VirtualBox FAQ

This is a set of FAQ, suggested approach, quick DO's and DON'Ts for VirtualBox.  The answers here are NOT the absolute truth. There are exceptions depending on specific environment configuration.  The book delves into the details of choosing an approach. (Note: VM stands for Virtual Machine)

Is it complex to maintain a Virtualized Environment?
Before I start to virtualize do I need to learn how things work under the covers?
Do I need expensive hardware to virtualize?
Do I need expensive software to virtualize?
What are the ways I can interact with my virtual environment?
What can I virtualize?

You can virtualize most operating system and devices. A lot of them will work well, although not everything is supported.  Some examples:

Which type of Virtualization is superior?
Should I take advantage of "hardware assisted virtualization"?
How do I estimate resources on host?
The more CPU for guest the better?
Can guest share memory?
Hypervisor Types - which one is better?
Installing VirtualBox - Which binaries to use?
Upgrading VirtualBox - How difficult & how up to date?
What is the best way to file sharing between servers?

The option depends on the use case:

Do I need to learn about networking concepts?
When to use paravirtual drivers?
When and how often should I check log files?
Is there a way to auto-start/stop VMs?
Should VirtualBox be run as root?
How to allocate disks on VMs?

Read the one-line answer carefully!

How many VirtualBox VMs can you start on one host?
Does delete snapshot, delete snapshots?

This may be a good interview question!  Most will fumble, but here is quick answer.

Does filesystem copy of VMs work?
Best way to compact my disk image (VDI or other format) file
What is Guru Mediation?
Can/Should I run other loads on my host other than VirtualBox Hypervisor (load)?
Can I edit the XML configuration files directly?
Is there a way to backup VM? - I mean reliably & consistently
Do I need to performance tune?
Are there supporting software that works with VirtualBox?