Year: 2006

The just released Mandriva Linux Corporate Server 4.0 is the first distribution to include two different virtualization technologies “out-of-the-box”: OpenVZ for OS partitioning and Xen for paravirtualization.

Anyway this notable achievement is dwindled by the fact Mandriva didn’t include any management tool for these products.

Both Xen (version 3.0.1) and OpenVZ (patches for Linux kernel 2.6.12.26) have to be installed from Rpmdrake, the package installer utility, after the mandatory basic installation:

Despite official announcement which is voluntarily vague, the distribution doesn’t integrate any VMware product (so beware of not verified articles like the one from ZDNet).

Invirtus updated its famous virtual machines compressor VM Optimizer, introducing several new features:

• Setting manager
  Settings Manager is an innovative supplemental application for Corporate Edition owners that allows you to create an XML based configuration file that VM Optimizer uses at run-time.
  Create a different settings file for each user type (developer, IT Admin, test), each OS type, etc.
  Deploy settings on the network and run VM Optimizer against centralized settings
• Freespace
  FreeSpace is an included application that integrates into the optimization process and goes sector by sector on your virtual disk thoroughly zeroing out unused space.
• NullBoot
  NullBoot is our proprietary technology for implementing live core OS configuration and not requiring a reboot.
  You simply mount the ISO file and your complete customized optimization takes place without intervention
• VMShrink
  We’ve written an application that integrates seamlessly with your VMware platform software and carries out the vmdk shrinking for you with zero intervention. No more having to mount your vmdk with tools and performing command line switches.

Download it here.

The virtualization.info Virtualization Industry Roadmap has been updated accordingly.

Quoting from the Scalent official announcement:

Scalent Systems, the leading provider of server infrastructure repurposing software for large enterprise data centers, today announced that the company has established interoperability between the Scalent Virtual Operating Environment (V/OE) software and the QLogic SANblade Fibre Channel HBAs and SANbox 6000 Series routers.

To achieve this, Scalent has developed two revolutionary software enhancements with Qlogic to improve data center flexibility.
The first, an extension to the HBA driver, lets data centers repurpose servers without changing SAN configuration.
The second, an iSCSI initiator, enables data centers to dynamically link servers and storage over existing Ethernet connections using QLogic SANbox 6140 iSCSI-Fibre Channel routers and any SANblade Fibre Channel HBA…

Parallels released a new build for its virtualization product on the Windows / Linux platforms.

This Release Candidate brings in extended support for upcoming Microsoft Windows Vista (now RC1 supported) and an improvement in Intel VT / AMD SVM support.

Dowload it here.

At the same time the company also released a new build for its product on the Mac OS platform.

This new beta adds supports for Vista RC1, eliminates kernel panics and introduces a new tool to limit memory use of Parallel Desktops on 2GB Mac Pros.
Memory management will be further improved in next builds.

Download it here.

Quoting from the ToutVirtual official announcement:

ToutVirtual, an emerging leader in management software for virtual computing infrastructures, today announced that it is now part of the Novell PartnerNet program.

ToutVirtual’s virtualization management products support Xen and VMware and are ideal for customers using SUSE Linux Enterprise from Novell who have requirements for simpler yet powerful virtualization management software.

Microsoft TechNet published a new webcast about Virtual Server 2005 scripting, also including 4 downloadable demos:

• Designing Permissions
• Scripting Virtual Machines, Part 1
• Scripting Virtual Machines, Part 2
• Scripting MOM

Download webcast and demos here.

Thanks to Virtualserver.tv for the news.

Starting from today virtualization.info launches a new facility for virtualization professionals and companies: the Job Board.

virtualization.info Job Board offers you several benefits:

• Focus on virtualization
  The only site that focuses exclusively on jobs in the virtualization industry, the hottest growing field in technology.
• Wide range of job roles
  Here you can find all types of positions, from software engineers to marketing managers, from maintenance analysts to account managers.
• Wide range of job locations
  Here you can find jobs from all over the world: from US to Germany, from Russia to Canada.
• Key players in the industry
  Here you can find jobs from the main vendors, system integrators and implementers in the market, where you are sure to find exciting and rewarding positions.
• No personal data retention
  No filling out forms or saving your data in any database. Your privacy is safe here.
• Alerting system by email or RSS feed for new posted jobs
  Just click on the buttons to your right to have the latest jobs in the virtualization industry in your inbox today!

