VMware is (finally) set to release beta 2 of VMware Server 2.0, which is reportedly to be announced at 6pm PST today.
Could be true, since the discussion forum at VMware is filled with people who are seeing an expiration deadline for their usage of the 4-month old beta 1, due next Sunday. The first post on the forum dates back to 24 March, but other members are not convinced a new build is actually coming, nor are they happy with the short-term note and the lack of communication from VMware.
More when there’s anything official to announce.
Update from that same discussion forum:
“We were all set to post Beta 2 today but encountered a last minute cosmetic issue on Windows installer (we saw it mostly on desktop Windows OS), so we are spinning up a new build tonight and will have everything posted mid afternoon (Pacific time) Friday March 28th. Sorry for the delay but it was a deliberate decision to take the hit now. Hang in there.”
Final update:
Beta 2 is available.
More info here, registration for download over here.
New features and enhancements in the VMware Server 2.0 Beta 2 release:
- Updated VMware Infrastructure (VI) Web Access management interface: With the faster performance, improved stability and broader range of configuration options, the VI Web Access management interface provides a simple, flexible, intuitive and productive management experience. In addition, embedded help files are context sensitive based on the task being performed.
- Independent virtual machine console: With the new VMware Remote Console, you can access your virtual machine consoles independent of the VI Web Access management interface plus resize the virtual machine console windows as needed.
- Support for USB 2.0 devices: Transfer data at faster data rates from USB 2.0 devices.
- Multi-tiered permissions: Configure different levels of permissions to access virtual machines in different ways, including browsing, interacting, configuring and administering virtual machines.
- New hardware editors: Edit and add devices such as USB 2.0 devices and legacy devices such as floppy drives, serial and parallel ports.
- Automatically start your virtual machines: Select which virtual machines that you want to automatically start when VMware Server starts. In addition, there is also an option to boot the virtual machine directly into the BIOS Setup Screen.
- Link to Virtual Appliance Marketplace: Access thousands of pre-built, pre-configured, ready-to-run enterprise applications packaged with an operating system inside a virtual machine. This speeds up time to value and simplifies software development, distribution, and management.
- New operating system support: The broadest operating system support of any host-based virtualization platform currently available, including support for Windows Vista Business Edition and Ultimate Edition (guest only), Windows Server 2008, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and Ubuntu 7.10 in 32-bit and 64-bit versions.
- More scalable virtual machines:Support for up to 8 GB of RAM (up from 3.6 GB in Server 1.0) per virtual machine, 10 virtual network interface cards and up to two virtual SMP (vSMP) processors per virtual machine.
- 64-bit guest operating system support:Use 64-bit guest operating systems on 64-bit hardware to enable more scalable and higher performing computing solutions.
- Support for Virtual Machine Interface (VMI): This feature enables transparent paravirtualization, in which a single binary version of the operating system can run either on native hardware or in paravirtualized mode to improve performance in specific Linux environments.
- Support for VIX API 1.5: This feature provides a programming interface for automating virtual machine and guest operations.
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