Microsoft Offers Virtual Server Preview

By Nate Mook | Published May 6, 2003, 10:17 PM

A pre-beta version of Microsoft's Virtual Server product, which the company purchased from Connectix in February, is now available for public download from BetaPlace. The preview release, build 1.0.218, is the same that leaked out of Redmond late last month.

Microsoft Virtual Server enables businesses with large server clusters to reduce the amount of physical machines by running multiple virtual servers on each. Microsoft plans to also position Virtual Server as a migration path for companies still running Windows NT4 servers, which can be consolidated onto a single newer machine running Windows Server 2003.

"Each operating system runs in isolation from the others," explained Jim Hebert, General Manager of Microsoft's Windows Server Group. "So what you do in one operating system does not affect what you do in the other operating system, or on the computer on which these other operating systems are running."

Microsoft stresses the pre-beta release is not suitable for production, as some features are disabled and Virtual Server has not been optimized for performance. Virtual SCSI disk support has not yet been implemented.

The Virtual Server preview build can be downloaded by logging into BetaPlace with the guest ID: vscp. After downloading, users can officially enroll in the preview program to gain access to beta newsgroups and updated files. Updates and patches will be released throughout the beta, according to Microsoft.

A final release of Microsoft Virtual Server is slated for the end of 2003. Pricing and packaging details have not yet been determined, says Hebert. Support for the product will be provided through Microsoft Product Support Services.

"We are making solid progress against our milestones, and this deliverable demonstrates that the Connectix technology acquisition has momentum and focus," said Hebert. "We want people who are curious to try it out, play with it and tell us what they think."

Comments

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I'm installing Redhat on the Windows VPS right now :)

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I just installing Redhat too. But when I read the documentation, seems the additions only are for Windows OSes

:s:s:s VMware offer better tools I think cause support of both os. But MS tools are better integrated in Win2K3

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Be careful NOT to use "vspreview" which is another ID that has been linked with this program. It gets you into a virtual server area, but there are no download links. vscp worked great for me

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Has anyone been able to get past the "Welcome to BetaPlace" webpage? I've put in my passport info, even got to the screen to enter the guest ID, but it keeps knocking me back to the "Welcome to BetaPlace" page. Geez Microsoft! You weren't kidding about it being a BetaPlace! :)

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The download didnt work thru Opera. There's some auto-downloader that only seems to work on IE.

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It is not intuitively obvious, but figured it out yesterday ...
1. Sign-in with passport
2. Check "I have been issued a Guest ID by Microsoft"
3. The Guest ID will be requested, key in 'vscp'
4. This will bring you to the beta programs page
5. Click on VS customer preview, which will bring you to the actual download page.
6. Download "setup.exe"

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That wasn't what was happening yesterday. I kept getting knocked back to a screen that asked me to sign into passport, but the button said "sign out of passport" because I was already signed in.

They might have done something to prevent people signing in due to being Slashdotted yesterday. Today I am able to get to the VS Customer Preview page.

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A Microsoft site whose full operation requires Internet Explorer ? How strange ! :)

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hehe

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