Virtual Machines
Introduction to Virtual Machines
Virtual machines are ideal to test your software on multiple Operating Systems without the need for an extensive set of PC's or servers. Applications will run in isolation and after each build the virtual machine can be reset to it's (fixed) initial state. VMWare Workstation Pro has some very useful features, like cloning Virtual Machines so that you don't have to go through the whole installation process and setting up your environment when only small changes are needed between several VM's.
VMWare Workstation Pro can be operated via the command line, which is very useful when using Jenkins. Jenkins is able to execute commands which operate the virtual machines. This would enable you to start and stop virtual machines whenever they are needed, saving system resources.
Installation
Using VMWare Workstation Pro requires a valid license. It can be purchased on [www.vmware.com their website].
The installation process involves an installer and is fairly simple. Please follow the instructions given by the installer.
Configuration
When VMWare Workstation Pro has been installed, it doesn't contain any virtual machines yet. Information on how to create and manage virtual machines, please consult their support support pages.
Alternatives
Several alternatives are available and some of those are free to use. The Oracle VM Virtualbox is a very interesting alternative. It is open-source and free to use under the GNU General Public License (GPL). More information can be found on virtualbox.org.
