Virtualization

There's a real battle in the virtualization market as VMware positions itself as cloud computing's operating system. Meanwhile, Microsoft is gaining traction and players like Citrix and Red Hat are also a threat. Virtualization's main selling point - the ability to use more computing capacity and save on servers - resonates for obvious reasons.

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VMware Workstation 7

VMware Workstation 7

<p> The seventh generation of VMware's venerable desktop virtualisation platform, <a href="http://www.vmware.com/products/workstation/">VMware Workstation</a>, includes support for Windows 7 hosts and guests as one of its key features. However, that's not all it has to offer, as we discovered when we downloaded the new version and put it through its paces. </p>

December 14, 2009 by in Virtualization

Hyper-V Server 2008 R2

Hyper-V Server 2008 R2

<p> The mid-term R2 refresh of Hyper-V Server 2008 sees Microsoft's free bare-metal hypervisor enhanced to match the capabilities of its full <a href="http://reviews.zdnet.co.uk/software/os/0,1000001098,39671447,00.htm">Windows Server 2008 R2</a> implementation. In essence, that means greater scalability, plus the inclusion of VM migration tools left out of the original release &mdash; including live migration with minimal downtime. However, management tools remain an extra so, by itself, <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/hyper-v-server/en/us/default.aspx">Hyper-V Server 2008 R2</a> shouldn't be considered a self-contained virtualisation solution. </p>

November 25, 2009 by in Virtualization

Ten Unsung Windows Server 2008 R2 Features

Ten Unsung Windows Server 2008 R2 Features

For the past few months, Microsoft has been touting the same handful of new Windows Server 2008 R2 features: DirectAccess, BranchCache and live migration with Hyper-V. But there are more than 100 new features in this 'minor' update to Windows Server. Here are 10 that IT pros might not know about -- but should.

November 9, 2009 by in Windows

VMware vSphere 4

VMware vSphere 4

<p> Launched in April, VMware's <a href="http://www.vmware.com/products/vsphere/">vSphere 4</a> is the latest major release of the company's ESX server virtualization platform. Highlights of the new suite are Thin Provisioning, Data Recovery, Fault Tolerance and Distributed Power Management, all of which we'll look at in more detail in this review. </p>

October 27, 2009 by in Virtualization

Play VideoVirtually at VMworld

Virtually at VMworld

At the VMworld conference in San Francisco, ZDNet Senior Editor Sam Diaz tours the exhibition floor to see what is happening at the show. Diaz also talks to David Bricker of IBM about the company's XIV substorage system, which works in the VMware environment, and to Tripwire's Michael Reznick about how the company's software helps IT managers audit and control their systems inside a data center.

September 3, 2009 in Virtualization

Play VideoIntel demos Nehalem EX

Intel demos Nehalem EX

At VMworld 2009 in San Francisco, Doug Fisher, Intel's VP of software and services, talks about experimental work VMware and Intel are collaborating on to reduce overall power consumption inside Nehalem EX.

September 2, 2009 in Virtualization

Play Video‘Mainstream’ meanings for the cloud

‘Mainstream’ meanings for the cloud

At the CloudWorld event in San Francisco, panelists question whether cloud computing, quickly gaining mainstream adoption, could replace system ownership entirely. Panelists include Joe Weinman of AT&T Business Solutions, Sam Charrington of Appistry, James Urquhart of Cisco Systems and the CNET Blog Network, and Timothy Chou of Ming Holdings.

August 13, 2009 in Virtualization

Play VideoDesktop virtualization

Desktop virtualization

By 2011, there could be more than 660 million virtualized desktops. John Whaley, CTO and Founder of MokaFive, talks about the issues surrounding current infrastructures and says that organizations deploying new systems need to think about four things--management, offline use, cost, and the user experience.

January 5, 2009 in Virtualization

Play VideoDiscover Financial Services CIO: Diane Offereins

Discover Financial Services CIO: Diane Offereins

Diane Offereins, CIO at Discover Financial Services speaks to ZDNet Editor in Chief Dan Farber about the company's underdog role in the financial services industry. She also talks about deploying new technologies that will help spur growth and gain efficiencies, such as virtualization, web services, and mobile payments.

February 5, 2008 in Virtualization

Hyper-V Server 2008 R2

Hyper-V Server 2008 R2

Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 can significantly reduce the cost and complexity of Windows Server virtualisation, although management tools are not included. This, together with deployment issues, could limit the appeal of Microsoft's standalone hypervisor beyond the enterprise market.

November 25, 2009 by in Virtualization

VMware vSphere 4

VMware vSphere 4

The latest release of VMware's enterprise-level hypervisor and management suite raises the bar with the addition of built-in backup, thin provisioning and fault tolerance options. The combination of functionality and a proven track record makes vSphere 4 an excellent choice for high-end server virtualisation projects.

October 27, 2009 by in Virtualization

XenServer 5

XenServer 5

Early releases of the Xen hypervisor showed promise but had lots of rough edges. Citrix's XenServer 5, however, is very much a production-class virtualisation solution with features that match, and in some cases exceed, what's available on rival platforms.

November 18, 2008 by in Virtualization

VMware ESXi

VMware ESXi

ESXi is the easiest hypervisor to install and use. It's based on VMware's ESX Server code, making it among the most stable and mature virtualisation options available. It also uses very little RAM and disk space, leaving more server resources free for your virtual machines.

October 17, 2008 by in Virtualization

VMware ThinApp 4

VMware ThinApp 4

ThinApp, previously known as Thinstall, offers a more streamlined and portable approach to new software roll-outs and development. Software developers and administrators of large numbers of workstations and or mobile workers are bound to benefit greatly from this software.

September 17, 2008 by in Virtualization

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