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| | #1 (permalink) |
| | distributing trial version using virtual machines Hi, I have been assigned the task to find out whether it is possible to distribute trial versions of a rather complex and hard-to-install software using virtual machines. That is, instead of the lengthy, error-prone, and quite support- intensive installation process of a trial version at a customer's we would like to distribute a virtual machine that has everything pre-installed and pre-configured. The guest OS needed is Windows Server 2003. The virtual machines should be easy to install, but I don't see how simple cloning could work, since the trial software is time-limited. And am I allowed to distribute an installed, but not yet activated Windows? If not, what about Windows trial versions? If those neither, are there other ways to do this? I cannot believe I'm the first one to tackle this. Anyone having some knowledge and ideas to share? TIA, Hendrik |
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| | #2 (permalink) |
| | Re: distributing trial version using virtual machines On Tue, 19 May 2009 15:08:28 +0200, Hendrik Schober <spamtrap@xxxxxx> wrote: Quote: >Hi, > >I have been assigned the task to find out whether it is >possible to distribute trial versions of a rather complex >and hard-to-install software using virtual machines. That >is, instead of the lengthy, error-prone, and quite support- >intensive installation process of a trial version at a >customer's we would like to distribute a virtual machine >that has everything pre-installed and pre-configured. The >guest OS needed is Windows Server 2003. >The virtual machines should be easy to install, but I don't >see how simple cloning could work, since the trial software >is time-limited. >And am I allowed to distribute an installed, but not yet >activated Windows? If not, what about Windows trial versions? >If those neither, are there other ways to do this? > >I cannot believe I'm the first one to tackle this. Anyone >having some knowledge and ideas to share? > >TIA, > >Hendrik this, bu no, you cannot distribute installed and activated OSes (unless you're an OEM) and you can't resdistribute trial OSes with involving Microsoft. You should contact your local MS sales or service rep. -- Cheers, Steve Jain, Virtual Machine MVP http://vpc.essjae.com/ |
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| | #3 (permalink) |
| | Re: distributing trial version using virtual machines Hendrik Schober wrote: Quote: > Hi, > > I have been assigned the task to find out whether it is > possible to distribute trial versions of a rather complex > and hard-to-install software using virtual machines. That > is, instead of the lengthy, error-prone, and quite support- > intensive installation process of a trial version at a > customer's we would like to distribute a virtual machine > that has everything pre-installed and pre-configured. The > guest OS needed is Windows Server 2003. > The virtual machines should be easy to install, but I don't > see how simple cloning could work, since the trial software > is time-limited. > And am I allowed to distribute an installed, but not yet > activated Windows? If not, what about Windows trial versions? > If those neither, are there other ways to do this? > > I cannot believe I'm the first one to tackle this. Anyone > having some knowledge and ideas to share? > > TIA, > > Hendrik nicely, for more information see https://partner.microsoft.com/global/40012214 Especially note the "End user demonstrations" and "End user evaluations" headlines on the "Partner benefits" tab of that page. The scheme requires you to resell at least $5000/year of non-demo licenses for the Microsoft part of your Windows+application bundle over a 3 year contract period. -- Jakob Bøhm, M.Sc.Eng. * jb@xxxxxx * direct tel:+45-45-90-25-33 Netop Solutions A/S * Bregnerodvej 127 * DK-3460 Birkerod * DENMARK http://www.netop.com * tel:+45-45-90-25-25 * fax:+45-45-90-25-26 Information in this mail is hasty, not binding and may not be right. Information in this posting may not be the official position of Netop Solutions A/S, only the personal opinions of the author. |
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| | #4 (permalink) |
| | Re: distributing trial version using virtual machines Steve Jain [MVP] wrote: Quote: > On Tue, 19 May 2009 15:08:28 +0200, Hendrik Schober <spamtrap@xxxxxx> > wrote: > Quote: >> Hi, >> >> I have been assigned the task to find out whether it is >> possible to distribute trial versions of a rather complex >> and hard-to-install software using virtual machines. That >> is, instead of the lengthy, error-prone, and quite support- >> intensive installation process of a trial version at a >> customer's we would like to distribute a virtual machine >> that has everything pre-installed and pre-configured. The >> guest OS needed is Windows Server 2003. >> The virtual machines should be easy to install, but I don't >> see how simple cloning could work, since the trial software >> is time-limited. >> And am I allowed to distribute an installed, but not yet >> activated Windows? If not, what about Windows trial versions? >> If those neither, are there other ways to do this? >> >> I cannot believe I'm the first one to tackle this. Anyone >> having some knowledge and ideas to share? >> >> TIA, >> >> Hendrik > You should contact Microsoft directly for an authoritative answer on > this, bu no, you cannot distribute installed and activated OSes > (unless you're an OEM) and you can't resdistribute trial OSes with > involving Microsoft. > You should contact your local MS sales or service rep. Anything regarding the technical problems? How do I go about creating such VMs? Hendrik |
