Microsoft unveiled a public beta for its hypervisor-based server virtualization technology. Known as Hyper-V, the technology is featured with some versions of Windows Server 2008.
The beta for Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V offers features not previously available in the September 2007 Community Technology Preview, such as quick migration, server core roles, and server manager integration.
Microsoft said Hyper-V is designed to help reduce operating costs, increase hardware use, optimize infrastructure, and improve server availability.
HYPER START FOR HYPER-V
"Delivering the high-quality Hyper-V beta earlier than expected allows our customers and partners to begin evaluating this feature of Windows Server 2008 and provide us with valuable feedback as we march toward final release," said Bill Laing, general manager of the Windows Server Division at Microsoft, in a statement.
To provide integrated management of physical and virtual environments, Microsoft is readying the next version of System Center Virtual Machine Manager. Customers will be able to use this integrated management tool to provision and configure new virtual machines running on Hyper-V, Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2, VMware ESX Server, and Virtual Infrastructure 3 (V13).
So far, Microsoft reported, almost two million customers around the world have obtained Windows Server 2008 evaluation code. Redmond is calling the software "the most reliable and highly secure server platform on the Windows platform Microsoft has yet delivered, introducing role-based installation and management that will make it easier to help manage and secure specific server roles."
CORNER OF THE MARKET
Microsoft Hyper-V could receive a warm welcome, especially from small and midsize businesses, according to Gordon Haff, an analyst at Illuminata. There is a large number of Microsoft shops in the marketplace, he said, that tend to prefer to use Microsoft software across the board.
"At some level, Hyper-V is competitive to VMware and other hypervisors," Haff said. "In situations where companies have invested a lot in Microsoft software training with CRM, Sharepoint, and other applications, the low energy path is to go with Microsoft. That is the default choice. Thats where I see Hyper-V primarily fitting in."
If another company launched an operating system-based hypervisor, Haff said, there would be little chance of success. But Hyper-V will integrate with Microsofts Server 2008, and that may mean easier integration and even licensing advantages, he said.
"Its not necessarily a case of Hyper-V being better in some absolute sense. But if it is good enough and it is from Microsoft, who you are already using for most of your other software, then it becomes a question of why you would use someone elses," Haff said. "In many cases, for larger enterprises the choice is going to come down to the kind of management and services on top of the virtualization."
