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VMware Launches Free Server Beta

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

February 6, 2006, 11:55 AM

As expected, VMware on Monday introduced VMware Server, the successor to GSX Server. The company hopes that by giving away its entry-level product, it will drive users to upgrade to its for-pay ESX Server, as well as position the company as the leader in virtualization technology. While VMware Server will require a "host" operating system in order to use its features, ESX requires no host.

"With VMware Server, we are ensuring that every company interested in, considering or evaluating server virtualization for the first time has access to the industry-leading virtualization technology," company president Diane Greene said in a statement. The product is the second free offering from the company: in December the company released VMware Player. The beta of VMware Server can be downloaded from FileForum for both Windows and Linux operating systems.

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By jshurst

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 1:39 PM

Can you make your own config files with the free version?

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 2:03 PM

VMPlayer?

Far as I know, it's like a locked container. You can look, but you can't touch. Great for things like a browser-appliance, bad for development/testing.

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 2:40 PM

You can create an empty "shell" vm (vmdk, vmx) and hand them to someone with VMP and they can install the guest O/S and everything inside of it. It's not read-only in that regard. VMP does prevent loading VM Tools and modifying certain guest settings, but not everything. Still, a damn good tool for a group of developers on a tight budget.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Feb 6, 2006 - 2:45 PM

I'd recommend Qemu to that group of developers.

I know you can do a lot with VMPlayer, but why fight with it to get it to do something the developers never intended? Yeah, it can be done...but why?

VMWare Workstation would be ideal, but failing that (mus be one hell of a tight budget), I would never suggest to anyone to use VMPlayer for that.

It just isn't the proper tool for the job, and if it isn't worth doing right, maybe it just isn't worth doing.

That said, Qemu has worked quite well for me in the past when VMWare workstation was not easily avaiable to me.

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 10:02 PM

Actually, small dev groups are a-plenty these days. The biggers shops tend to cover them with bigger tools, so they don't fend for themselves anyway. In smaller environments, it can be a great tool. You're thinking narrowly that they're all building n-tier .NET or Java monstrosities or something? I dunno. I'm thinking when they just need to fire up a test client to see how it works, without hosing their physical client/dev-box. Perfect for that. So I can't build a library of VM's with VMP, so? One person with VMws can build a collection of empty shells, even built (a la VMTN vm libraries) and share them in a net folder. Download, fire up and test. I'm not blasting Qemu, it may be fantastic, I haven't tried it (but I will now that you've mentioned it - thanks). Now that VMware Server will be free, I'm wondering what they're going to do with VMws. Why would you need it, unless they're stripping out the same features as with VMP. GSX3.2 has more robust features for v-nets and teaming, but lacks the UI enhancements in VMws5.5 Heck, free is free, and free stuff is worth a one-time test at least.

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 12:29 PM

...and let the VM battle REALLY begin! :)

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Feb 6, 2006 - 12:33 PM

Out of curiosity...who, exactly, are they battling?

Yes, some products intertwine with other vendors, but name one, currently available, with all the support and features that ESX has, that does not require a host OS.

Battle? Meh...

More like a "Here, guys, this is how it's done."

Score: 0

By UTAKER

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 6:18 PM

its a proactive approach against Microsoft as that is the only upcoming major competitor against its products

Score: 0

By fewt

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 6:30 PM

That's not true AT ALL.

Maybe it's the only competition on Windows (It's not).

This is to compete with Xen more than anything.

All the big names are behind virtualization these days. I've been with VMware since .something and I see this as a natural progression of a great product to compete with all the free stuff out there today.

Score: 0

By deadmonkey

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 8:22 PM

Agreed this has a lot to do with Xen however you can see they want to get a good year advantage over whatever Microsoft plan to do in Vista Server (see my post below).

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 2:07 PM

MS. Not battling in the sense of features, that wouldnt make sense. Vmware is vastly superior. I meant in terms of marketing, which is what MS traditionally excels at.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 2:53 PM

I'd agree if this was something aimed at the average consumer. Seeing as how this will be targeted at the tech-heads and VPs, I don't think it carries as much weight.

VMWare has been in the virtualization business a hell of a lot longer than MS, and has the products to prove it.

Score: 0

By ds0934

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 10:06 PM

I'm not making myself clear I guess. I agree with you for the most part. I'm saying it takes the wind out of MS's sale (double-pun) with VirtualServer. If you've seen the pricing on it, it doesn't make sense for anyone to even consider it now with this announcement. MS will end up giving VS away I suppose. Actualy, word now is that they'll bundle it with Longhorn server (a la IE) so you'll run over it like a dead animal. They're hoping people will cave in by convenience and use it (like IE did with Netscape). Who knows. I prefer VMware, so I don't really care as long as EMC doesn't drop it someday.

Score: 0

By deadmonkey

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 1:50 PM

You are correct, there is nothing to compete with ESX at present. This move is more of a way to keep companies with VMware rather than giving Microsoft a try. GSX and Virtual Server 2005 are direct competitors, Microsoft will also have to make VS2005 free if they want to compete (which is what they plan to do with Vista/Vista Server from the rumors I have heard).

I have also heard that Microsoft is working on a ESX like product using WinPE. I guess only time will tell.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 2:02 PM

Yeah, I heard the same regarding Vista Server.

Never heard about the ESX on WinPE thing though. Can't say I really see any benefit other than coming with a windows license. The pverhead would be similar to a standard XP host unless they're making some major modifications to the PE build they'll be using. (possibly something similar to an embedded windows, might work)

Should be fun to watch.

Score: 0

By deadmonkey

edited Feb 6, 2006 - 8:20 PM

Sadly I don't know any specifics just things I have heard at a few virtualization conferences in the past year. From what I have heard though it would be a very scaled down Windows server environment, apparently it will only have text based interface on the server with a remote client to manage it (similar to Novell Admin Tool). How true any of that is I don't know but Microsoft would be stupid not to do something like this and miss out on the high end virtualisation market, especially if they are intergrating virtualization solutions into their next gen server OS.

edit: I just thought... Perhaps MS plan to release a version of Vista server that IS virtual server. Such as Windows Server Vista Virtualization Edition which would be the scalled down version to allow for "on the metal" virtualization aswell as clustering and the ability to transparently move VMs from one system to another? Seems like it would be a good way to go.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Feb 6, 2006 - 12:29 PM

Yum.

That is all.

Score: 0

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