The virtualisation specialists are fighting back. Companies like VMware, and more recently XenSource, got their start with standalone virtualisation software -- but Linux sellers and Microsoft, unwilling to cede their influential position selling the foundational software of a computer, are trying to make virtualisation a feature of the operating system.
A programmer has offered software that could bridge a significant divide in the realm of open-source virtualisation software.
Novell has released the first service pack (SP1) for its Suse Linux Enterprise 10 server software, which promises better virtualisation and high performance support along with improved security.
Virtualisation will be the key to the popularity of Microsoft's long-awaited server operating system, Windows Server 2008, analysts have predicted.
Virtual machines are easier to build if you are running Linux, according to Dell's chief technical officer Kevin Kettler.
If you think two-thirds of your IT is mission-critical, you're either running an incredibly lean and efficient operation or you haven't got a clue how many applications you have and which ones you need to manage.
You've only got to hang around a datacentre for about 30 seconds before someone starts raving on about virtualisation. While the cost benefits of virtualisation are obvious, the management challenges often get swept under the carpet.
Some future trends in storage are obvious: we'll need more of it, it'll be cheaper per megabyte, and a lot of it will be virtualised.
Ever since Anand Lal Shimpi described using SSD drives as the single most noticeable upgrade you can do to your computer, I've been looking for the right price point to follow his example and make the SSD move. But at what price?
I wish motherboard manufacturers wouldn't consign parallel ATA (PATA) hard drives and the IDE ports they require to the dustbin of history just yet.
A lot of the fuss behind virtualisation is focused around the datacentre. That's all well and good, but there is a whole world of virtualisation for workstations where competition for the best suite is red-hot and constantly improving.
Virtualisation is a great way to thin down your datacentres (assuming you can keep VM creep under control). But what's out there? In the first part of this virtualisation feature, ZDNet investigates ...
There appears to be no doubt that Windows 7 will be significantly more popular in Australia than Vista was, a reality that will help Microsoft entrench its wider software portfolio even further into the enterprise.
What do Australian CIOs think of Green IT? Read the summary notes from the latest CIO Network peer-to-peer working group on the issue.
In this candid interview with ZDNet.com.au, Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst discusses why he thinks rival VMWare will fail, how the financial crisis will be good for open source, and why cloud computing will be the future.
Cesare Tizi, ZDNet Australia CIO of the Year 2007, says that using a server for multiple tasks on different operating systems not only reduces datacentre clutter, it makes deploying new applications easier -- and also has "green benefits".
SCVMM 2008 R2 is a very competent product, neatly bringing Microsoft's virtualisation management offering in line with the competition at the same time as offering management of disparate platforms in the one product. The integration with the rest of the Systems Center suite makes the overall management and monitoring experience better than its rivals.
Despite taking a completely different approach to virtualisation, Virtuozzo Containers can match the best hypervisors on performance while at the same time making virtual workloads quick and easy to deploy and manage.
Windows 7 looks like the operating system that we've all been waiting for. Despite its imperfections, it shows a lot of promise for the future while presenting a stable platform that can compete comfortably with OS X.
ThinApp, previously known as Thinstall, offers a more streamlined and portable approach to new software roll-outs and development. Software developers and administrators of large numbers of workstations and or mobile workers are bound to benefit greatly from this software.
VMware Workstation is an excellent product, having the potential to save IT managers many hours of work. And at only AU$257.23 per seat, it is also good value for money.
Ben Forta: All about Adobe
Take one ColdFusion veteran and mix in a healthy dose of prolific book writing, and chances are you will end u… Watch it now
Google CEO Eric Schmidt
Google's chief sits down for an extremely rare, wide-ranging interview and discusses Google's two operating sy… Watch it now
Telstra shareholders fear break up
What do Telstra shareholders think of the telco's new CEO David Thodey? And would they support the government'… Watch it now
Having problems with complex data center? Simplify your data center now.
Can not-so-smart meters help the NBN?
Can the Telco Reform Act be win-win?
Has New Zealand's smiling assassin delivered?
What makes you click?
Tell us for a chance to win a $1,000 GAME gift voucher.
Click here for more.
Win an iPhone 3GS!
Sign up as a ZDNet Australia member during November and you'll go in a draw to win an iPhone 3GS!
Click here to sign up!
Best Laptops
Check out the best laptops here!
Click here for more.
