Microsoft and Partners Help Customers “Get Virtual Now”

Today more than 20 partners announce plans for Microsoft virtualization solutions; Microsoft Hyper-V Server, Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 and System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 available within 30 days.

New Server Virtualization and Management Products

Product-related news at today’s event included the following:

• Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008, a new hypervisor-based server virtualization product, will be released within 30 days and be available at no cost via the Web. Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 provides a simplified, reliable, and optimized virtualization solution that allows customers to consolidate Windows or Linux workloads onto a single physical server. Hyper-V Server 2008 allows customers to leverage their existing patching, provisioning, management and support tools, processes and skills.

• System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 will be released within 30 days. System Center Virtual Machine Manager enables customers to configure and deploy new virtual machines and centrally manage their virtualized infrastructure, whether running on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2, Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 or VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3. System Center Virtual Machine Manager is part of the System Center suite of products, which provides centralized, enterprise-class management of physical and virtual resources across desktops and datacenters.

• Microsoft demonstrated for the first time a live migration feature of Windows Server 2008 R2. Live migration utilizes the integrated hypervisor technology and high-availability features of the server operating system so that customers can move running applications between servers to accommodate changing, dynamic computing needs across a datacenter. In addition to other features, the next version of Microsoft Hyper-V Server will have live migration capabilities.

• Last week Microsoft released Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5, which gives desktop users a boost in fully harnessing the power of Windows Vista by streaming resource-heavy applications to the desktop. This helps eliminate potential software conflicts driving desktop stability and performance, while simultaneously enabling IT managers to centrally control key applications and their use. Application Virtualization 4.5 will be included as part of Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack 2008 R2, which is due for general availability in the coming weeks.

Partner Programs and Solutions

Thousands of partners around the world — including OEMs, software and storage vendors, system integrators, and resellers — are building solutions that complement or run on Microsoft’s virtualization products. For example, Microsoft’s global server OEM partners have been reporting greater demand for Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and Datacenter editions due in part to the expanded virtualization use rights of these editions, and they report that nearly 100 percent of their customers who order Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V included with their order.

Microsoft is providing partners with the resources, training, certification and tools they need to help customers virtualize. This includes the following:

• Dedicated virtualization lab established within the Microsoft Enterprise Engineering Center. This state-of-the-art facility is equipped with a wide range of server, storage and networking technologies so that partners can test and validate their virtualization solutions with Microsoft virtualization software.

• Windows Server 2008 Logo Certification Program with Hyper-V compatibility designation for independent software vendors assure mutual customers that they can take advantage of the powerful Web, virtualization, security, and management enhancements in Windows Server 2008.

• Virtualization programs, available through the Microsoft Partner Program, provide system integrators and resellers with special offers, certification and training opportunities.

• Virtualization Solutions Catalog (www.microsoft.com/virtualization/partners.mspx) launched to showcase the broad set of partner solutions developed to accelerate customer deployments of virtualization.

In separate news releases today (https://www.microsoft.com/presspass/events/virtualization/default.mspx) the following partners made announcements:

• AMD announced the availability of new virtualization solutions powered by a combination of technologies from AMD and Microsoft, using AMD Opteron™ processors with AMD Virtualization™ (AMD-V).

• Compellent Technologies Inc. announced its customer Munder Capital Management, a $28.5-billion financial investment firm, has amplified the benefits of data center virtualization by implementing the company’s storage area network as the foundation for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V-based computing platforms.

• HP today announced that its recently updated portfolio of servers, storage, software and services is ready to drive business value into Microsoft virtualization environments.

• NetApp announced new storage solutions optimized for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and enhanced integration with Microsoft’s suite of management tools, to include System Center Virtual Machine Manager.

• Sun Microsystems Inc. announced new and significant developments in its cross-platform virtualization initiatives with Microsoft, including validation that Sun xVM Server software will work with Windows Server 2008 and previous versions, plans to offer customers the Solaris™ Operating System as a certified guest on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, and Sun’s expanded support for Microsoft technologies by providing Sun Ray™ thin-client customers with the ability to access Windows as a guest operating system running on Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V.

source and full press release