virtualization.info Editors

Software Virtualization Solution 2.0, announced this month, is under great attention for the free personal edition released by Altiris.

Both lifehacker and PC Magazine briefly reviewed it.

Quoting from PC Magazine review:

…
Anybody can use Altiris Software Virtualization Solution 2.0 to put a safety wrapper around software installations and to package installations for import on other computers. Power users can do quite a bit more by manipulating advanced properties and using the commandline interface. Give SVS a try! Just remember that if you later uninstall it, you’ll have to reinstall any virtualized applications — at present there’s no way to merge them into the underlying base system.

In my insight Microsoft, the big absentee of virtualization I evaluated several scenario related to annonced Windows Vista delay.

One of them contemplated the chance of massive delay of Windows codename Longhorn Server and subsequently the expected Windows Hypervisor (codename Viridian), leaving Microsoft customers with no new virtualization technologies for another 2-3 years.

Now ZDNet reports the expected Service Pack 1 for Virtual Server 2005 R2 is officially shifted to 2007.
This almost confirm the above scenario.

Microsoft was expected to introduce within this Service Pack support for AMD/Intel virtualization extensions and virtual machines hot backup, but I would expect a features re-plan, to fill the technological gap that will exist with VMware products.
I would also expect a name change, maybe introducing the brand new concept of Released 3 (R3).

Meanwhile, trying to limit damage, Microsoft is expected to release actual Virtual Server 2005 R2 for free next week.

Quoting from the SWsoft official announcement:

SWsoft, the leading provider of operating system virtualization and automation, today announced former VMware employee and 15-year IT veteran Darren Harvey has joined as Director of Enterprise Channel Sales in North America.
…
“Darren is a significant addition to our leadership team, with his intimate knowledge of the virtualization market and strategic North American-channel and OEM relationships. His experience, coupled with our superior technology and roadmap, positions SWsoft for continued market share and corporate growth in 2006 and beyond,” said Serguei Beloussov, CEO, SWsoft…

Isn’t strange VMware is loosing such a key person right now, when they are totally dominating the market?

Quoting from the rPath official announcement:

rPath, provider of the first platform for creating and maintaining Linux software appliances, today announced that it will offer additional cash awards to winners of the VMware Ultimate Virtual Appliance Challenge who use its rBuilder Online to build their virtual appliance entry.

In addition to VMware’s prize offerings, rPath will offer winning entries that use rBuilder Online the following awards:

• First Prize – $10,000
• Second Prize – $ 5,000
• Third Prize – $ 5,000
• Five Best of Category Prizes – $ 1,000 each

Contest entries must be submitted by May 26, 2006 and winners will be announced in August. For more information regarding VMware’s Ultimate Appliance Challenge and complete rules for the additional rBuilder Online awards, please visit www.rpath.com/vmware.

I tried rBuilder Online and found it very innovative. I covered it in a previous post.

Since the release of VMware Player and the Community Virtual Machines (which now morphed in Virtual Appliances) project the whole community is embracing the concept so deeply that new optimizations and businesses are rising.
This process is (and will for many months) further accelerated by the launch of the VMware Challenge.

A good example is the new site Virtual Appliances, not endorsed by VMware in any way, committed to produce very small footprints virtual machine assolving specific tasks.

It’s actually offering for free a a beta virtual appliance of 15Mb doing web server, but I bet it will soon provide a complete commercial offer.
Who will come next?

Thanks to OSNews for the news.

Several reliable sources reported me Microsoft is expected to released Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition for free during next week, possibly on Monday.

If true with this move Microsoft will try to embank actual VMware strategy, based on VMware Player, upcoming Server and virtual appliances.

Just yesterday I wrote how Microsoft is actually the big absentee of virtualization market. I doubt this move will help much.

Note: this information didn’t come from any Microsoft channel and although I’m a Most Valuable Professional (MVP) I was completely ignoring the move.

Quoting from the Softricity official announcement:

Softricity, the on-demand application virtualization company, today announced the launch of the Softricity User Group program. The program is intended to help the company’s more than 500 customers share expertise and knowledge about Softricity application virtualization and on-demand streaming technologies with other users in their region.

Global Softricity customers who attend the user groups will be able to:

• Learn best practices in implementation, administration and use of Softricity products
• Obtain answers, advice, tips and suggestions from experts
• Gain access to a network of peers for collaboration and information exchange
• Receive information about new and upcoming Softricity products
• Participate in beta programs
• Influence the direction of Softricity future products
• Enhance skill sets with technical content created for users by users

While not directly related to virtualization this IBM Redbook is a great starting point if you are approaching enterprise virtualization and are looking for a Storage Attached Network (SAN) device:

In this IBM Redbook, which is an update and major revision of the previous version, we have tried to consolidate as much of the critical information as possible while covering procedures and tasks that are likely to be encountered on a daily basis.

