Virtualization Team

VMware’s latest version of its PC and laptop virtualization tool continues to bring success to developers and advanced users.

Other manufacturers following in VMware’s footsteps are Sun Microsystems with VirtualBox and, to a lesser extent, Microsoft with its Virtual PC.

VMware Workstation 6.5 is a unique tool used to create and run a wide variety of virtual machines on conventional PCs offers some of the best configuration and administration tools.

The latest version of VMware Workstation is an ideal tool for developers, advanced users working with multiple platforms, and anyone who needs to simulate a network of computers on a single PC. The e-Week Laboratory tested the different versions of VMware Workstation, and 6.5 got our “Analyst Choice” prize for its performance.

VMware has updated and made significant improvement to its VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB) best practices. One of the most important changes is the possibility of backing up virtual machines using the API Microsoft VSS (Volume Shadow Services), which ensures the consistency of the file system as well as the transaction applications within the virtual machine.

During VMWorld ‘08 in Las Vegas, it was also said that VCB will evolve in the not too distant future and will be integrated as a plug-in within VirtualCenter. This would make installation, configuration and deployment of this framework backup much easier.

You can download the document here.

Microsoft has released the beta version of a desktop virtualization software that can run applications from previous versions of Windows on Vista.

Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) is based on a desktop virtualization technology by Kidaro, which Microsoft acquired in May 2008 and which allows Windows XP/2000 applications to run in Windows Vista.

According to The Register, the final version of MED-V will be ready in the second half of the year and will be part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack. The pack will include applications like Softricity, DesktopStandard, AssetMetrix, and Winternals Software.

You can download the beta of MED-V here.

Thank you to John Ranchal for a great article that we have translated here.

Today my friend Elias told me that VMware released version 3.0 (Build 127.642) of its VDI broker, formerly known as Virtual Desktop Manager (VDM).

VMware View 3.0 offers many new features such as offline VDI, which allows users to view their virtual desktops without being connected to the corporate network, using the image stored locally on their laptops.

Another new feature is “linked Clone”, which can reduce the disk space needed to deploy virtual desktops by up to 70%. It will also include a new remote desktop protocol that VMware is developing with Teradici.

VMware offers two editions of View 3.0.

The Premiere Edition includes the Hypervisor (ESX), administration console (vCenter), Connection Broker (View Manager), and the application virtualization platform (ThinApp).

VMware has recently published several very informative technical documents about its new virtualization workstation, VMware View.

If you want to have an architecture reference as well as a better idea how to measure the storage backend in these solutions, these documents will definitely get you on the right track.

Storage Design Options for VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Manager 3 VMware admin guide

VMware View Reference Architecture Kit (registration required)

After you read these three documents, you will be one of the few people that are familiar with the new VMware virtualization workstation.

Happy reading!

This post is based on an article in Spanish by Jose Maria Gonzalez.