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Open Virtualization Format

Sun Releases VirtualBox 2.2, Comes With OVF Support

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Sun Microsystems today announced the availability of Sun VirtualBox 2.2, the latest release of its free and open source virtualization software. VirtualBox 2.2 introduces support for the new Open Virtualization Format (OVF) standard, as well as significant performance enhancements and updates.

OVF is a Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) standard that enables virtual machines or appliances to be imported and exported. Virtual appliances are one or more virtual machines that are pre-installed and configured so they can be shared, published and distributed. VirtualBox 2.2 software enables users to build virtual machines or appliances and effortlessly export them from a development environment and import them into a production environment. Support for OVF also helps to ensure VirtualBox 2.2 software is interoperable with other technologies that follow the standard.

A key component of Sun’s industry-leading desktop-to-datacenter virtualization portfolio, VirtualBox software has been rapidly growing in popularity, surpassing 11 million downloads worldwide, 3.5 million registrations since October 2007, with in excess of 25,000 downloads a day. A mere 50 megabyte download, VirtualBox software is incredibly compact and efficient and installs in less than five minutes.

Additional features of VirtualBox 2.2 software include:

  • Hypervisor optimizations to make this the fastest VirtualBox release available to date
  • 3D graphics acceleration for Linux and Solaris applications using OpenGL, allowing a whole new class of applications to run in a virtual machine
  • Support for Snow Leopard, Apple’s forthcoming 64 bit platform
  • Increased maximum memory size of guests to 16Gb RAM
  • New host-interface networking mode, which makes it easier than ever before to run server applications in virtual machines

VirtualBox software is free of charge for personal use. For wider deployments within an organisation Enterprise subscriptions are also available, starting at $30 (USD) per user per year, which includes 24/7 premium support from Sun’s technical team. Discounts are available based on volume.

Pano Logic Releases Remote, Upgrades Pano System 2.6

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Pano Logic today announced the newest addition to their product line, Pano Remote, as well as a new version of their flagship product, Pano System 2.6. With the easy to carry Pano Remote USB key, users can now access their Pano managed virtual desktops conveniently and securely when working out of the office away from their Pano devices—without requiring a costly or complex VPN solution. New features of Pano System 2.6 include integration with Pano Remote, easier installation of the Pano Manager virtual appliance using the Open Virtualization Format (OVF), a new interface called the Collection Creation Wizard for easier configuration of policies for provisioning and managing desktop virtual machines, the ability for administrators to control virtual desktop power state directly from the Pano Manager administrator console, graphic identification and authorization (GINA) application interoperability and standalone VMware ESXi support for small single-server deployments.

Pano Remote allows users of Pano System 2.6 to access their Pano desktop virtual machine from a remote location over the Internet. Delivered as a USB key with embedded software, Pano Remote will run on any Windows XP or Vista computer and does not require the use of VPN software or hardware. Instead, it relies on a communication mechanism bundled with Pano Remote called Pano Gateway. The Pano session may use local printers, local storage drives and a shared clipboard between the local Windows system and the remote virtual desktop. In addition, the administrator can set policies within the Pano Manager that centrally control which capabilities are enabled.

Pano System 2.6 includes a number of new features to improve ease of deployment and interoperability:

  • Pano Collection Creation Wizard – allowing administrators to more easily configure desktop virtual machines by including context sensitive help topics for administrators to find relevant information easily and quickly, and offering administrators more flexibility in defining how automatically provisioned desktop virtual machines are named by Pano Manager.
  • Streamlined Installation of Pano Manager – delivering Pano Manager as a virtual appliance in the Open Virtualization Format (OVF), enabling it to easily be imported into VMware Infrastructure in a one-click operation. Additionally, the Pano Manager virtual machine has been optimized for size, speed of download and simplicity of configuration, making the solution the easiest way to get started with desktop virtualization.
  • Standalone VMware ESXi support – providing easy installation of Pano System 2.6 for small deployments, enabling configuration with a single instance of ESXi without requiring VMware vCenter. This option provides an easy entry level solution for small businesses with a convenient upgrade path as needs grow.
  • GINA module interoperability – interoperating with specific applications that install their own GINA modules. Such interoperability simplifies installation and upgrade of Pano Desktop Services on systems that also have authentication solutions such as Imprivata OneSign and Ensure Technologies XyLoc installed.

Additional features include administrative control over the desktop virtual machine power state, device-based control over display and mouse/keyboard settings, tighter integration with Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager and Active Directory Group Policy Objects when installing updates, and improved responsiveness.

Pano System 2.6 is now available with pricing starting at $329 for a single Pano desktop and $35 per USB key for Pano Remote.

JumpBox Releases 38 Open Source Virtual Appliances In Open Virtualization Format (OVF)

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JumpBox, publisher of virtual appliances which provide ways to trial, develop, and deploy applications, this week announced the release of 38 Open Source applications in the Open Virtualization Format (OVF), a software standard for packaging and distributing virtual appliances.

A JumpBox is a pre-built and configured virtual appliance that deploys in minutes, saving users up to 70% of the time and cost of traditional software application deployment. OVF enables even simpler JumpBox deployments, particularly for users of the VMware ESX hypervisor based virtualization system.

Applications delivered as OVF are available to premium subscribers to JumpBox Open, JumpBox’s annual subscription suite of virtual appliances for Open Source software.

Citrix’s Open Source “Project Kensho” Tech Preview Now Available Under LGPL

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Citrix recently announced “Project Kensho,” which would deliver Open Virtual Machine Format (OVF) tools that allow independent software vendors (ISVs) and enterprise IT managers to easily create hypervisor-independent, portable enterprise application workloads.

Well, it looks like Citrix just released the first technical preview of project Kensho under the LGPL license.

Because the tools are based on an industry standard schema, customers are ensured a rich ecosystem of options for virtualization.  And because of the open-standard format and special licensing features in OVF, customers can seamlessly move their current virtualized workloads to either XenServer or Windows Server 2008, enabling them to distribute virtual workloads to the platform of choice while simultaneously ensuring compliance with the underlying licensing requirements for each virtual appliance.

Citrix also announced a partnership with rPath to build and deliver new virtual appliances by assembling Linux packages “like Lego bricks”. The two are working together to allow rPath’s rBuilder to inject OVF virtual appliances directly into Xen-based cloud computing environments, like Amazon EC2. This collaboration will allow Linux and Windows based OVF appliances created on XenServer, Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V or Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 to be installed and run in the cloud and managed through their entire lifecycle.

Citrix Systems