Thursday, June 12, 2008
Microsoft steps up virtualisation push
By
Dave Bailey
12 June 2008 02:22PM
Microsoft stepped up the pressure on competing virtualisation vendors at its North American 2008 Tech Ed. Conference, where the software giant disclosed several updates it said would help customers prepare to deploy virtualised infrastructure.
Microsoft said its server virtualisation validation programme,
which is now operational, would allow any software vendor to test
and validate its virtualisation software to run Windows Server 2008
and previous versions of Windows Server.
Microsoft general manager for Windows Server products Bill Hilf
said: "We're not trying just to concentrate on the Hyper-V aspect
of virtualisation, but also grow the whole ecosystem - from
managing virtual machines (VMs) using System Center Virtual Machine
Manager 2008, to using our Forefront security system to secure both
online and offline VMs."
Microsoft added that the programme would enable it to offer,
co-operative technical support to customers running Windows Server
on validated, non-Microsoft server virtualisation software,.
Hilf said that this would include virtualisation systems such as
those available from Citrix and Sun.
"In the same way that hardware is validated for use on server
systems, let's have a program that validates Windows Server OSes on
other virtualisation platforms," added Hilf.
Microsoft also introduced four new virtualisation certifications
for desktop support technicians, database administrators and Web
developers working with virtualisation technology.
Hilf pointed out that this was an important aspect of Microsoft's
virtualisation technology push, commenting that, "When you're
bringing a new technology like virtualisation in, it helps if the
personnel who will have to administer it, are up to speed as
well."
Release candidate 1 (RC1) of Application Virtualisation 4.5 will be
offered within the month for customers said Microsoft, and also
outlined support for virtualisation with the Microsoft Forefront
line of security products.
This will include Forefront Client Security support for Windows
Server 2008 Hyper-V upon its release, as well as support built into
Microsoft's next update of its Forefront security solution,
code-named "Stirling," scheduled for release in H1 2009.
Microsoft again iterated that its built-in virtualisation platform
for Windows Server 2008, Hyper-V, was still on track for release
180 days after it was released to manufacturing on 4 February
earlier this year, which would mean 4 August, confirmed Hilf.
Amongst other betas and release candidates announced at this years
Tech Ed. Were, the third beta of Identity Lifecycle Manager "2", a
release candidate for Microsoft SQL Server 2008, the availability
of the Dot NET Configuration Service 2.0, the first beta Forefront
Security for Office Communications Server Beta 1, and that
Forefront Client Security now supports Windows Server 2008,
including integration for Microsoft Network Access Protection
(NAP).
