Virtual machines, containers, functions. Market knowledge for IT decision makers since 2003
virtualization.info Editors Richard Garsthagen published an interesting suggestions page for ESX Server 3.0 and VirtualCenter 2.0 beta testers.
Actually it shows 3 tips:
Be sure to check this page frequently for new tips and tricks.
While still in draft, this IBM Redbook is highly expected by all ESX Server 3.0 and Virtual Center 2.0 early adopters.
Abstract
Virtualization is becoming more and more a key technology enabler to streamline and better operate data centers. In it’s simplest form, virtualization refers to the capability of being able to run multiple OS instances, such as Linux and Windows, on a physical server.
Usually the concept of virtualization is usually associated with high-end servers, such as the IBM xSeries 460 that are able being able to support and consolidate multiple heterogeneous software environments. The xSeries 460 is a highly scalable x86 platform capable of supporting up to 32 processors and 512 GB of memory and is aimed at customers that wish to consolidating data centers.
Between the server hardware and the operating systems that will run the applications is a virtualization layer of software that manages the entire system. The two main products in this field are VMware ESX Server and Microsoft Virtual Server.
This Redbook discusses the the technology behind virtualization, the x460 technology, and the two virtualization software products. We also discuss how to properly manage the solution as if they all were a pool of resources with Virtual Machine Manager, a unique consistent management interface.
Table of Contents
Download it here.
Quoting from the Virtual Iron official announcement:
Virtual Iron Software, a provider of data center virtualization and management solutions, today announced support for new hardware-assisted virtualization capabilities from Intel Corporation. As a result, Virtual Iron users will gain the increased reliability and capabilities of the new Intel platform. Virtual Iron has been working closely with Intel and is already incorporating the new capabilities, called Intel Virtualization Technology (VT), into its product development and roadmap efforts…
Quoting from the Emulex official annoucement:
Emulex Corporation, the most trusted name in storage networking connectivity, today announced that Emulex has formalized participation in the VMware Community Source program…
Emulex will help drive standardization of SAN connectivity solutions for server virtualization environments.As part of its participation, Emulex is contributing its LightPulse(R) Virtual HBA API specification, based on N-port ID Virtualization (NPIV), which enhances the overall functionality of the SAN in server virtualization environments. Emulex, in cooperation with other members of the VMware Community source program, will be a key participant in the development of a virtual HBA API. This API will enable HBAs to connect virtual machines to SANs improving fabric-based quality of service mapping to virtual machines, increasing supportability of large VMware VMotion clusters, and providing more transparent support of standard zoning tools…
Ben Armstrong explains how to run any of previous scripts on a remote Virtual Server instance:
Each script starts by creating a COM object for Virtual Server – usually with a line like this:
set vs = wscript.CreateObject(“VirtualServer.Application”)
To operate on a remote server you just need to change this line to:
set vs = CreateObject(“VirtualServer.Application”, “serverName”)
And you can then continue to script against the remote Virtual Server instance just like it was a local instance.
Read the whole post at source.
VMware is preparing customers to the arrive of its Virtual Infrastructure 2.0:
Thousands of companies already benefit from the power and simplicity of virtual infrastructure. This live 30 minute session will review the next chapter: ESX Server 3.0 and VirtualCenter 2.0. You’ll leave our sessions knowing how the new capabilities of ESX Server 3.0 and VirtualCenter 2.0 will enable you to expand deployments while further reducing complexity.
The event is scheduled for 29th March, register for it here.
Another webinar from Softricity, this time schedule for 22th March:
January 2006 Forrester Research report states, “Desktop virtualization is the future of the corporate PC.” But what exactly is application virtualization and what tangible benefits can it really have? This webinar is designed to clear up any confusion and give you concrete ways to evaluate its potential impact on your business.
Join David Friedlander, senior analyst at Forrester Research and noted expert in desktop virtualization, for a free webinar that explores the savings application virtualization can deliver in traditionally resource-consuming desktop deployment and management areas, including: application deployments, updates, patches, terminations, help desk support and server management.
In the webinar, Softricity will also unveil how its new Forrester Consulting Total Economic Impact™ (TEI)-compliant, Return on Virtualization (ROV) Calculator from Softricity can help you rapidly and thoroughly evaluate the time and cost savings possible with the Softricity Desktop, the premier platform for enterprise software virtualization.
Register for the event here.
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virtualization.info would like to break the usual flow of news once a week with something funny.
I’m looking for a virtualization user, absolutely proficient in english, with a side-talent as cartoonist.
I will publish his stripe every sunday on a continuous basis, publishing the artist name and linking to his site.
If you are interested contact me at email address found in my personal site.
VMware knows Microsoft is going to compete against them since the Connectix acquisition time. Maybe earlier.
Quite every company in the IT world knowns that sooner or later Microsoft will invade its market segment.
Similarly every company in the IT world knowns that cannot survive competing against Microsoft without an exceptional strategy, even having an exceptional product.
VMware knows Microsoft is coming since 2003. And since that year the company management and marketing departments started to setup a long chess game (but I bet every single employee helped or wanted to in this).
