Archive for the category Guest Bloggers
The Virtual Desktop Revolution Is Here…for Everyone…
Posted by AMD in 6:19 PM
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…And the timing couldn’t be better. Customers are looking for simpler ways to manage desktops, just as Windows 7 begins to drive another desktop refresh cycle. And, in these economic times, everyone’s looking to increase flexibility and efficiency. This is the promise of the virtual desktop, and why the Citrix announcement of the new XenDesktop 4 is making such a big splash in the market right now.
Citrix is excited to team with AMD to drive virtual desktops into the computing mainstream and make this all possible by making this ground-breaking product available for use with AMD hardware.
Join the Revolution NOW!
So, what makes XenDesktop 4 so special and unique compared to what’s currently out there? The answer is with five very important features:
- Any device, anytime, anywhere. Whether working from an office thin client, home PC or mobile device, users can instantly and securely access their desktops from office or remote locations using XenDesktop. This enables complete workplace flexibility, business continuity and user mobility – something Citrix and AMD are both focused on. Users can add or remove applications using a self-service enterprise app store from a variety of devices, including PC, Mac, thin client or Smartphone.
- HDXTM user experience. Deliver a high definition experience, over the network, with superior reliability and higher availability than a traditional PC. With Citrix HDXTM technology, users get an experience that rivals a local PC, even when using multimedia, real-time collaboration tools, USB peripherals, and 3D graphics.
- FlexCastTM delivery technology. Different types of workers across the enterprise need different types of desktops. Some require simplicity and standardization, while others need performance and personalization. XenDesktop is designed to meet all these requirements in a single solution with our unique Citrix FlexCastTM delivery technology. With FlexCastTM delivery technology, IT can deliver virtual desktops to user, on a variey devices. Each desktop is tailored to meet the performance, security and flexibility requirements with the goal of providing the best desktop for every user, every time.
- On-demand apps by XenAppTM. To help reduce desktop management costs, XenDesktop offers the full range of Citrix application virtualization technologies. With application virtualization, IT can control data access, manage fewer desktop images, reduce system conflicts, and reduce application regression testing. Adding, updating and removing apps is simple and self-service for users, enabling them to access applications instantly from anywhere on the network, while getting a high-definition user experience.
- Open architecture. XenDesktop works with your existing hypervisor, storage and Microsoft infrastructures, enabling you to leverage your current infrastructure – while providing the flexibility to add or change to alternatives in the future. Whether you use XenServer, Microsoft Hyper-V, or VMware ESX or vSphere, XenDesktop supports them all and simplifies management of networked storage using StorageLinkTM technology. XenDesktop will also closely integrate with Microsoft App-V and System Center for application management.
It’s clear that the demands of today’s workplace and changing how and where technology powers our businesses. I encourage you to attend the on-demand Secrets, Lies and VDI virtual event, where Citrix along with partners, including AMD, decode the myths and uncover the truth about desktop and application virtualization. Here’s a few more to check out:
Watch a video of CEO Mark Templeton discussing how the virtual desktop is revolutionizing IT and the way we work.
Visit the XenDesktop 4 web experience
Join the XenDesktop 4 community
Follow us on Twitter: @XenDesktop and use the hashtag #XD4
Aimee Catalano is a Senior Director of Alliance Marketing at Citrix. Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
AMD Opteron™ Processor + Our Partners = Masters of VMworld
Posted by tmueting in 6:08 PM
Well, once again we survived another whirlwind week at VMworld in San Francisco. I want to thank all of you that stopped by our booth to see our demonstrations or to attend one or more of our theater presentations. And, to those of you who attended my session on Thursday morning (after Wednesday night’s party no less!) – a special thank you. It was good to be able to meet many of you personally and I enjoyed hearing about your environment and your use of AMD OpteronTM processor-based platforms.
We ran a full slate of theater presentations in the AMD Booth and, from what I saw, every session was standing room only. This year we were treated to two customer presentations – Scott Ramnitz from First Data Corporation and Michael Foltz of Kroger Co. – two long time AMD customers and early adopters of virtualization shared their experiences.
In addition to Scott and Michael, on Tuesday Steve Pope, CTO of Solarflare Communications discussed the performance challenges that virtualization presents for I/O Devices. Solarflare is a leading silicon vendor delivering products that enable the rapid adoption of 10 Gigabit Ethernet for data center and enterprise networks. Along with Solarflare and VMware, we demonstrated near native performance of AMD’s I/O virtualization technology on an AMD engineering development system featuring 4 twelve-core AMD Opteron 6100 series processors (codenamed “Magny-Cours”) and four AMD SR5690 chipsets running VMware ESX 4.0 and Solarflare’s 10GeB NIC. Please note that the AMD OpteronTM 6100 series processors, code-named “Magny-Cours,” referenced below are scheduled to be launched in the first quarter of 2010.
