Avastu Blog: Sustainable Global Clouds

Virtuozzo's main differentiators versus hypervisors center on overhead, virtualization flexibility, administration and cost. Virtuozzo requires significantly less overhead than hypervisor solutions, generally in the range of 1% to 5% compared with 7% to 25% for most hypervisors, leaving more of the system available to run user workloads. Customers can also virtualize a wider range of applications using Virtuozzo, including transactional databases, which often suffer from performance problems when used with hypervisors. On the administration side, customers need to manage, maintain and secure just a single OS instance, while the hypervisor model requires customers to manage many OS instances. Of course, the hypervisor vendors have worked hard to automate much of this process, but it still requires more effort to manage and maintain multiple operating systems than a single instance. Finally, OS virtualization with Virtuozzo has a lower list price than the leading hypervisor for comme...

The release of the 4.0 version of Parallels’ Desktop for Mac on Nov. 11 comes a few months after VMware released the latest version of its Fusion software, which allows Windows and Linux operating systems to run along side the Mac OS X. The Parallels Desktop for Mac software, which is now available, retails for $79.99. While virtualization technology has been traditional used by consumers for their Macs, the technology is increasingly important in the enterprise as more and Macs are finding their way into boardrooms and corner offices. In this release, Parallels has included new features specifically designed for IT managers. For example, the new release of Parallel’s software allows up to 16 NICs (network interface cards) to work with each virtual machine. The software also allows an IT manager to boot a guest OS off the company’s network. Parallels has also included support for Mac OS X Server 10.5 Leopard and experimental support for the upcoming Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard as guest ...

Built on Parallels’ bare metal hypervisor architecture and award-winning hypervisor-based virtualization technology, Parallels Server for Mac enables organizations to: Standardize server hardware platforms Effectively consolidate server resources Consolidate and support legacy OSes and applications Streamline server and application deployment, maintenance and management Simplify software testing and development Optimize server and application availability A hardware-ready solution, organizations can leverage Parallels Server for Mac to seamlessly standardize on the Mac platform and to integrate into existing IT infrastructures. Parallels Server is designed to optimize the performance of virtualized systems and applications and provides cost-effective approaches to protect data and reduce the costs and complexities of IT infrastructures. Here you go!

I got a lot of calls and wanted to clear it that: Neither Sun , nor Parallels were involved in this joke Parallels worth is definitely not $205, so acquirers, don't get any ideas ;-) We're glad that you guys fell for it. Hope you had a good April Fool's day yourselves

Looks like that Parallels IPO won’t be happening after all. Sun Microsystems has today announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Parallels (formerly SWsoft) and all of its assets for a whopping $ 205 million. The major acquisition had been rumoured to be imminent throughout the course of 2007, but never actually went through, which led mosts analysts to believe the Herndon, VA-based company was heading towards an IPO following in VMware’s footsteps rather than being picked up by one of the big boys. Needless to say, the acquisition is a pretty bold one, which is bound to serve as wake-up call for the entire virtualization industry. Both companies had been on a buying spree the past few months: Sun picked up innotek / VirtualBox , while Parallels recently acknowledged its January acquisition of ModernGigabyte . The acquisition is expected to be finalized by June, around the time Sun also plans to ship xVM Server. See the rest at Virtualization.com

Randall has some tests he carried out: Benefiting from the management tools built around Virtuozzo, the company's OS partitioning solution for Linux and Windows, Parallels Server takes aim at the 800-pound gorilla of server virtualization (VMware ESX) and the looming elephant (Microsoft Hyper-V) by providing a product that supports both “bare metal” and “lightweight hypervisor” runtime models. In the former, Parallels will boot a scaled-down Linux kernel that acts as the hypervisor layer upon which you can build your VM (the ESX model). In the latter, Parallels will install a combination device driver/service on a host OS (the Hyper-V model), allowing you to build your VM infrastructure atop an existing server platform. Parallels was kind enough to allow us a sneak peak at an early beta build of Parallels Server. Installing the Windows hosted version onto an existing Windows Server 2003 system was straightforward, and it didn’t even require a reboot. Once installed, Parallels Ser...

