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Vizioncore announced an updated version of its free Virtualization EcoShell tool, a freeware desktop application that enables IT administrators to unlock the full potential of their virtual infrastructure and reduce the daily operating costs of managing multi-platform environments.

Fostered and supported by The Virtualization EcoShell Initiative (VESI) – an online community-driven Web site sponsored by Vizioncore – the Virtualization EcoShell is enhanced by the participation of community members through the exchange of new ideas, value-add services and extensible scripts. The tool is used in conjunction with Microsoft Windows PowerShell and Quest Software’s PowerGUI application.

It can be used to develop and execute complex scripts within a VMware VI 3.5 and vSphere 4.0 environment.

But with the latest version, the tool is expanding to add additional support for virtualization – specifically, VMware’s competition – support has been added for Microsoft’s Hyper-V platform.

Version 1.2.0 includes the following new features:

• Charts Tab allowing users to graph any information presented in the grid view using various chart formats
• Best Practices Filters allow customers to easly perform daily checks of common misconfigurations
• Custom Attribute Manager allows users to view all custom attributes and quickly modify custom attribute values against multiple entities
• Hyper-V PowerPack allowing administrators to manage indivdual Microsoft Hyper-V installations using PowerShell

To learn more and to download, visit: The Virtualization EcoShell Initiative Downloads Page.

vePortal, a provider of Virtual Private Server (VPS) management software, has released version 2.0 of its flagship productvePortal.

vePortal is a management interface for the open-source sever virtualization project called OpenVZ, with additional platforms, including Xen, currently under development.

vePortal enables dozens to hundreds of virtual environments to leverage and share server hardware resources, resulting in exceptional data-center efficiency from administrative, ROI, and energy-consumption perspectives. Each individual virtual environment (VE) contained within can run any different operating system from a wide variety of available and pre-created templates. A full list of features is available here.

vePortal 2.0 is now publicly available worldwide from VePortal or any of its Resellers, Partners, or Distributors.

Retail license pricing is listed at $14.95/month, $149.95/yearly, or $499.95/one-time, licensed on a per server-basis.

Citrix Systems has announced a new program called Project “Open Door” that offers advanced virtualization management along with free support, training and conversion tools to customers switching servers from VMware ESX or vSphere to Citrix XenServer or Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V.

Project Open Door helps ensure customers looking to expand their datacenters with XenServer or Hyper-V have a smooth transition. Through March 2010, customers who switch existing VMware servers to XenServer or Hyper-V, and add Citrix Essentials for advanced virtualization management, will receive additional technical support, training, and conversion tools from Citrix at no cost.

Citrix Essentials enhances the XenServer and Hyper-V platforms by adding powerful storage integration through Citrix StorageLink technology, automated lab and stage management and dynamic workload balancing. This combination enables broad interoperability that makes it easier for customers to manage virtual machines across heterogeneous virtualization environments throughout the full application lifecycle, from lab and testing to production.

With one in five enterprise customers now using XenServer, production deployments are growing rapidly across all industry segments. According to the Burton Group, using Citrix XenServer with Citrix Essentials meets 100 percent of the required features for enterprise production deployment. By switching servers from more expensive solutions to XenServer, customers have found that they not only get powerful, enterprise-class virtualization at a far lower cost, they are better equipped to future-proof their virtualization infrastructures for the coming wave of cloud computing.

Program Details

The Project Open Door promotion will be effective worldwide from October 1 – March 31, 2010. Customers who decommission five or more VMware vSphere 4 or VI3 servers and replace them with XenServer or Hyper-V plus the Citrix Essentials solution, receive the following:

• A free five incident support pack (5 by 8 hours) for every five servers converted
• A voucher for six hours of online training for every five servers converted
• Free migration tools for seamlessly transferring virtual machines from VMware to XenServer or Hyper-V

Raxco Software, the pioneer in virtual disk defragmentation software, announced today that PerfectDisk 10 for ESX Server now supports VMware vSphere 4.

PerfectDisk 10thus now provides integrated defrag support for VMware vSphere 4, the industry’s first operating system for building the internal cloud, enabling the delivery of efficient, flexible and reliable IT as a service and bringing cloud computing to enterprises.

Open source cloud development platform WaveMaker today announced the cloud quickstart program, a collaboration between IBM, Amazon Web Services, RightScale and WaveMaker to provide a complete cloud computing solution. The cloud quickstart program is based on a reference architecture from IBM and best practices from other partners. The cloud quickstart architecture has been proven by IBM business partners like KANA and is backed by a 10,000-strong developer community.

The objective of the cloud quickstart program is to help developers migrate to cloud computing while protecting existing IT investments. Companies selected for the program by IBM’s Developer Relations team receive a no-charge architectural review and technical support for a cloud proof of concept.