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| | #5 (permalink) |
| | Re: distributing trial version using virtual machines Jakob Bohm wrote: Quote: > Hendrik Schober wrote: Quote: >> Hi, >> >> I have been assigned the task to find out whether it is >> possible to distribute trial versions of a rather complex >> and hard-to-install software using virtual machines. That >> is, instead of the lengthy, error-prone, and quite support- >> intensive installation process of a trial version at a >> customer's we would like to distribute a virtual machine >> that has everything pre-installed and pre-configured. The >> guest OS needed is Windows Server 2003. >> The virtual machines should be easy to install, but I don't >> see how simple cloning could work, since the trial software >> is time-limited. >> And am I allowed to distribute an installed, but not yet >> activated Windows? If not, what about Windows trial versions? >> If those neither, are there other ways to do this? >> >> I cannot believe I'm the first one to tackle this. Anyone >> having some knowledge and ideas to share? >> >> TIA, >> >> Hendrik > The "Microsoft ISV Royalty Licensing Program" seems to fit your needs > nicely [...] free trials, not for selling software. If customers decide to buy the product after they have seen the trial, they already have their own OS licenses. There's going to be no revenue from selling MS software in this. Hendrik |
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| | #6 (permalink) |
| | Re: distributing trial version using virtual machines On May 19, 9:08*am, Hendrik Schober <spamt...@xxxxxx> wrote: Quote: > Hi, > > I have been assigned the task to find out whether it is > possible to distribute trial versions of a rather complex > and hard-to-install software using virtual machines. That > is, instead of the lengthy, error-prone, and quite support- > intensive installation process of a trial version at a > customer's we would like to distribute a virtual machine > that has everything pre-installed and pre-configured. The > guest OS needed is Windows Server 2003. > The virtual machines should be easy to install, but I don't > see how simple cloning could work, since the trial software > is time-limited. > And am I allowed to distribute an installed, but not yet > activated Windows? If not, what about Windows trial versions? > If those neither, are there other ways to do this? > > I cannot believe I'm the first one to tackle this. Anyone > having some knowledge and ideas to share? > > TIA, > > Hendrik describes how the software should be distributed. Any deviation is a violation of that. Almost all shareware/trialware has to be distributed in it's original form. (If you care about being legit) |
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| | #7 (permalink) |
| | Re: distributing trial version using virtual machines Hendrik Schober wrote: Quote: > Hi, > > I have been assigned the task to find out whether it is > possible to distribute trial versions of a rather complex > and hard-to-install software using virtual machines. That > is, instead of the lengthy, error-prone, and quite support- > intensive installation process of a trial version at a > customer's we would like to distribute a virtual machine > that has everything pre-installed and pre-configured. The > guest OS needed is Windows Server 2003. > The virtual machines should be easy to install, but I don't > see how simple cloning could work, since the trial software > is time-limited. > And am I allowed to distribute an installed, but not yet > activated Windows? If not, what about Windows trial versions? > If those neither, are there other ways to do this? > > I cannot believe I'm the first one to tackle this. Anyone > having some knowledge and ideas to share? > > TIA, > > Hendrik software virtualization to distribute a virtual layer for the application (with possible different versions of the layer for when it is installed on different version of the OS)? Altris SVS has their software virtualization product. There is a free version but I don't think you can use it for commercial purposes. The idea is to have employees retrieve the pre-configured virtual layer for an application from the company's server and use that image on their host. It doesn't include an OS, just all the files and