Citrix opens beta of next XenServer April 14, 2009
Posted by Yves Peeters in Server Virtualization.Tags: Citrix, virtualization, XenServer
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Citrix has just opened the beta program for the next version of XenServer.
The new product is codenamed Project George (but the final name will be XenServer 5.1 according to our sources), and features some interesting capabilities:
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Active Directory integration. Specify the AD domain to use for authentication by the pool and use your AD credentials to connect to the pool via XenCenter and ssh. You control which AD users/groups are allowed access.
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Workload balancing. Guest and host performance metrics are used to create star ratings for individual VM placement and balancing recommendations for resource pools to achieve optimal performance.
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LVHD. Fast cloning and snapshots are now supported on all Storage Repository types through integration of our software VHD stack and LVM-based Storage Repositories (SRs).
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StorageLink integration. CLI-only support for a new StorageLink Gateway SR that adds native standards-based support for HP MSA, HP EVA, EMC Clariion, and NetApp storage arrays over iSCSI and Fibre Channel with automated initiator/fabric/array management.
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Expanded guest OS support. RHEL 5.3, Debian Lenny, and SLES 11 Linux guests.
Citrix says that the RTM code is expected for the end of April. It’s clear that the company is anxious to have it ready for the Synergy 2009, to be held in Las Vegas in early May.
You can download the beta via MyCitrix.
Xen.org Releases Xen Type-2 Hypervisor: Xen Project KXen April 6, 2009
Posted by Yves Peeters in desktop virtualization.Tags: virtualization, Xen
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The initial public release of the Hosted Xen project (KXen) is now available. KXen lets you run the Xen core as a Type-2 VMM, on top of a regular operating system. This release supports 32-bit Windows XP, Vista and Win7 as the host operating system. This release uses a snapshot of the Xen core used in Citrix’s XenServer product. Future releases will be based on open source xen-3.4 and xen-unstable. This release is in the form of a snapshot of the latest working sources (kxen-preview-090323-src.tar.bz2) and an archive of binaries built from those sources (kxen-preview-090323-windows.zip).
The Value of Storage Virtualization Software April 2, 2009
Posted by Yves Peeters in Storage Virtualization & Storage.Tags: Datacore, SANmelody, SANsymphony, virtualization
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One of the more perplexing things about IT is that in all the rush to embrace server virtualization, there has not been a corresponding amount of increased interest in storage virtualization.
That isn’t to say that storage virtualization isn’t a big trend; it’s just that it’s not being embraced with the same level of enthusiasm.
The folks at DataCore, which makes software that allows IT organization to turn existing storage arrays from multiple vendors into a shared pool of disk storage, have two theories about why storage virtualization is evolving much more slowly than server virtualization.
The first theory is that most storage hardware vendors require customers to buy new storage arrays that support storage virtualization. In these difficult economic times, it’s hard to make an argument that basically says an IT organization should spend a lot of additional capital now in order to save money later.
The second theory is that when IT organizations introduce storage virtualization, they are worried about performance penalties. Too often there are database and e-mail applications that don’t perform so well when virtualization is introduced. To specifically deal with storage virtualization performance issues, DataCore is now adding 1TB of cache to a new 64-bit implementation of its SANmelody 3.0 and SANsymphony 7.0 software.
There are a few other benefits to a software-only approach to storage virtualization, such a built in disaster recovery capabilities and a more efficient approach to thin provisioning. But at the end of the day, server virtualization is popular because it helps IT organizations get more out of their existing hardware investments…
Citrix asks “What is a Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA)?” April 2, 2009
Posted by Yves Peeters in Application virtualization, Cloud Computing, datacenter.Tags: Citrix, Licensing, Microsoft, virtualization, XenApp
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Microsoft has the best definition as they have been in this business for years now. They define a SPLA in the following way, “A licensing program that enables service providers and ISVs with a hosted offering to license Microsoft products on a monthly basis to provide services and hosted applications to their end customers.”
Some qualifying questions for entry into a SPLA program might be the following:
1. Do you provide software services and hosted apps on a rental, subscription or services basis?
2. Are you a hosting provider, an ASP, a SI or an ISV that provides software as a service?
3. Is one of your primary objectives to avoid up-front license fees and minimum commitments?
4. Is your goal to maximize the number of end-user served from the same underlying software?
5. Will your customers accept not owning the software or having it located at their site?
If you can answer YES to most of these questions then most likely a SPLA program would fit your business model.
According to Microsoft there are many benefits to using a SPLA. Because the license is subscription based over time it will often cost more than a perpetual license for the same software. However, the benefits far outweigh the cost if the business model is structured correctly.
The following is a list of benefits Microsoft uses for their SPLA program:
• No Upfront Costs
• Most Current Product Versions – You have access to the most current versions of the products available in the program
• Pay Based On Usage – Monthly usage-based cost means you pay only for what was made available the previous month
• Worldwide Distribution – Use Microsoft licensed products to sell your services in any part of the world
Please take a look here and vote!
