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Introduction | Xen-based hypervisors push performance limits
Test methodology | Other virtualization management tests | Test archive
VMware and Microsoft should be taking the competition in the server virtualization market very seriously because open source Xen-based products have definitely matured into viable enterprise-class hypervisor options.
That's what we found in our unique, two-tiered test, in which we pitted three Xen-based virtualization platforms — Citrix Systems', Novell's and Virtual Iron Software's — against each other and against the results of our test of VMware's ESX and Microsoft's Hyper-V.
The winner in our all-Xen test was Citrix's XenServer, which combined solid performance and a strong overall package for those who want to virtualize Windows and Linux systems.
XenServer offered up the highest speeds in our business-transaction tests, even though it did not have a great showing in our I/O performance testing. (See the complete results of our Xen-based hypervisor performance test.) XenServer's management components were flexible and easy to use, despite being a bit buggy. And it's long list of supported guest operating systems adds to its overall enterprise appeal.
Neither Novell's SUSE Xen or Virtual Iron should be ignored, however. We found both have plausible audiences. Novell's Xen is ships as part and parcel of the company's SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) 10.2 package and Novell's overall support system is highly evolved and very responsive.
Virtual Iron's unique approach — comprising a convenient, server-farm-like approach to virtual machine (VM) guest management — provides an out-of-network administrative link that's potentially more secure than other implementations.
In looking at the hypervisor landscape we've tested so far, VMware's ESX and VirtualCenter combination still is the product to beat because of its wide compatibility list, decent performance and rich management components.
The open source Xen hypervisor originally supported only Linux machines. Today Xen can represent host hardware to almost any guest that has drivers to support the underlying hardware.
SUSE first bundled Xen in SLES 9.1, that was before Novell acquired SUSE in 2004. Citrix picked up its Xen capabilities when it acquired XenSource in 2007. (Listen to a podcast with Citrix virtualization CTO Simon Crosby.) Both Novell and Citrix still contribute to the Xen project and base their current products on Xen 3.2 code.
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Comments (5)
ESX is not a full OS. TryBy club penguin on June 8, 2009, 3:26 amESX is not a full OS. Try installing rsync or apcupsd and you'll see what I mean. Suse has a gui so us non Linux experts can work with it, and it comes with rsync...
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There's XEN too...By matthorany on January 22, 2009, 11:39 amYea... when VMWare put out a comparison chart vs. XEN they used an open-source code to compare against. Companies like Novell implement XEN differently which in...
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you are wrongBy Anonymous on January 20, 2009, 12:48 pmI've been on ESX for years and I'm in the process of migrating to Suse XEN. ESX is not a full OS. Try installing rsync or apcupsd and you'll see what I mean. ...
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Sun wasn't ready when we tested....By Tom Henderson on January 15, 2009, 1:04 pmxVM seems to be nice, but Sun didn't want us to test xVM-- likely because they didn't have 64-bit support at the time when we tested. They released it less than...
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Where's xVM?By Kirbini on January 15, 2009, 12:40 pmHow is this a valid Xen comparison without Sun's xVM? In my experience it is heads and shoulders above Citrix. Last I heard they were a somewhat larger company...
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