Microsoft Adds AMD to Virtual Server

Microsoft's Virtual Server product is getting support for AMD's virtualization technology with an upcoming service pack, the company announced Thursday. Beta 2 of Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 introduces the feature, which means improved performance for virtual machines running on AMD systems.

"Virtualization is a major global trend that enables businesses to be more agile. AMD and Microsoft are collaborating to make virtualization a strong part of the computing fabric," said AMD vice president Terri Hall. Microsoft previously only supported Intel-specific virtualization technology. Other new features in Beta 2 include a Volume Shadow Service for making backups and the ability to edit files in a virtual hard disk without starting the virtual machine.