Each of the products described has much, much more functionality than we could ever hope to cover in just one redbook. The IBM SAN portfolio is rich in quality products that bring a vast amount of technicality and vitality to the SAN world. Their inclusion and selection is based on a thorough understanding of the storage networking environment that positions IBM, and therefore its customers and partners, in an ideal position to take advantage by their deployment.

We cover the latest additions to the IBM SAN family, which includes products from companies such as Brocade, Cisco, CNT, Emulex, and McDATA. We show how they can be implemented in an open systems environment, and we focus on the Fibre Channel protocol (FCP) environment in particular. We address some of the key concepts that they bring to the market, and in each case, we give an overview of those functions that are essential to building a robust SAN environment.

Table of Contents

• Chapter 1 – Implementing a SAN with the e-type family
• Chapter 2 – Implementing a SAN with the b-type family
• Chapter 3 – Implementing a SAN with the m-type family
• Chapter 4 – Implementing a SAN with the n-type family
• Chapter 5 – Implementing a SAN with the Cisco family

Download it here.

Where is Microsoft while VMware is delivering virtualization innovations one after another, driving the whole IT market quite all alone?

Let’s consider the Virtual PC / Virtual Server development cycle from 2002, when the Redmond giant acquired the VMware competitor called Connectix, to today:

• 2003 – Virtual PC 2004
• 2004 – Virtual Server 2005
• 2004 – Virtual PC 2004 Service Pack 1
• 2004 – Virtual Server Migration Toolkit
• 2005 – Virtual Server 2005 R2 (originally planned as Service Pack 1)

In 4 years customers saw few innovations (some readers will remember that Connectix was already working on a server product when Microsoft acquired them), no enterprise management tools, no serious physical to virtual (P2V) migration tools.

Now, avoding any consideration on the early strategy, we have to ask why Microsoft is approaching virtualization in this way since VMware started becoming a serious competitor (probably after being acquired by EMC) and monopolizing the market.

3 possible reasons:

• Microsoft doesn’t really see VMware as a serious competitor and waited VMware success to see how the market would answer to pervasive virtualization
• Since Connectix acquisition Microsoft changed its mind and is still doubtful on what to do
• Microsoft is concentrating all efforts on the announced Windows Hypervisor (codename Viridian)

Considering (and hoping for) the last hypothesis we have to face a new issue: Microsoft Windows Vista (the client operating system to succeed XP) has just been delayed to end 2006 (and worldwide distribution on January 2007).
And this is the biggest issue considering Microsoft has announced Windows codename Longhorn Server (the server operationg system to succeed 2003) to be released 6-8 months after Vista, and Windows Hypervisor to be released 1 year or more after Longhorn.

So whay could happen to virtualization strategy now that Vista scrambled all marketing plans?

• Microsoft will gain unexpected time by Vista delay and will deliver Windows Hypervisor immediately, within Longhorn
  (this could be highly unlikely since Microsoft could need as much developers as possible on Vista to respect the new deadline)
• Microsoft will delay Longhorn and Windows Hypervisor accordingly to Vista release, unchanging distances between products releases

Let’s consider once again the last hypothesis: virtualization customers, now waiting for Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1, would stay without technology enhancements for another 2-3 years.
But this would be completely disruptive for the Microsoft business model. So I would expect a fast plan rearrangement with another, unexpected, minor release of Virtual Server, before Windows Hypervisor will be out.

The real problem is: what Microsoft will be able to offer in this scenario against VMware and Xen (which is now highly supported by Red Hat and Novell efforts)?

Note: although I’m a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP), no reserved informations have been disclosed in this article.

As announced Altiris released it’s Software Virtualization Solution (SVS) 2.0 on the market:

Altiris Software Virtualization Solution is a revolutionary approach to software management.

By placing applications and data into managed units called Virtual Software Packages, Software Virtualization Solution allows you to instantly activate, deactivate or reset applications and to completely avoid conflicts between applications, without altering the base Windows installation.
…
Software Virtualization Solution ensures applications use correct files and registry settings, without modifying the OS and without interfering with other applications. The solution allows you to host multiple versions of an application on the same system without conflicts between older and newer files. And you can easily activate or deactivate your applications based on need by sending a single command to the client systems.

The product is available for 120-days evalutation or for free for personal use.