On Wednesday, Ron Graham, Technical Marketing Manager from Sun lead a discussion on virtualization performance on AMD OpteronTM processor based Sun servers like the 8-socket Sun Fire X4600 M2 server and then again on Thursday Ron returned to discuss Sun’s AMD OpteronTM processor-based Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage Systems that deliver mission-critical entry storage. One of the most popular sessions of the week was given by Simon Crosby, CTO of Virtualization for Citrix Corporation. Simon didn’t mince words while giving us his unique perspective on the state of virtualization today and what he believes we can expect in the future in his talk entitled ”Cloud Computing and Desktop Virtualization.” AMD continues our close work with Citrix on XenServer and XenApp and supported the Introduction of Xen Cloud Platform to help accelerate customer adoption of open enterprise-class cloud infrastructures.
Also on Thursday Armando Acosta, Product Manager from Dell presented “Dell Solutions to Power the Efficient Enterprise.” Armando discussed Dell’s AMD OpteronTM processor-based blade and rack server solutions designed specifically for virtualization and the enterprise, including the Dell PowerEdge 905 server which took home a 2009 InfoWorld Technology of the Year Award
For those of you who didn’t have a chance to attend one of these sessions or would like to revisit the slides you can see them here (along with a host of other information) at the AMD Booth on VMworld.com. Also check out the latest AMD Virtualization Update by AMD’s Director of Commercial Solutions, Margaret Lewis.
All-in-all it was another successful event for AMD. As virtualization is hitting mainstream AMD has released a full line of Six-Core AMD OpteronTM processors that provides superior value for your most important virtualization workloads. Don’t just take my word for it, according to a recent blog post at Solori that analyzes price/performance for 2-socket servers – “Istanbul continues to offer a 20-30% CAPEX value proposition against Nehalem in the virtualization use case…”
Tim Mueting is a Product Marketing Manager at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Countdown to VMworld – More Cores, More VMs with Six-Core AMD Opteron™ Processors!
Posted by tmueting in 12:12 PM
Gearing up for VMware, I had a chance recently to spend some time in AMD’s performance lab and showcase one of the cooler demos I have ever been a part of. Operating a Six-Core AMD OpteronTM 8400 Series processor-based HP DL785 G6 server with VMware ESX 4.0 software we were able to successfully consolidate 180 virtual machines onto one physical server.1
That is 25% more virtual machines than the competition can claim running the same workload. As a side note, running the same workload on either a Six-Core AMD Opteron processor-based HP ProLiant DL585 G6 server or BL685c G6 blade -- we’re able to consolidate 120 virtual machines, which is 43% more VMs than the competition on a 4-socket, 24 core server.
But, don’t take my word for it, check out the video below (we also just broke our own record with HP releasing a a new top 48-core VMmark result on the same server with a score of 53.73 running 210 VMs!).
And, join us at VMworld August 31-September 3rd. We’ll be showcasing this demo at our booth (#1408) as well as many more.
Tim Mueting is a Product Marketing Manager at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
1Based on 30 tiles x 6 VMs for 48-core HP ProLiant DL785 G6 server, as tested using the VMmark benchmark (http://www.vmware.com/products/vmmark/results.html).
Live Migration: Here to Stay
Posted by tmueting in 11:57 AM
(5 votes, average: 4.40 out of 5)I have recently returned from the HP Technical Conference and, although attendance was down a bit this year (likely due to the economy), there were still plenty of enthusiastic AMD customers and partners in attendance. The buzz around the availability of the recently released Six-Core AMD OpteronTM “Istanbul” processor and HP Proliant G6 servers was tremendous. HP has announced seven HP ProLiant platforms based on “Istanbul” processors as well as the availability of upgrade kits for existing G5/G5p platforms. I’m also happy to report that I had a packed room during my virtualization session on Tuesday.
In our booth on the exhibition floor we demonstrated the ability to use VMware’s VMotion to seamlessly migrate a running virtual machine between an HP Proliant G2 server running Dual-Core AMD Opteron “Rev F” processors (released in 2006), G5 server running Quad-Core AMD Opteron “Shanghai” processors, (released in 2007) and the newest G6 server with Six-Core AMD Opteron processors. We’ve just released a video on YouTube featuring a similar demo -- except that it also includes our upcoming processor codenamed “Magny-Cours”.
I’m constantly getting questions on the topic of live migration and VMotion in particular. Customers want to be assured that they can use VMotion to migrate virtual machines between older and newer versions of their AMD processer-based platforms. Apparently we and our technology partners could do a better job of getting the word out.
So let’s be clear -- the answer is a resounding YES!
Here are the facts. With the launch of our first quad-core processors, AMD formalized a functionality that had existed in our processors for a while under the feature name of Extended Migration. This capability enabled virtualization software vendors like VMware to support the live migration of a virtual machine between different versions of AMD processors starting with Rev E, which was released in 2004. Subsequently, with ESX 3.5 u2, VMware released a feature as part of VMotion called Enhanced VMotion Compatibility (EVC) that uses AMD Extended Migration to support VMotion between AMD Opteron processor generations. In order to utilize the feature, each server must be configured for EVC. For information on configuring EVC, see the “Migrating Virtual Machines” chapter in the Basic System Administration Guide for your ESX release. You can also gain a better understanding of EVC processor support and baseline definitions at the Enhanced VMotion Compatibility (EVC) processor support VMware web page.
