According to Virtualization.info, Citrix has just opened the beta program for the next version of XenServer, code-named Project George, which will be entirely free. Citrix says that the beta will be open until the end of this month.
The most interesting capabilities:
- 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.
- 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.
- LVHD. Fast cloning and snapshots are now supported on all SR types through integration of our software VHD stack and LVM-based Storage Repositories (SRs).
- 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.
- Expanded guest OS support. RHEL 5.3, Debian Lenny, and SLES 11 Linux guests.