM itself. It is uncommon to get a bare metal host. So you may be competing with other tenants for CPU cycles. Also server sizing is based on hyperthreaded cores (typically). So if you NEED 8 physical cores you may have to rent a 16 "core" server. These are all things you need to understand to appropriately choose your server.

 

[USAFRet]

yah that's true. can't run windows server unactivated for sure. i took the op as meaning he'd like to install virtual box to a linux host and then create a windows vm inside that. at least that's how i took it to mean.

i just know that the service won't care about it running unactivated in a vm. they won't even know. but to run the main server with windows natively they control and you have to pay that fee.

just experience from working with cloud services lately. been using MS azure and digital ocean a lot this year.

Even in a VM guest with a Linux host, MS licensing still says it needs a valid license.
There is no free lunch.

 

[MrMasters]

Thanks for the answers! What pisses me off the most is that I rent the OS for 85$ per month, so I would rather buy one that I can use later. I am looking at Ionos 4Xl package.

Intel® Xeon® Gold 6210U
192 GB RAM

I guess 1 physical core and 4gb ram is enough for the base OS (Ubuntu 20.04)

 

[Math Geek]

yah $85 a month is crazy fee.

what service are you planning on using? i know azure will let you use your own valid license rather than paying the fee.

 

[MrMasters]

yah $85 a month is crazy fee.

what service are you planning on using? i know azure will let you use your own valid license rather than paying the fee.

Sorry I don't understand what service means! I just need a lot of CPU computing performance and a windows OS that I can run my software on and as cheap as possible obviously.

 

[USAFRet]

Sorry I don't understand what service means! I just need a lot of CPU computing performance and a windows OS that I can run my software on and as cheap as possible obviously.

Where are you looking to rent this server from?

 

[kanewolf]

Thanks for the answers! What pisses me off the most is that I rent the OS for 85$ per month, so I would rather buy one that I can use later. I am looking at Ionos 4Xl package.

Intel® Xeon® Gold 6210U
192 GB RAM

I guess 1 physical core and 4gb ram is enough for the base OS (Ubuntu 20.04)

A 4XL-192 is $280 / month. Adding $85 / month for Windows Server licensing doesn't seem too extreme to me...

 

[MrMasters]

Where are you looking to rent this server from?

IONOS
Your configuration:
Dedicated Server 4XL-192 HDD
Intel® Xeon® Gold 6210U
192 GB RAM
4,000 GB HDD
Linux
Ubuntu 20.04
Data center location: Germany
Cloud Backup: No thanks

 

[Math Geek]

A 4XL-192 is $280 / month. Adding $85 / month for Windows Server licensing doesn't seem too extreme to me...

for windows server sure which is crazy expensive so yah that's probably about right since it is core based fees.

but i take it he is only wanting windows home/pro type version to run the needed software. no reason to run windows server if you don't need it. a basic unbuntu machine with virtual box running in win 10 home should be a lot cheaper since a simple key for $100 is enough. or unactivated for free.

i do not read this as needing windows server so there is no need to pay such heafty fees for it.

 

[USAFRet]

OK, so at least Win 10 Pro.
Home is limited to 126GB RAM.

EDIT Typo
128GB.

 

[MrMasters]

OK, so at least Win 10 Pro.
Home is limited to 126GB RAM.

Good to know thanks!

 

[MrMasters]

for windows server sure which is crazy expensive so yah that's probably about right since it is core based fees.

but i take it he is only wanting windows home/pro type version to run the needed software. no reason to run windows server if you don't need it. a basic unbuntu machine with virtual box running in win 10 home should be a lot cheaper since a simple key for $100 is enough. or unactivated for free.

i do not read this as needing windows server so there is no need to pay such heafty fees for it.

Yes, I have no need for server OS. I just need more computing power than my old fx8350, but I won't need it constantly so I don't want to invest into a new PC.

 

[USAFRet]

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/wi...ws-releases#physical-memory-limits-windows-10

 

[kanewolf]

OK, so at least Win 10 Pro.
Home is limited to 126GB RAM.

EDIT Typo
128GB.

Will Windows Pro install with no graphics adapter ? I there is no graphics adapter in this server.

 

[USAFRet]

Will Windows Pro install with no graphics adapter ? I there is no graphics adapter in this server.

I don't believe so.

 

[kanewolf]

I don't believe so.

No graphics could be a deal breaker for using Windows Pro even in a VM ...

 

[USAFRet]

No graphics could be a deal breaker for using Windows Pro even in a VM ...

VirtualBox has its own graphic subsystem, but I've never tried to install it in a host with no graphics.

 

[Math Geek]

i've run linux desktops on cloud machines before. should not be a problem.

it starts as a command line machine but was no problem installing gnome or any other desktop to it and then using remote desktop software to access it. so should be no problem inside a vm either.

i don't have time right now but it's easy to test pretty quickly just fire up a vm, install virtualbox and then see how it goes.

i don't know anything about that service so do look close and be sure you know what limitations exists for the machine. i've had them limited by cpu i/o operations, actual data uploaded/downloaded, storage i/o and others limits. so do look close and be sure you can actually do what it is you want on the selected machine.

 

[MrMasters]

i've run linux desktops on cloud machines before. should not be a problem.

it starts as a command line machine but was no problem installing gnome or any other desktop to it and then using remote desktop software to access it. so should be no problem inside a vm either.

i don't have time right now but it's easy to test pretty quickly just fire up a vm, install virtualbox and then see how it goes.

i don't know anything about that service so do look close and be sure you know what limitations exists for the machine. i've had them limited by cpu i/o operations, actual data uploaded/downloaded, storage i/o and others limits. so do look close and be sure you can actually do what it is you want on the selected machine.

Thanks for the tips! It is my understanding that they have a 30 day money back guarantee so if I don't like it I will just ask for my money back.