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News and insights from the vibrant world of virtualization and cloud computing

Open Source Virtualization Updates

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There is a lot going on in the different Open Source Virtualization projects. From KVM, over OpenVZ , to Xen.

First of all there is the news that Anthony Liguori has included kvm support in the main Qemu development tree. In his blogpost Avi Kivity explains that with the KVM code being merged in Qemu development and integration of new and bigger features will evolve faster.

But now that kvm has been merged, it is possible to make larger modifications to qemu in order to make it fit virtualization roles better. Live migration and virtio have already been merged. Device and cpu hotplug are on the queue. Deeper changes, like modifying how qemu manages memory and performs DMA, are pending.

Then there is some discussion going on about the future of OpenVZ , mainly targeted at licencing and Pete Zaitcev is wondering why Parallels hasn’t officialy modified its COPYING.SWsoft file whic
h mainly tells the world “we’re not serious about going upstream” and which makes him wonder
“Kinda makes LXC more of a fait accompli than it already is or needs to be.” According to the LXH site , the planned Linux kernel version for which LXC should be fully functionaly is 2.6.29.

And last but not least Xen has released 2 minor maintenance releases for their 3.1 and 3.2 branches Xen 3.3.1 and Xen 3.2.3 are now available for download.

Sun Microsystems Acquires Q-layer To Expand Cloud Offerings

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Sun Microsystems just announced it has acquired Q-layer, a cloud computing company that automates the deployment and management of both public and private clouds. The 35 people from the Q-layer organization, based in Belgium, will become part of Sun’s Cloud Computing business unit, which develops and integrates cloud computing technologies, architectures and services.

With this acquisition Sun logically expands its existing cloud building blocks on top of its xVM Virtualization product range. Let’s not forget Sun already bought MySQL and VirtualBox to that effect last year. Sun keeps doing many cool things with technology, but seems to have a persistent problem to generate meaningful revenue from those acquisitions and development. We are curious to see if time will prove their puzzle just took a bit longer to fall together.

The Sun press release goes on to claim the acquired ‘Q-layer technology simplifies cloud management and allows users to quickly provision and deploy applications, a key component in Sun’s strategy to enable building public and private clouds. As businesses continue to rely more on technology to drive mission-critical processes, the agility of the datacenter determines the flexibility of the entire company. The Q-layer software supports instant provisioning of services such as servers, storage, bandwidth and applications, enabling users to scale their own environments to meet their specific requirements.’

“Sun’s open, network-centric approach coupled with optimized systems, software and services provides the critical building blocks for private and public cloud offerings,” said David Douglas, senior vice president of Cloud Computing and chief sustainability officer, Sun Microsystems. “Q-layer’s technology and expertise will enhance Sun’s offerings, simplifying cloud management and speeding application deployment.”

The terms of the deal were not disclosed as the transaction is not material to Sun.

Disclaimer: Q-Layer is the longest running sponsor of Virtualization.com

Industry Moves: VMware Taps Tod Nielsen For Chief Operating Officer Role

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VMware announced today the appointment of Tod Nielsen to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer. Nielsen will report directly to President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Maritz.Nielsen, 43, joins VMware from Borland Software Corporation where he served as President and Chief Executive Officer since November 2005. Prior to Borland, Nielsen held several key executive management positions at leading software companies including Microsoft, BEA and Oracle.

Nielsen brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in enterprise software and application development to VMware. Prior to Borland, Nielsen served as senior vice president, marketing and global sales support for Oracle Corporation. Prior to Oracle, Nielsen was the chief marketing officer and executive vice president of engineering at BEA Systems, where he had overall responsibility for BEA’s worldwide marketing strategy and operations, as well as all research and development operations. Nielsen joined BEA after the acquisition of his private company, Crossgain Inc., where he served as its chief executive officer. Nielsen also spent twelve years with Microsoft Corporation, in various roles, including general manager of database and developer tools, vice president of developer tools, and, vice president of Microsoft’s platform group.

VMware Europe 2009: Call For Papers

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VMworld Europe is coming up soon (February 24-26, 2009) and is once again being held in Cannes, France. The team has just issued a call for papers, deadline January 16th, so if you’re interested in participating don’t hesitate too long to submit.

VMworld Europe is looking for content on the following subjects:

  • Networking

  • Security
  • Storage
  • Real World Stories from Customers
  • Programming and Scripting
  • Business Continuity
  • Green Computing and Cost
  • Automation

Parallels Launches Updated Version Of Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac

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Parallels today announced the general availability of an updated version of Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac (Build 3810), its market-leading desktop virtualization software for running Windows and more than 50 other operating systems on a Mac. Since its launch in November, more than 300,000 copies of Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac have been downloaded. All registered users of this version qualify for the free update, which will be available online and via the product’s AutoUpdater feature. The update results from Parallels’ commitment to constantly enhancing this premium solution to meet the growing demands and requirements of its 1.5 million users.

The Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac update includes new features and enhancements to offer users the easiest, fastest and most powerful way to run Windows on a Mac.

The new update is available free to all registered Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac users. The standard retail price (SRP) of Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac is $79.99 for new users and $49.99 for upgraders. New users can test a free, fully-functional copy for 15 days. Parallels Desktop 4.0 for Mac is available in English and localized versions including Chinese, Czech, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Polish and Russian. Please check with a Parallels representative for local availability.