Start looking for your new job right now.

Note: virtualization.info Job Board is open to any company, not just virtualization vendors!
If you are a recruiter and are looking for a virtualization professional the Job Board assures most competent profiles on the marketplace.

Discover how to publish your job announcement.

Quoting from the PlateSpin official announcement / Virtual Iron official annoucement:

PlateSpin Ltd. and Virtual Iron Software today announced a new technology and business partnership that will help users assess the best opportunities for enterprise-class virtualization in their data centers and streamline solution deployment. The companies have agreed to develop joint product offerings for users and resellers as well as collaborate on marketing and sales efforts.
…
With the agreement, PlateSpin, which provides software that analyzes physical and virtual resources and provides OS portability between physical and virtual environments, will support Virtual Iron’s enterprise-class virtualization and management platform. PlateSpin PowerConvert is an automated software solution that enables customers to migrate data, applications, and operating systems across physical, virtual, blade and image-based infrastructures in any direction. The combination of PlateSpin PowerConvert and Virtual Iron will provide users with the ability to migrate physical servers into Virtual Iron virtual infrastructure to quickly achieve the benefits of large-scale server consolidation, rapid provisioning, high availability and capacity management. General availability is planned for November.

The companies also announced that they will make available PlateSpin PowerRecon with support for Virtual Iron at the same time.
…
Virtual Iron will bundle one free migration of PlateSpin PowerConvert with every Virtual Iron Consolidation and Enterprise Edition license. Subsequent migrations will be available for purchase from Virtual Iron and PlateSpin authorized resellers. Virtual Iron will also offer a server assessment solution as well as a server consolidation bundle through its network of authorized resellers…

This announcement is indeed interesting.

PlateSpin is at the moment the unquestioned leader of P2V migrations market, being the only solution able to seamless support multiple virtualization platforms, virtual operating systems and complex migrations (V2P, V2V).

The fact PlateSpin, already supporting VMware and Microsoft products, now introduces support for Virtual Iron means 2 things:

• PlateSpin believes Xen (which Virtual Iron will use as virtualization engine for its upcoming 3.0 version) will likely be used in corporate environments
• PlateSpin preferred the Xen implementation provided by Virtual Iron over the one provided by XenSource

At this point will be interesting to see which support will be provided by key producers of multi-virtualization platforms, like SWsoft.

Quoting from the Virtual Iron official announcement:

Virtual Iron Software, a provider of software solutions for creating and managing virtual infrastructure in the data center, today announced the launch of its Channel One program for value-added resellers, systems integrators and consulting firms.
…
Virtual Iron has already secured a number of charter members in the Channel One Program in North America, Europe and Asia, including:

• Akibia
• Compsat
• Continental Resources
• Enterico
• Dataline
• Enterprise Linux/ Datum UK
• Foedus
• Logics One
• Mandarin
• Nissho Japan
• NSI
• Precision Systems
• ProServe IT
• Prosper Intelligence
• Sigmanet
• Virtualize IT

It’s worth to note here Virtual Iron saved a larger number of partners than XenSource at its program launch, despite the fact both companies product is based on the same engine: Xen.

It’s also worth to note Virtual Iron is already trying to permeate the asian market while its competitor chosen partners only in North America and Europe.

Quoting from the NetXen official announcement:

…
The NetSlice architecture introduced today provides a broadly applicable set of functions for I/O virtualization, including support for as many as 1,024 virtual machines (VMs), multiple DMA engines, DMA remapping for PCIe-related activities, interrupt moderation for managing each virtual channel independently, mapping of multiple MAC addresses to the virtual NICs of a given VM, multiple transmit and receive queues dedicated to each VM, and virtual switching and traffic steering based on Layer 2 and Layer 3 packet header information.

NetXen has configured these functions to work with currently available server virtualization hardware and software. Since the industry has yet to establish standards for I/O virtualization, NetXen offers operating-system-specific solutions where necessary. As standardized schemes become available, they can easily be implemented in NetXen’s Intelligent NICs via firmware upgrades. Datacenter investments in the new virtualized I/O architecture are thus protected into the foreseeable future.

In addition to introducing the NetSlice I/O virtualization architecture, NetXen is announcing support for VMware’s ESX3 system. The new NetSlice I/O architecture works with the ESX3 system to enhance VM scalability…