folders (in a virtualized environment) for the application, so you need to install their SVS client on the user's host. In fact, using virtual app layering, you could install multiple versions of the same product without any conflicts (you would only activate one layer at a time; i.e., the layers for the multiple versions would be mutually exclusive and you load just one version). The user could bounce between different versions of, say, Winzip or a web browser without the user doing any install of the Winzip apps or each version of it. While software virtualization allows controlled images of those apps to run on the user's host, allows multiple version access, and reduces helpdesk overhead (just have the user reload the layer's image), and although "virtualization" is involved in this process, once a layer is activated it appears to exist on the real host just as if you installed the application on the real host. That means you do not use SVS to isolate your apps from your host in an anti-malware scheme. Once activated, there is no isolation between OS and apps on the real host to the virtualized app. Altiris got swallowed up by Symantec. www.altiris.com leads you to a Symantec site. The free stuff is at http://www.svsdownloads.com/. I don't know if the free version has kept in sync with the commercial stuff from Symantec (I suspect not). Rather than distribute a large image with OS and app, you might be able to distribute a much smaller image of just the virtualized app layer. I think xenocode.com is trying to come with something similar (I noticed SVS is involved in their product as a technology but not necessarily associated with Altiris or Symantec). This, I think, has you store your apps online and the users get it from there. For example, they have their http://www.xenocode.com/Browsers/ web page where you download and install their plug-in that runs a virtualized environment on your host into which a compact version of the app is ran. If you can put your app on the web and have it run in a virtualized environment on the user's host, you don't have to include the huge disk space for an OS and users don't pollute their host with your app (which also makes it easier for you to slide in new versions as they become available, as is also possible with SVS which can push new versions to users' hosts that have subscribed to the app's layer). |
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| | #8 (permalink) |
| | Re: distributing trial version using virtual machines VanguardLH wrote: Quote: > Hendrik Schober wrote: > Quote: >> Hi, >> >> I have been assigned the task to find out whether it is >> possible to distribute trial versions of a rather complex >> and hard-to-install software using virtual machines. That >> is, instead of the lengthy, error-prone, and quite support- >> intensive installation process of a trial version at a >> customer's we would like to distribute a virtual machine >> that has everything pre-installed and pre-configured. The >> guest OS needed is Windows Server 2003. >> The virtual machines should be easy to install, but I don't >> see how simple cloning could work, since the trial software >> is time-limited. >> And am I allowed to distribute an installed, but not yet >> activated Windows? If not, what about Windows trial versions? >> If those neither, are there other ways to do this? >> >> I cannot believe I'm the first one to tackle this. Anyone >> having some knowledge and ideas to share? >> >> TIA, >> >> Hendrik > Rather than distribute a huge image that contains the OS, why not use > software virtualization to distribute a virtual layer for the > application (with possible different versions of the layer for when it > is installed on different version of the OS)? necessary to try the software -- something which is far more complicated than most users want to do for a trial. Quote: > [...] |
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| | #9 (permalink) |
| | Re: distributing trial version using virtual machines Hendrik Schober wrote: Quote: > VanguardLH wrote: Quote: >> Hendrik Schober wrote: >> Quote: >>> Hi, >>> >>> I have been assigned the task to find out whether it is >>> possible to distribute trial versions of a rather complex >>> and hard-to-install software using virtual machines. That >>> is, instead of the lengthy, error-prone, and quite support- >>> intensive installation process of a trial version at a >>> customer's we would like to distribute a virtual machine >>> that has everything pre-installed and pre-configured. The >>> guest OS needed is Windows Server 2003. >>> The virtual machines should be easy to install, but I don't >>> see how simple cloning could work, since the trial software >>> is time-limited. >>> And am I allowed to distribute an installed, but not yet >>> activated Windows? If not, what about Windows trial versions? >>> If those neither, are there other ways to do this? >>> >>> I cannot believe I'm the first one to tackle this. Anyone >>> having some knowledge and ideas to