- IBM cat brain simulation dismissed as 'hoax' by rival scientist
- Cisco pedigree wins over VCs
- De-Worm your iPhone
- Steve Jobs is a man of a few words
- Holiday gift guide
Following a similar move by VMware in August, Microsoft Wednesday released a free, low-footprint version of its Hyper-V virtualization software as it continues to chase the virtualization leader.
Hyper-V Server 2008, which includes only the Windows Hypervisor, Windows Server driver model and virtualization components, is now available online. (See Network World's two-part test comparing VMware and Microsoft in the virutalization performance and management.)
Microsoft also on Wednesday unveiled new ways for IT professionals to get training and certification on virtualization for desktop, server and management environments. More details about the programs are available on Microsoft's Web site and the Microsoft Learning Community Blog.
Microsoft said on Sept. 8 it would give away its Hyper-V hypervisor about a month after VMware released a free version of ESXi, its own hypervisor technology. VMware is feeling pressure from Microsoft and other vendors that are bundling virtualization with server operating systems.
Microsoft's Hyper-V also is available as part of different editions of Windows Server 2008, the latest version of Microsoft's server software. Microsoft released Hyper-V in June following the release of Windows Server 2008 in late February. Originally, Hyper-V was meant to be a part of that Windows Server release but it was delayed.
Virtualization is becoming a key way companies are driving costs out of the data center by running operating systems in virtual machines rather than physically on servers.
Microsoft aims to catch up to VMware in providing this technology for hardware systems not only running on Windows, but also Linux and other operating systems. It also is tying the technology to its system-management family of software, System Center, and promoting management as a differentiator.
Like VMware, Microsoft is also expanding beyond server hardware into desktop and application virtualization, which are still in the early phase of adoption by companies.
Rss FeedRss Feed
The Leader in Network Knowledge
Partner Content
www.bmc.com
Gartner 2009 Magic Quadrant for Job Scheduling
Gartner has positioned BMC CONTROL-M in the Leaders Quadrant of their "2009 Magic Quadrant for Job Scheduling." The report assesses the ability to execute and completeness of vision of key vendors in the marketplace. Read a full copy today, courtesy of BMC Software.
Download whitepaper
Dell's SMART Approach to Workload Automation
Read a compelling case study by EMA, Inc. to learn how Dell uses BMC CONTROL-M to cut cost and increase productivity with workload automation.
Download whitepaper
Workload Automation Cost Savings 2 Minute Video
A major computer manufacturer uses BMC CONTROL-M and just four people to schedule and run over 85,000 jobs every month. By switching to BMC CONTROL-M, they more than quadrupled the workload without adding a single staff member. See how in this 2-minute video overview.
Go to video
Comments (1)
Free Hyper-V, ok but not necessaryBy Microsoft Subnet on October 1, 2008, 6:06 pmMicrosoft is following VMware in giving away a stripped down version of its hypervisor for free. Well and why not? Hyper-V is going to make inroads as a low-cost...
Reply | Read entire comment
View all comments