Item: Oracle VM VirtualBox
Rating: 8
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Our main operation system is windows but as we develop software which runs on linux based servers, we use Oracle VM VirtualBox to develop and test software. This way we can rebuild a system which is comparable to our live servers. Besides developing and testing software, we also test new versions of libraries etc. within the VM first before we update our servers - this way we avoid having problems with dependencies between libraries.

Pros and Cons

Intuitive handling
Taking snapshots and cloning of VMs
Adaptable hardware settings

Draf&Drop is error prone
Gets slow as it takes more resources
Limited scalability

Return on Investment

Faster set up of development environments
Snapshots help returning to a stable state which saves lots of time
Test version updates before rollout saves time for troubleshooting and downtimes

Alternatives Considered

Docker and VMware Workstation Pro

It always depends on the usecase which product is better suited. But generally, Oracle VM VirtualBox is very easy to set up on every operating system and is intuitive in the usage. Compared to VMware Workstation it offers less features but for a basic setup, I prefer Oracle VM VirtualBox because of the intuitive usage. Compared to Docker, it really depends on the usecase so comparing them is not really necessary, but when e.g. a good isolation is needed, I prefer using Oracle VM VirtualBox.

Key Insights

Do you think Oracle VM VirtualBox delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Oracle VM VirtualBox's feature set?

Yes

Did Oracle VM VirtualBox live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Oracle VM VirtualBox go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Oracle VM VirtualBox again?

Yes

Other Software Used

GitLab, JFrog Artifactory, Microsoft Visual Studio Code, Kubernetes, KeePass, Microsoft Teams

Likelihood to Recommend

It is very easy to set up a virtual machine with Oracle VM VirtualBox because it is very intuitive. It also works an every operation system and allows taking snapshots and cloning VMs which is pretty helpful to e.g. save stable states and return to a functioning version in case something wents wrong. Also it has some features like drag&drop which enables you to copy and paste from your main operating system into your vm and vice versa. Oracle VM VirtualBox is very well suited when multiple kinds of interworking software (e.g. some microservices, a webservice) are developed and tested like on our production servers. Sometimes container based software is more useful than Oracle VM VirtualBox, e.g. when only one specific software needs to be tested in a fresh environment.

Intuitive, reliable and good for several software development use cases

Overall Satisfaction with Oracle VM VirtualBox