Microsoft is now really near: within 2 years they will release a virtualization solution tight in every single Windows operating system out there. And to gain maximum exposure the company started to evangelize on the upcoming technology since this the first day of the year.
The so called Windows Hypervisor will exponentially diffuse virtualization awareness and adoption worldwide.
And VMware started to move its pieces.
The Palo Alto company started with horses in August 2005, promoting some Virtualization Standards and a Community Source program.
Establishing standards before Microsoft can impose its own and opening source code for the best 3rd party products integration means obtaining industry’s consensus and support, but just like an horse movement isn’t straight, and not everybody perceived what started to happen.
Both operations will be critical at a later time, appearing suddenly evident.
The second move, involving a first bishop in this chess game, took place in December 2005, when the company shaped a features-limited version of its best known product, Workstation, calling it simply Player.
Workstation is the product thanks to which VMware is worldwide beloved, where the company implements new cutting-edge features before anywhere else.
Limitations of Player are so weak and so easy to workaround, and VMware, aware of this, isn’t doing anything to limit users. This isn’t by chance…
Giving it away for free means the company is trying to establish a de-facto cross-platform standard, like Adobe did over years with its PDF Reader, reaching technology-avid users where Microsoft couldn’t follow: Linux, BSD (and soon Macintosh) and Solaris communities.
Another bishop followed the first one, in just a couple of months: in February 2006 VMware took one of its enterprise products, GSX Server, started updating it as usual but converted it in a free product, calling it simply Server.
GSX Server has same engine Workstation has but provides an uncapped capability of resources allocation and enough features to address most companies needs.
VMware Server has not same chances of Player to become a de-facto cross-platform standard from itself. But its purpose is different: to smoothly introduce VMware on a wide range of companies, reaching their research, development and testing departments, demonstrating CIOs/CTOs virtualization is reliable, efficient, performant, accessible. Better than any marketing campain ever.
When these concepts will be assimilated by IT managers they autonomously will ask for more, and will be happy to spend money for ESX Server and VirtualCenter, mainstream products VMware is currently offering.
In these days it’s easy to hear some VMware customers and fans wondering why the company should cut its sales on both desktop and enteprise markets. But history teaches us that continuing to move in the usual way cannot win against the Redmond giant.
It’s easy as well hear customers afraid that VMware will put no effort in improving Server: wrong. Server is the best indirect marketing tool the company has today. The best they will improve it, the most companies they will reach
.
Time to move pawns now: VMware launches the most exciting challenge ever in today’s IT world.
Rewarding a bunch of brillant community’s representatives with $200,000 just to produce something bringing them glory means knowing how to use viral marketing in a erudite way.
The effort to obtain money and fame will push the VMware awareness where it would be difficult to arrive in unexpected short times.
The whole amount of virtual appliances will act as a pawns army, using innovation and ready-to-go features to evangelize in place of VMware marketing brochures and events.
And as soon as all of them will be presented, VMware Server will be ready, demonstrating at once virtualization benefits in enterprises, dramatically cutting down companies approaching time.
Too romantic? It is not: Ubuntu Linux founder, Mark Shuttleworth, and O’Reilly Media founder, Tim O’Reilly, are among challenge’s judges. And this isn’t by chance… You can be sure contestants will do as much as possible to impress them.
Well, if I didn’t go wrong VMware has still to move 2 towers and a queen before Microsoft arrives. What will come from them?
A short-term move could involve extending virtualization infrastructure to serve other datacenter needs apart provisioning, like security. Some recent presentations let us understand that VMware is at least evaluating this path.
Something appearing at a later time could be breaking today’s limitations in resources provisioning. Maybe releasing with OEM partners the first physical virtualization appliance, based on ESX Server and blades architecture, where even memory can be provisioned in virtual machines in real-time. Something involving Distributed Shared Memory concept that many are running after since years.
This last hypothesis could lead us to the final move VMware could take, arriving where Microsoft will not be interested to go still for a long time: general-purpose grid computing.
Anything will happen one thing is for sure: this game is just started and VMware played great until now.
In August 2005 VMware chosen to open its ESX Server source code for better 3rd parties products integration, involving major vendors in the IT industry, with the final aim to reach common agreed virtualization standards.
The program, called Community Source, is going on and it has a site called The Virtualization Development Center.
Welcome to vmdev.net, VMware’s portal to advanced virtualization development through the Community Source Program. Members of the Community have access to source code, documentation, and other resources for collaborative development of ESX Server. You can influence the evolution of ESX Server and drive the definition of new interfaces (APIs). You can use access to source code to accelerate support for your products, or to optimize performance with ESX Server (including enhancing ESX Server to work better with your products). Source code access also enhances your ability to troubleshoot problems and improve customer responsiveness.
The Community Source Program is open to all hardware and software vendors who are interested in the delivery of differentiated product capabilities that feature deep integration with VMware’s highly functional and stable virtualization software. By building on a mature platform with widespread enterprise customer acceptance, you can deliver solutions that gain immediate commercial viability and accelerate the return on your development investment.