share? >>> >>> TIA, >>> >>> Hendrik >> Rather than distribute a huge image that contains the OS, why not use >> software virtualization to distribute a virtual layer for the >> application (with possible different versions of the layer for when it >> is installed on different version of the OS)? > Because this would still require users to setup everything > necessary to try the software -- something which is far more > complicated than most users want to do for a trial. > Quote: >> [...] > Hendrik is as traumatic as you imply? The work is done on YOUR end. The customer/user merely has to install the client. The SVS client takes xx seconds to download and xx seconds to install. They then load the app layer that you provide to them. You think this is harder than having to install VirtualPC or VMWare Server? You are obviously concerned about making it easy for the potential customer. That means you will have to do more work on your end to make it easy for them. You want your potential customers to trial this "rather complex and hard-to-install software" yet you don't want them installing anything to trial it? So how difficult do you think it will be for them to install the Virtual Machine Manager (of your choice and not theirs) to run the VM image you distribute to them? You really think that installing a VMM, like VirtualPC 2007 or VMWare Server (both free), and having to configure them correctly, install VM additions, and then define a new VM that uses your distributed .vhd file is going to be easier for them than installing an SVS client under which to run your distributed layer file? Uh huh, sure, right. UPDATE: The download link at svsdownloads.com points to a Symantec site which says the download is no longer available. So you're too late to make use of the free version of Altiris SVS. This software virtualization product is no longer available to you. There is still xenocode.com, however, where the only thing your customers might have to download is a web browser plug-in. You could Google search on how to make a bootable CD or DVD image (depends on how much byte size that the OS and application required) and distribute your ware as a bootable disc. Of course, as others have alluded, you will need to get a redistributor license from Microsoft to include runnable copies of Windows in every virtual machine. Um, you do know that virtual machines load *operating systems*, not applications, right? The OS in the VM runs the application. Alternatively, it will be up to YOU to provide an executable file (with its ancilliary files) on the distributable media that requires absolutely no installation and make NO use of the registry to run. That is, YOU will need to figure out how to make your software portable so it can run without installation and can be contained on a CD/DVD disc or USB thumb drive. Try researching at http://www.google.com/search?q=%2Bma...on+%2Bportable. Based on your comment, just WHY are you requiring that your potential customers must install VirtualPC for a *trial* of your product? That is obviously not a non-painful method (to them) of using a trial. You actually can ensure that every one or even a majority of your potential customers has VPC already installed? |
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| | #10 (permalink) |
| | Re: distributing trial version using virtual machines VanguardLH wrote: Quote: > Hendrik Schober wrote: Quote: >> VanguardLH wrote: Quote: Quote: >>> Rather than distribute a huge image that contains the OS, why not use >>> software virtualization to distribute a virtual layer for the >>> application (with possible different versions of the layer for when it >>> is installed on different version of the OS)? >> necessary to try the software -- something which is far more >> complicated than most users want to do for a trial. > And how do YOU know that installing the SVS client (by your customers) > is as traumatic as you imply? The work is done on YOUR end. The > customer/user merely has to install the client. The SVS client takes xx > seconds to download and xx seconds to install. They then load the app > layer that you provide to them. You think this is harder than having to > install VirtualPC or VMWare Server? [...] <sigh> I guess I didn't express myself well. Actually this isn't about installing. Installing is easy. It's all about setting it up so that users can see something. So this is not about having the software installed or not. Users have to setup a lot of stuff. Imagine they would have to setup accounts, create DB tables, design workflows, create some profiles[1] -- and all of this has to work together and has thus to be done right or the system won't work. Also, as I said this software needs Windows Server. It cannot run on a desktop system. I had looked at xenocode and, while it's a nice idea, I didn't have the impression it would provide what I needed. But please tell me if I'm wrong. Hendrik [1] Note: I'm not saying this software needs exactly these things TBD. |
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