Item: VMware Workstation Pro
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

VMWare Workstation pro is used in many different scenarios. The main use case is for lab environments for Engineers. We use VMWare workstation pro on a user's machine so they can run simulation programs like GNS3 and Eve-NG. With a high-end machine, you can dedicate enough resources to create a network or multiple networks in a lab and test.

Pros and Cons

Virtualization
Easy Setup.
Quick to learn the basics.

Licensing can always be improved.
Installation instructions.
Could be a free program to encourage users to pick VMWare workstation over other options like Virtual Box.

Return on Investment

Isolated lab environments for Engineers prevent mistakes in production, fewer mistakes = less downtime.
Staff skillset improvements. Local testing increases confidence because of the low risk.
Low-cost application compared to running a test VM or Server in a Production environment

Alternatives Considered

VirtualBox - a popular open-source virtualization platform with support for many popular OS's bhyve - Also open-source program that works with Windows and Linux.

Key Insights

Do you think VMware Workstation Pro delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with VMware Workstation Pro's feature set?

Yes

Did VMware Workstation Pro live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of VMware Workstation Pro go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy VMware Workstation Pro again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Microsoft Visio, draw.io, monday.com

Likelihood to Recommend

VMWare workstation allows a user to create an entire group of VMs on their local computer. This is something used in IT areas like networking and telephony for testing new ideas and scenarios in a controlled environment before trying in production. Giving users a local option means the user is isolated to their machine and not working on a production VMWare environment to run tests or simulations. It also allows the user to work off-network or offline since the app is local.

VMWare Workstation Pro is a must for Network Engineers.

Overall Satisfaction with VMware Workstation Pro