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Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V

Citrix Aims To Make Creation of Hypervisor-Independent Application Workloads Easier with Project Kensho

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Citrix today announced “Project Kensho,” which will 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. These tools will allow application workloads to be imported and run across Citrix XenServer, Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and VMware ESX environments.

Citrix boasts this implementation will solve a multitude of interoperability issues between virtualization platforms while allowing automated provisioning and management of applications, rather than just virtual machines. Users will be able to easily install and use any OVF packaged application workload regardless of which virtualization platform they use – whether it be XenServer, Hyper-V, or ESX.

“XenServer delivers the benefits of fast, free, ubiquitous and compatible virtualization, whether from Citrix, Microsoft or VMware,” said Simon Crosby, CTO of the Virtualization and Management Division, Citrix Systems. “Project Kensho highlights the Citrix commitment to interoperability for virtualization, while maximizing price/performance and richness of features at the virtual infrastructure level.”

The OVF specification was originally co-authored by Citrix and VMware, with contributions from Dell, HP, IBM and Microsoft. The companies then jointly submitted the draft to the DMTF standardization process.

Project Kensho will support the vision of the Citrix Delivery Center product family, helping customers transform static datacenters into dynamic “delivery centers” for the best performance, security, cost savings and business agility. The tools developed through Project Kensho will be integrated into Citrix Workflow Studio based orchestrations, for example, to provide an automated, environment for managing the import and export of applications from any major virtualization platform.

A technical preview of Project Kensho tools is expected to be available for free download in September 2008.

Sanbolic Bridges Hyper-V And Shared Storage Networks

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Sanbolic today announced (PDF) that Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V virtual machines can now be stored on a single shared storage area network (SAN) storage volume using Sanbolic Kayo File System. The virtual machines can then be moved independently between physical host servers using Quick Migration because all host servers have shared access to the virtual machines.

“Kayo FS is a new product that provides file-level shared access to a SAN volume from multiple physical host servers and is designed specifically to provide a cost-effective shared LUN solution for Hyper-V virtual machines,” said Momchil Michailov, Sanbolic’s founder. “Sanbolic is already shipping Melio FS, which is an advanced clustered file system with byte-range locking that can also provide concurrent read/write access to application data on SAN storage from multiple Windows physical or virtual servers. Kayo FS is aimed at a much broader group of customers who we expect will adopt server virtualization now that it is component of the Windows Server 2008 platform.”

Sanbolic’s product portfolio also includes Melio clustered file system and LaScala volume manager, which are designed to support Windows applications which benefit from central administration of a large virtual storage pool simultaneously accessed by multiple physical or virtual servers. Melio FS uses 64 bit architecture, allowing very large volume and file system sizes.

These products can utilize any fibre channel or iSCSI storage hardware. Windows directory, reporting, and clustering features are supported. The file system also incorporates quality of service assignment to allow prioritization of defined workloads in storage bandwidth-constrained environments.

Kayo FS will be priced at $299 per host server and sold in a 5 license bundle.

[Source: Scott Lowe]

Sanbolic

SoftLayer Extends Offer With Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V

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SoftLayer extends its solution set to include virtualization with the release of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V. Hyper-V can be ordered through the SoftLayer customer portal and provisioned automatically along with a server’s operating system or systems.

“Deploying Hyper-V is the first step in an extensive virtualization strategy that we are rolling out over the coming months,” stated George Karidis, Chief Strategy Officer. “The opportunities and advantages of virtualization are radically impacting the way we envision SoftLayer’s future and our fundamental approach to server and data center architecture.”

Ericom Extends PowerTerm WebConnect To Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V

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Ericom Software today announced that PowerTerm WebConnect, Ericom’s presentation virtualization and desktop virtualization (VDI) solution, now provides centrally managed access to virtual desktops running on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V.

Ericom

PowerTerm WebConnect provides access to Windows Terminal Services, including Windows Server 2008, Virtual Desktops, Blade PCs and legacy hosts. Ericom’s solution centralizes the management and delivery of virtual desktops and server-based applications.

Ericom Founder and CEO, Eran Heyman commented:

“Ericom’s presentation virtualization and desktop virtualization solution is ideal for enterprises seeking to reduce the cost and complexity of traditional desktop management. Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V coupled with Ericom’s PowerTerm WebConnect provides organizations with a sophisticated and centrally managed desktop virtualization platform that simplifies and accelerates deployments of virtual desktops across the enterprise.”

For more information on Ericom’s Desktop Virtualization solution, visit www.ericom.com/VDI.

[Source: The Earth Times]