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"Run on my hypervisor" is passe, don't forget the applications!

I was reading this post by Austin (El Reg) and this got me thinking...

"For the first time, Windows guests will be able to benefit from Sun technologies like Predictive Self-Healing and ZFS which are built into the Sun xVM Server,"Hamilton noted on his blog. "Think about this scenario. You are running windows as a guest OS on Sun xVM Server using an x86 server from Sun, IBM, HP, or Dell. A memory DIMM starts to fail. Predictive Self-Healing built into the Sun xVM Server isolates the failing DIMM from the system and your Windows guest OS continues to run uninterrupted."

Sun has also announced a new management software package, Ops Center, that will work as a command and control console for physical and virtual gear — that's to say the hypervisor and Solaris Containers. Sun said the software also includes discovery and inventory, application provisioning, software lifecycles automation, hardware and software monitoring and compliance reporting. Sun brazenly says "it does everything except unpack boxes and rack and cable systems."


...Think about this scenario. You are running windows as a guest OS on Sun xVM Server using...

You know when you are a VM, you might have a tendency of saying, if you need good performance, "get offa me!" I think the hypervisor (full or para) still somehow affects the VMs. Sure the business community is today totally head-over-heels on the Virtualization. VMware happens to be the hero but Sun, Microsoft and other vendors are soon coming with the consoles.

VMware did take a detour when it shipped or should I say, will be shipping the 3i (32mb mini-ESX) this year. I think they took the idea from the Virtage ala Hitachi , but anyways, this detour helped these guys to move away from the mainstream hypervisor hullo-bullo! But hardware assisted virtualization does indeed make more of an impact that another instruction set, no matter how small it may be, that still needs to control your VM Infrastructure.

This strategy will help VMware keep up the lead till another year and a half, if not longer. Do not forget that Microsoft will do all it takes to get back its client base that are using any "alien" hypervisors, be it VMware, XenSource or Virtual Iron. They will do it by all might, marketing and very aggressive sales. They will ,as Alessandro also predicts, also go for a lot of other means like hiring influential bloggers, industry experst and other evangelists, to go their way. This will indeed have an affect on VMware sales. Sure VMware should be doing its ESX 3i and later a much bigger plan to take on the ones like Big Blue ( Sam, if you don't go for it, they will!) by moving towards the mainframes. Why? Simple. That is one place where Microsoft has not yet been able to play havoc. SMB is a totally MS terrain. It IS a huge market but don't forget MS has its hooks dug in deep.

OK, so this might sound scary so what should VMware plan for the next 18 months, besides realizing the 3i and management component sales.

  • Desktop Virtualization solutions: Lets talk something dirty here ;-). Nope, I'll call it a "Clean-Dirty: Dirty-Clean Desktop Infrastructure"

.... to be continued.............

I'll finish by tonite as I need a to make a graphical representation on this one...

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