Unable to run a Windows 7 image on a headless Ubuntu Server that is running on VirtualBox

Question

Messy huh ?! I'll try not to mislead you while explaining this... I'm trying to simulate the environment I'll have to configure in few days. All OS's are 64-bit. I have Windows 7 on my development machine, running headless Ubuntu server 12.04 on VirtualBox (The OS ought to be installed on the coming server). On Ubuntu I'm trying to install "Windows 7" as a virtual machine till it's fully functional and start installing other applications on it.

The image (Windows 7 hosted on the headless Ubuntu server) starts and shows that windows is "Loading files", and instead of starting the installation process, it shows the message: Attempting to load a 64 bit application however this cpu is not compatible with 64-bit mode.

Here is the Windows 7 virtual machine info:

Name:            Windows 7 Pro
Guest OS:        Windows 7 (64 bit)
UUID:            9410fce2-09e8-4509-b4f9-e6780b9f81ed
Config file:     /home/myhome/VirtualBox VMs/Windows 7 Pro/Windows 7 Pro.vbox
Snapshot folder: /home/myhome/VirtualBox VMs/Windows 7 Pro/Snapshots
Log folder:      /home/myhome/VirtualBox VMs/Windows 7 Pro/Logs
Hardware UUID:   9410fce2-09e8-4509-b4f9-e6780b9f81ed
Memory size:     2048MB
Page Fusion:     off
VRAM size:       8MB
CPU exec cap:    100%
HPET:            off
Chipset:         piix3
Firmware:        BIOS
Number of CPUs:  1
Synthetic Cpu:   off
CPUID overrides: None
Boot menu mode:  message and menu
Boot Device (1): Floppy
Boot Device (2): DVD
Boot Device (3): HardDisk
Boot Device (4): Not Assigned
ACPI:            on
IOAPIC:          on
PAE:             on
Time offset:     0 ms
RTC:             local time
Hardw. virt.ext: on
Hardw. virt.ext exclusive: on
Nested Paging:   on
Large Pages:     off
VT-x VPID:       on
State:           powered off (since 2012-07-26T12:13:39.000000000)
Monitor count:   1
3D Acceleration: off
2D Video Acceleration: off
Teleporter Enabled: off
Teleporter Port: 0
Teleporter Address: 
Teleporter Password: 
Storage Controller Name (0):            IDE Controller
Storage Controller Type (0):            PIIX4
Storage Controller Instance Number (0): 0
Storage Controller Max Port Count (0):  2
Storage Controller Port Count (0):      2
Storage Controller Bootable (0):        on
IDE Controller (0, 0): /home/myhome/vm/Win7Pro.vdi (UUID: 08f7315a-c740-48eb-b32f-21520ccbcc70)
IDE Controller (0, 1): /home/myhome/vm/GRMCPRXFRER_EN_DVD.ISO (UUID: 3e18fcf6-6093-4d3f-a480-1284067645f9)
NIC 1:           MAC: 080027592440, Attachment: NAT, Cable connected: on, Trace: off (file: none), Type: 82540EM, Reported speed: 0 Mbps, Boot priority: 0, Promisc Policy: deny
NIC 1 Settings:  MTU: 0, Socket (send: 64, receive: 64), TCP Window (send:64, receive: 64)
NIC 2:           disabled
NIC 3:           disabled
NIC 4:           disabled
NIC 5:           disabled
NIC 6:           disabled
NIC 7:           disabled
NIC 8:           disabled
Pointing Device: PS/2 Mouse
Keyboard Device: PS/2 Keyboard
UART 1:          disabled
UART 2:          disabled
Audio:           disabled
Clipboard Mode:  Bidirectional
VRDE:            enabled (Address 0.0.0.0, Ports 3389, MultiConn: off, ReuseSingleConn: off, Authentication type: null)
Video redirection: disabled
VRDE property: TCP/Ports  = "3389"
VRDE property: TCP/Address = <not set>
VRDE property: VideoChannel/Enabled = <not set>
VRDE property: VideoChannel/Quality = <not set>
VRDE property: VideoChannel/DownscaleProtection = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableDisplay = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableInput = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableAudio = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableUSB = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableClipboard = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableUpstreamAudio = <not set>
VRDE property: Client/DisableRDPDR = <not set>
VRDE property: H3DRedirect/Enabled = <not set>
VRDE property: Security/Method = <not set>
VRDE property: Security/ServerCertificate = <not set>
VRDE property: Security/ServerPrivateKey = <not set>
VRDE property: Security/CACertificate = <not set>
VRDE property: Audio/RateCorrectionMode = <not set>
USB:             disabled

USB Device Filters:

<none>

Available remote USB devices:

<none>

Currently Attached USB Devices:

<none>

Shared folders:  <none>

VRDE Connection:    not active
Clients so far:     0

Guest:

Configured memory balloon size:      0 MB
OS type:                             Windows7_64
Additions run level:                 0

Guest Facilities:

No active facilities.

So what am I missing here ? May be Is it not possible to have hardware virtualization on a virtual machine (Headless Ubuntu server) ?

Answer 1

May be Is it not possible to have hardware virtualization on a virtual machine

HEAD ON.

hardare virutalization is a one layer only thing - a virtual machine that is running in a hardware supported hypervisor can not itself configure the processor virtualization layer as it is already used.

It does not support nested virtual machines, as this is as scenario not used in the real world (outside some really edge cases that hve more to do with not enough money than with anything else).