Parallels Desktop 3.0 is a Mac system utility that allows users to run Windows, Linux, and more side-by-side with Mac OS X on any Intel-powered Mac, without rebooting. Parallels’ Mac virtualization technology has won over 25 major industry awards and is used by more than 850,000 users every day. * Runs Windows programs like native Mac applications with Parallels Coherence feature * Opens Windows files with Mac apps and Mac files with Windows apps using Parallels SmartSelect feature * Shares files and folders between Windows and Mac OS X via “drag-and-drop”, shared folders, and the new Mirrored Shared Folder utility, which gives users access to important documents with single-click simplicity from either Windows or Mac applications. Link

The new relationship will not only give Bell Micro an immediate and strong position in the virtualisation sector, but it will also enable the company to further improve its competitive offering in the data centre space. By partnering with Parallels in this way, Bell Micro can ensure that it offers its channel partners the latest product to take to customers wanting the option of virtualising business critical applications, as well as deploying Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) at market leading consolidation rates. Russell Blackburn, UK Country Manager at Parallels said, “We have chosen Bell Micro as a key partner as a result of the company’s reputation in the market and its focus on further developing its data centre portfolio. We believe this relationship will be win-win for all involved: customers will be offered a lower cost virtualisation solution, while resellers will benefit from higher margins in the virtualisation space.” Parallels Virtuozzo Container differs from hardware ...

The Parallels SaaS Development Kit features comprehensive documentation and development tools, such as virtualization templates. It builds on the Application Packaging Standard (APS) to make it easier for service providers to offer SaaS applications using Parallels virtualization and automation solutions. The APS is a key element of the Parallels Open Platform, which enables SaaS with Parallels virtualization and automation technology through integration with a range of third-party applications and systems. NYT reporting...

One of the largest virtualization deployments in the world surpassed 10,000 virtual environments using Parallels Virtuozzo Containers virtualization software. It began seven years ago at (mt) Media Temple, the Los Angeles-based service provider that hosts 200,000 website domains worldwide and includes clients such as ABC/Disney, Diesel, Nike, Qantas Airways, Sony and Starbucks. When (mt) Media Temple started looking at virtualization technology, it evaluated everything that was available – virtual machines, para-virtualization, and container-based virtualization. Uptime and reliability were absolutely critical, along with the ability to handle unexpected spikes in traffic without interruptions or degradation to service. Another priority was applying software patches and updates efficiently. These factors, combined with easy-to-use server management tools and the capability to dynamically manage workloads, made Parallels Virtuozzo Containers the clear choice for (mt) Media Temple and it...

What the converged means, I wouldn't know myself. "By the end of 2008, you will be able to take a virtual machine and restart it as a container, and vice versa," said Beloussov. He explained that both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages for particular applications. "In testing and development, the hypervisor approach is right, but for other workloads like consolidation, and operating software-as-a-service environments, containers are the best," he said. But Butler Group senior research analyst Roy Illsley said it was not immediately obvious what benefits this might offer. "If you look at enterprise servers from the likes of IBM, they use partitioning to divide up and micro-manage resources, and I'd guess what Parallels might be doing is trying to bring that kind of capability to the x86 server market," he explained. Link

"The ever-changing needs of today's enterprise data centers call for a virtualization solution that is flexible and delivers high performance," said Serguei Beloussov, CEO of Parallels. "With the release of Parallels Virtuozzo Containers 4.0, we are launching the next wave of virtualization, including a suite of products that help IT administrators effectively manage their growing virtual infrastructures." Beloussov continued that Parallels customers are already doing large-scale virtualization deployments, including service provider data centers and software-as-a-service applications. "Parallels offers the right technological approach coupled with the best economics to deliver a comprehensive suite of virtualization and automation products for any hardware or software environment," said Beloussov. Parallels Virtuozzo Containers is different from traditional hardware virtualization solutions in that it dynamically partitions a single Windows or Linux o...

Mac virtualization software maker SWSoft will have its latest offering, Parallels Server, on display at Macworld. The product is the first that allows virtualization of Apple's Mac OS Server 10.5 Leopard, and can run more than 50 different operating systems including different versions of Windows and Linux. Link to CRN

Released in a beta, Parallels Server from SWsoft allows multiple copies of Mac OS X Server 10.5 to run on Mac Pro or Xserve computers. The software also runs on Windows- or Linux-based servers, and can be used either with the Parallels lightweight hypervisor or in "bare metal." With the hypervisor, virtual machines operate with a primary operating system; in "bare metal," virtual machines run independently without being dependent on a host operating system. Support for 50 Operating Systems The company said that Parallels Server is the only virtualization product that allows administrators to choose the hypervisor or bare-metal option during installation. Parallels Server supports more than 50 different guest operating systems, including Windows Server, Red Hat Linux, SUSE Enterprise Linux, Sun Solaris, and Mac OS X Server. Link

