Parallels and IP Address HELP!!!

It makes sense but you may want to go to the parallels web site and ask there about the IP number thing. I'd guess you would in fact end up with a different IP number but I'd check . Parallels isn't expensive and if this is a corporate thing I'd get approval for it and buy a copy and play. Sounds like the perfect solution, but it may be even easier than you think. You may not need any partitioning at all with Parallels. the image can be sent to the mac, copied over to the parallels software and unwrapped then used by the mac. I mention parallels because it sounds like all you need is a simple wrap/unwrap thing and you may be able to avoid the entire partitioning and restarting issue by using it, however I do NOT use parallels myself - just thought it worthwhile for you to look into that option.

Yes, your Windows virtual machine running under Parallels can be configured to use the Mac Pro's second ethernet port and, hence, a different IP address. I use this configuration all the time. It allows me to use VPN from my Windows side.

In Parallels under Devices->Network Adapter, you have a choice of "en0: Ethernet Adapter" or "en1: Ethernet Adapter". The default setting is en0: (simply shared with OS X). You can switch to the separate and unused en1:.

if you use the bridged network setting in parallels then both the XP virtual machine and OSX will have their own IP address without the necessity to use the second physical ethernet adapter.

Why do you want to move files over the network?

Parallels allows Mac and Windows to share folders, and also to "drag and drop" files from Mac to Windows (and vice versa).

It's simple and it works like a charm.