Is it viable to run (i.e. reference the vmx/vhd directly from the mounted drive) a VM (vmware running Windows Seven) off of an external HD via USB? I mean, I know it's possible, but I guess I'm asking if USB provides enough bandwidth for normal usage…
If so, are there any particular brands that may be better or worse? I know that ESATA would be a more viable setup, but my laptop doesn't have an ESATA port.
Currently I use the VM to segregate all of my work development servers and software from my main machine; so I will be running all development servers and tools on the VM directly.
Best Answer
It is viable, it simply depends upon the load.
I would recommend a USB with the highest RPM. Most will peak at about 5400 RPM, but you may be able to find a 7200 RPM, especially if you buy the HD and your own external enclosure.
If you are running multiple VMs on the USB at the same time, you will likely have some slowdown. One thing to consider is if you have a laptop, you can typically buy a hard drive enclosure bay that replaces a DVD drive and you can put a 7200 RPM SATA drive in there. I do this with a Thinkpad T61