SWsoft errumm or should I says Parallels is going full steam with its web hosting plans. Any buyers getting excited here? Google maybe??? SWsoft today announced it has acquired WebHost Automation Ltd., maker of the Helm control panel and billing software for Windows with nearly 1.5 million end users worldwide. WebHost Automation is based in Bristol, U.K. The acquisition adds more Windows platform expertise to SWsoft, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, and strengthens its position as a provider of Windows-based automation software solutions. "By integrating Helm into the SWsoft family of automation and virtualization solutions and partners through our Open Fusion initiative, Helm customers will be able to take advantage of a wider array of solutions and new business opportunities such as software as a service (SaaS)," said Serguei Beloussov, CEO of SWsoft. For SWsoft, the acquisition adds a significant worldwide customer base, including strong positions in the U.K. and S...

This is where those tests were carried out: When we were choosing computer models, we set out to choose not the fastest, latest models, but ones that would be a good representation of what most people may have. Certainly, the faster models of these computers will perform even better. Similarly, we had a greater focus on XP simply because it's more prevalent at this point, but we did want to get an understanding of how Vista performed as well. The baseline PC we used was a brand new Fujitsu Lifebook A6025, with an Intel Core Duo running at 1.86 GHz, 1GB RAM, running Windows XP SP2. We chose three Mac models to compare alongside a name brand PC: a MacBook, a MacBook Pro, and a Mac Pro. The MacBook was a 2GB RAM machine, running a 1.83 GHz Core Duo processor. The MacBook Pro was a 4GB RAM machine, running a 2.16 GHz Core 2 Duo processor. And, the Mac Pro was a 4GB RAM machine, running a Quad Core configuration with two 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon processors. Test Types T...

But as the virtualization market heats up, SWsoft wants to step out of the long shadow cast by its closest rival, VMware Inc. On Wednesday, the company announced it will drop the SWsoft name in favor of its youngest but fastest-rising division, Parallels Inc. Moreover, while the company plans to continue developing and marketing its desktop and server virtualization software, the company-formerly-known-as-SWsoft also plans to start emphasizing its management and automation software -- already popular among hosting providers -- towards mainstream enterprises. For instance, SWsoft's software already offers collaborative management features to the hosting market that allow multiple parties -- everyone from the service provider to the reseller to the customer IT administrator -- to manage a given application.a Typical case of identity crisis, eh? CW is running the article

Loads of new features... -Primary OS support - Leopard compatibility improvement. -Virtual devices - USB devices compatibility improvement (including Blackberry). -Bug fixes and improvements in Parallels Desktop 3.0 for Mac Beta (Build 5570). Primary OS support: -Parallels Desktop installer hangs on Leopard - fixed. -Can't install Parallels Desktop on Leopard when Internet Sharing is enabled - fixed. Stability and resources usage: -Parallels Desktop hangs with spinning ball when trying to start VM after changing virtual memory amount - fixed. -Several kernel panics during VM startup - fixed. -Guest Vista goes to BSOD being idle - fixed. -DOS16M (16 bit DOS extender application) crashes Parallels Desktop - fixed. -Guest Vista fails to sleep and goes to BSOD - fixed. -Fatal error when executing some command line utilities in Windows - fixed. Here's the rest of the story

The new Parallels Server software currently is in alpha testing, but will open to beta testers in four to six seeks, Benjamin Rudolph, communications director for Parallels, said Thursday at VMworld. Parallels, a subsidiary of virtualization company SWsoft, plans to ship the final product near the end of 2007 or in early 2008, he said. But does the world need another hypervisor, the virtualization foundation that gives a single computer the ability to run multiple operating systems in separate compartments called virtual machines? The market already has VMware's dominant products as well as the open-source Xen competition from XenSource, Red Hat and Novell, and next year, Microsoft's Viridian software for Windows Server 2008. Rudolph thinks so. The company will aim initially at small and medium-size companies that don't fool with virtualization today, and he hopes to expand from there. For those customers, he said, "Xen is just too complicated. VMware is just too much....

Parallels Desktop 3.0 is a popular virtualisation product which allows owners of Intel Macs to run Windows XP or Vista on their machines. Real-world workload performance has been substantially improved, especially when starting up and shutting down. This release includes improvements in resource usage, particularly processor utilisation. Users can now also allocate up to 2GB of RAM to an individual virtual machine. Windows Vista performs faster and more smoothly than in previous builds. The new release also improves Parallels Desktop's Coherence mode – these windows containing Windows software now work exactly like a Mac window, including Expose support. Go to Parallels!