Virtualization & Cloud Industry News [28.01.09] January 28, 2009
Posted by Yves Peeters in Data Center Management, Server Virtualization.Tags: security, virtualization
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IGEL Introduces Groundbreaking Universal Desktop Thin Clients for Virtualization (more)
Arkeia Software Delivers Industry’s First Virtual Appliance for Backup of your Virtualization Environments (more)
Double-Take Software’s New GeoCluster Enables Cost Effective Stretch Clustering for Microsoft Hyper-V Virtualization (more)
Reflex Systems Announces Virtualization Management Center with Performance Monitoring (more)
CiRBA Version 5.1 Addresses New Capacity Management Demands (more)
VMware & Teradici threaten Citrix? January 26, 2009
Posted by Yves Peeters in Application virtualization, Server Virtualization, desktop virtualization.Tags: Citrix, VDM, virtualization, VMware, XenApp, XenDesktop, XenServer
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Tom Valovic posted an interesting article about an interview with Stuart Robinson of Teradici on the purported benefits of Teradici’s PC over IP protocol licensed by VMware. Tom reports on a Teradici claim that PC over IP has a lead over ICA in that it has an ability to dynamically adjust the bandwidth needed by the remoting protocol, in response to available network bandwidth. Specifically, Robinson (who actually knows better) claims that ICA has no such ability.
Another Microsoft Licensing Policy Update: What’s Good? What’s Left? January 23, 2009
Posted by Yves Peeters in Application virtualization, Server Virtualization, desktop virtualization.Tags: Hyper-V, Licensing, Microsoft, virtualization, VMware, XenServer
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Last Friday, Microsoft’s latest round of licensing changes were released to the public as two documents:
- “Licensing Windows Server 2008 to Run with Virtualization Technologies“
- “Licensing Microsoft Server Products in Virtual Environments“
There is definitely some good news here. CAL requirements for “indirect access to Windows 2008″ were lifted. So organizations will only need CALs for Windows guest OSs and the applications that run within them. The previous policy impacted customers running Microsoft’s Hyper-V hypervisor and did not affect licensing on any other hypervisor.
Xen-based hypervisors push performance limits – Citrix XenServer 5.0 Top Finisher January 21, 2009
Posted by Yves Peeters in I/O Virtualization, Server Virtualization.Tags: Citrix, ESX, Hyper-V, Microsoft, Novell XEN, Virtual Iron, virtualization, VMware, Xen, XenServer
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Tom Henderson and Brendan Allen of Network World Lab Alliance conducted an extensive performance testing of Citrix XenServer 5.0, Novell’s Xen 3.2 and Virtual Iron 4.4. Two other vendors — Sun and Red Hat — were invited to participate but because of varying timing problems, declined to participate.
The testing confirmed that open source Xen is a formidable challenger to the closed code VMware and Microsoft hypervisors. When the performance of business transactions running on top of the hypervisors was measured, Citrix’s XenServer 5.0 was the top finisher in nine out of 12 test runs.
Citrix VMs are tops in transaction processing, Novell’s in I/O speed.
Read the full article here.
AppSense & Brian Madden Tutorial January 16, 2009
Posted by Jürgen De Wolf in Data Center Management.Tags: Appsense, hybrid profiles, Profile Management, User workspace management, VDI, virtualization, XenDesktop
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If you like to watch an online training tutorial for version 8 check the following website: http://www.appsense.com/brianmaddentraining/
Presented by Brian Madden, a leading independent technology analyst in the desktop virtualization space, this tutorial provides an in-depth analysis of AppSense’s Environment Manager Version 8.0.
Gartners’ Symposium ITxpo : Virtualization a strategic strategy for 2009 October 15, 2008
Posted by Roel Gydé in Uncategorized.Tags: Cloud Computing, Computing Fabrics, Gartner, virtualization
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Each year Gartner releases a list of 10 technologies that will do ‘very well’ in the next year. On the list for 2008, Virtualization was in the fifth spot, for 2009 this is on number 1. On number 2: Cloud Computing and on number 3: Computing Fabrics.
In general ‘computing fabrics’ is a server technology in which you buy the physical resources you need and put them dynamically together to create resource pools
GreenIT which came in the 2008-list on number 1, has been moved to place number 10 in the 2009 list.
Full list.
Can Microsoft Pull Virtualization, SOA, Management, and SaaS Together? June 18, 2008
Posted by Roel Gydé in Uncategorized.Tags: Microsoft, SaaS, SOA, virtualization
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Just stumbled on a nice article by Judith Hurwitz about Microsoft. As an analyst she has had the chance to get a good view on the Microsoft tools division, based on the current technology trends she has set out the five focal points for Microsoft according to her.
Virtual Service Oriented Grids June 18, 2008
Posted by Roel Gydé in Uncategorized.Tags: Grid, Intel, Management, SOA, virtualization
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Imagine if you take virtualization, combine it with SOA and add some grid computing … you get ‘virtual service oriented grids’.
With virtualization you can increase the load on your physical server, with SOA yoiu enable the system to be agile and align with the business. When adding grid computing you get the most flexible, adaptive datacenter that responds to the requirements from the business. That is what IT should be about, adapting IT to the business.
Intel will be publishing a book on how ‘Virtual Service Oriented Grids’ will be changing the enterprise. You can find an abstract here. A must read for late summer.
iTKO releases LISA 4.5 with service virtualization for load and performance testing June 9, 2008
Posted by Roel Gydé in Uncategorized.Tags: iTKO, LISA, testing, validation, virtualization
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… LISA 4.5 extends the functionality of the award winning LISA 4 suite, adding service virtualization for load and performance testing, and customer-driven enhancements…
iTKO will showcase the new functionality in LISA 4.5 in a webinar on June 24, 2008
