The race to manage virtual environments is on.

For quite some time, the analyst community has been voicing its opinion that the wonders of virtualizing x86 server environments will be cut short if data center managers don't also calculate adequate management into their plans. And now with desktop virtualization gathering its own steam, the floodgates have opened and a slew of start-ups are pouring into the market with new approaches to reining in the virtual world.

As VMware hosts VMworld 2007 in San Francisco this week, technology newcomers plan to make a splash with their tools targeted squarely at ESX Server, VMware Infrastructure 3 and even some Xen and Microsoft virtual wares. Companies such as Dune Technologies, InovaWave, moka5, Opalis, Veeam and Vizioncore will be using VMworld as a platform to sing the praises of their innovative approach to reining in virtual servers and desktops.

For instance, start-up Veeam - founded in March 2006 by former executives of Aelita Software, which developed Windows systems management software and was acquired in 2004 by Quest Software - will tout the benefits of its FastSCP freeware application while pitching to attendees four commercial offerings targeted at managing VMware servers. And Vizioncore - a subsidiary of Quest Software - is expected to upgrade existing replication and back up tools, while introducing a new product to optimize virtual environments by reducing Microsoft and VMware virtual machine size by up to 80%, which the company says will improve portability and performance. Moka5 will also be on hand to show off its LivePC Engine, which lets IT managers import virtual images created with VMware or other platforms and distribute, manage and secure them via moka5's technology.

Automation players Virtugo Software and Opalis plan to further extend their reach into virtualization separately by updating their products suites. Virtugo is adding capacity management, usage metering and virtual desktop capabilities to its VirtualSuite 6 set of applications, and Opalis is packaging processes and workflows typical to virtual machines to make it easier for customers to kick off automated tasks in their environments.

Dunes Technologies will unveil two virtual appliances designed to help small and midsize companies manage their virtual environments. And InovaWave will demonstrate its VirtualOctane for ESX Server, a product designed to optimize virtual servers, at the show.

Denise Dubie is senior editor with Network World.