RSSWindows Virtualization Opened to Linux
By Nate Mook | Published July 18, 2006, 4:49 PM
Microsoft late Monday announced a partnership with open source virtualization company XenSource in order to offer interoperability between Xen-enabled Linux installations and the upcoming "hypervisor" technology coming to Windows Server Longhorn.
The agreement means that Microsoft customers will be able to run Linux virtual machines alongside Windows guests. A hypervisor serves as the core software that runs multiple guest operating systems, providing management and control from a central location.
Thanks to virtualization features included in the latest Intel chips, Windows guests can also be run inside Xen. Previously, operating systems had to be Xen-enabled to communicate with the hypervisor rather than the computer hardware directly.
The idea of virtualization is to maximize efficiency when one operating system alone doesn't fully utilize the ever-increasing processor power of today's computer systems. Such technology can also take advantage of high-performance computing clusters, and new multi-core chips from Intel and AMD.
Virtualization also abstracts the software from the hardware, meaning a guest operating system can be transitioned to another machine running the hypervisor in a split-second if any hardware problems arise. With electricity costs soaring, businesses have additionally begun to implement the technology as a cost-saving measure.
With Windows Server Longhorn, due out in late 2007, Microsoft is taking an approach similar to that pioneered by XenSource. In turn, the two companies will collaborate on virtualization development, and offer support to each other's customers.
But customers have a long wait to see the fruits of the partnership; Microsoft's hypervisor technology, known by the code-name Viridian, won't be available until six months after the launch of the next Windows Server.
"Xen-enabled guests will run seamlessly on XenEnterprise now, and, as a result of this agreement, Xen-enabled Linux guests will also run on Windows Server virtualization. XenSource will also deliver additional products based on the collaboratively developed technology, further expanding the value of the relationship," remarked XenSource CEO Peter Levine.
Microsoft currently supports Linux as a guest operating system within Virtual Server 2005 R2, but that product runs atop Windows and thus has overhead that affects performance.
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|I agree, but still Microsoft's main product .NET is not ready to run in all type of systems.......... Microsoft have to target programmers and companies at first and then to other customers... so that the fast development can be achieved..
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|I have a question. I'm using an AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ processor that uses Socket AM2. This CPU fully supports AMD's Pacifica virtualization technology so how do I run Windows on Xen under Linux like this article states you can?
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|Last thing I heard, Xen only currently support Vanderpool (Intel's implementation), not Pacifica (AMD's implementation).
From the Xen FAQ:
"Does Xen support Microsoft Windows?
The paravirtualized approach we use to get such high performance has not been usable directly for Windows to date. However Xen 3.0 added Intel VT-x support to enable the running of unmodified guest operating systems, including Windows XP & 2003 Server, using hardware virtualization technology. We are working on implementing support for the equivalent AMD Pacifica technology. "
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|I believe parralels supports it. Not exactly sure, only breezed through the site.
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|Who wants this feature anyway? What I really want is for Longhorn to run unmodified on a non-Windows hypervisor. I wonder if XenSource is trying to close the source of the Xen hypervisor and make some money in a licensing deal with Microsoft.
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|Perhaps I am wrong, but as I understand it, if you have a CPU that supports virtualization, i.e. Vanderpool or Pacifica, then you can run UNMODIFIED guest OSes under xen.
Anyone know if this is the case, or I have got it wrong..
I also seem to recal, Xen only supports the Intel virtualization currently (Vanderpool), not the AMD one, that is still under development.
Would love to know, as my Core 2 Duo E6600 system should be up together by the end of next week :-)
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|Sounds good, but no doubt the MS bashers will find something to moan about.
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|This is excellent news for everyone. virtualisation is superb, I have been using VMware's technologies for several years on the server side and Virtual PC/VMware Workstation on the client side for even longer (back when VPC was not a MS product). With all the new things happening in the virtualization arena it is exciting to see Xen and Microsoft partner up. Microsoft made a smart move here.
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|I agree. I think Microsoft is moving in the right direction here. They usually did everything possible not to ally with an open source vendor because their product is "more superior" but I see a good attitude change here.
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