

This is at a financial cost however since it is not freely available (other than a 30-day trial). VMware Workstation is perhaps the most versatile of the three products as it allows for more features.

There are three products in particular that fit well in the topics presented VMware Workstation, Server, and Player. Some of this information may apply to other operating system in varying degrees, but again, it is the concept and theory of the examinations concerning virtual machines that will remain consistent across various platforms.Īn unintended and beneficial use for several VMware products is for the ‘non-developer Workstation’ users’, i.e.
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The operating systems referenced are of Microsoft Windows (all versions) as this is the most prevalent operating system used worldwide. Although only one virtual application is noted in this paper, the concepts and theories of their focus can be applied to other applications that are not described. The benefits to the students include more instruction and hands on in a shorter period of time.įor the scope of this paper, the focus will be on the uses of virtual machines as it relates to forensic analysis, with both a virtual machine as your evidence and as an asset to your forensic tool box. Many different operating systems can be demonstrated on a single student desktop requiring little time in setting up the systems.
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In regards to legacy software that may not be supported or operate on newer operating systems, virtual machines can remain in use for specific legacy applications in the workplace for any foreseeable future.Įducational institutions can use virtual machines to teach a variety of information technology topics and courses. Considering that a virtual machine is technically only a file (or more accurately, several files), VMs can quickly be copied and distributed network-wide. This is not economically feasible due to the time involved to rebuild computer systems nor is it needed.An organization can have their entire system virtualized to maximize resource potential and decrease the time and effort involved in disaster recovery and business continuity. Testing software on physical machines require the flattening of the entire hard drive and rebuilding the system to continue testing on numerous occasions. Through the testing of software applications, virtual machines can be replicated in a short amount of time to validate and verify tests. Isolated systems can allow for the operation of various types of applications that normally may cause conflicts if run on the same system. Virtual systems can be isolated from other virtual and actual systems for tests and analysis, or they can be networked with other machines to determine interaction and processes between machines. For the individual, a virtual machine can be a sandbox for not only development and testing of new software applications in a controlled environment, but also for the testing of unknown malware on various operating systems. The number of uses for virtual machines is limited only by the imagination and needs of an organization or individual. A visual example of a virtual machine running on a host system is shown below. Additionally, one host machine (the actual computer) can run multiple guest machines (virtual machines) at the same time. In this manner, there is an ease of flexibility of sharing and duplication of virtual machines for many purposes, such as software testing. One of the benefits of virtual machines is the ability for a virtual machine to operate on nearly any underlying hardware and software configuration. Perhaps put more simply, it can be described as a virtual computer running inside a physical computer. This virtual operating system can be of almost any variant of design. The VM application (“guest”) runs its own self-contained operating system within the actual machine (“host”).

The fundamental concept of a virtual machine revolves around a software application that behaves as if it were its own computer.

Virtual machines are not new and have been in use for well over a half century. The Virtual Machine (VM)Description of the Virtual Machine