Keep in mind that live migration across AMD OpteronTM processor generations is supported by other virtualization software, including Citrix XenMotion and Microsoft HyperV Server 2008 R2 Live Migration. In fact, you can watch a demo showcasing Hyper-V live migration between Quad-Core and Six Core AMD Opteron processors.
And don’t forget the technology demonstration we did a year ago with Red Hat, showcasing live migration between an AMD and Intel processor -- the YouTube video is still getting a lot of views.
Rest assured, AMD is pushing the technology envelope to cover all bases when it comes to offering broad support for your virtualization environment.
Tim Mueting is a Product Marketing Manager at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
A New Window on Client Virtualization
Posted by AMD in 4:00 PM
Congratulations to Microsoft as Windows 7 has reached an important milestone with its “release to manufacturing” (RTM), which means it is on its way to becoming pre-loaded on new hardware or a box on a retail shelf. In addition to a sleek interface and a number of new features, this new operating system continues the maturation of the client virtualization and also makes use of AMD innovations.
There are a lot of neat features in Windows 7 that should please consumers. If upgrading from Windows XP, the most noticeable difference for most users will be the new Aero interface. In addition to the rich graphics and intuitive design, there are features built in such as Aero Snap and Aero Clip that allow users to compare windows side by side, or quickly look at inactive windows without minimizing the entire desktop.
If you’re an IT Administrator, there are also features that can make your life a bit easier. If upgrading to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (which also announced RTM this week), a new feature called DirectAccess will allow you to manage remote PCs over the internet. And this same feature will allow your remote users to access network resources such as file servers and intranet sites without having to go through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection.
And speaking of remote users, if you are a mobile user who is looking to squeeze every minute of battery life out of your notebook, Windows 7 comes with a number of advanced power management features designed to help you realize power savings whether you are doing email during a layover or watching a movie on a long flight.
But, maybe one of the coolest features in Windows 7 is support of Windows Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode. With XP Mode, Microsoft has built in client virtualization technology that makes it easy to install and run Windows XP applications directly from a Windows 7-based PC, allowing users to enjoy the benefits of Windows 7 while maintaining support for legacy applications. Whether those applications are children’s educational games or Line of Business (LoB) applications for the enterprise – Windows XP mode is easy to install and use.
To run Windows XP Mode you will need to have a processor with hardware-based virtualization capabilities. All currently shipping AMD CPUs, with the exception of very low-end AMD SempronTM processors, include AMD-V TM a hardware-based virtualization technology needed to support XP mode.
Just remember that when using Windows Virtual PC (XP mode), you are essentially running two separate operating systems on your computer. If you don’t lock down that Virtual PC instance, you risk exposing your entire computer to a number of security risks. So remember to apply patches, turn on the Windows firewall, Windows Defender and install anti-virus software. In other words – whatever precautions you used to lockdown your Windows 7 environment? Take those same precautions for your Windows XP instance.
Microsoft has made a number of optimizations for the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) environment. Notable is an enhanced version of the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) that allows for remote video playback in Windows Media Player 7, multi-monitor support and the ability to print local, without having to install drivers on the server. AMD has worked closely with Microsoft to deliver highly optimized virtualization platforms. Keep in mind that a senior Gartner analyst has predicted that the fastest growing server workload running in the data centre over the next two to three years is going to be the desktop.
In addition to virtualization, AMD has provided very strong support in the graphics arena. In fact, AMD just announced the release of the company’s first WHQL-certified ATI CatalystTM graphics drivers for Windows 7 RTM this week. We’re excited for the new OS here at AMD. How about you?
Matthew Kimball is a Product Marketing Director at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Four-Socket Servers for Real World Virtualization
Posted by AMD in 1:37 PM
(3 votes, average: 3.33 out of 5)Customers are often asking what server configuration they should choose for their virtualization environment. Do they go with a 2-socket multi-core based system, the traditional building block of the Data Center, or should they select a 4-socket server, which typically has more RAS features and better capacity in terms of cores, memory, and I/O better support their needs? It’s kind of like choosing to go on vacation with that convertible you love to drive on the weekends or your trusty sedan that you go to work in every day! They both have their purpose but one may be better suited for the task at hand.
A recent survey conducted by Gabriel Consulting Group highlighted some interesting x86 server purchasing trends. The largest market for x86 servers is still the 2-socket based servers, with almost 40% of the respondents saying they are planning on purchasing “more” or “many more” systems in the coming year. But, the survey also reflected an increasing interest in 4-socket servers with 33% of the respondents saying they intend to purchase these systems in greater volumes.
A key driver in this trend towards larger servers is virtualization. When it comes to virtualization, there are compelling advantages to be realized in implementing 4-socket or even 8-socket systems;
- Reduced hardware footprint. Particularly important for data centers that are space constrained and want to use fewer numbers of larger servers to consolidate both infrastructure and business application workloads.
- More cores. There is evidence that 2P servers can adequately support a large number of virtual machines running very light workloads where each virtual machine uses one or at most two virtual CPUs to get the job done.
- o However, for more demanding workloads, the more virtual CPUs you can assign to each VM (in other words, the more cores you have available) the better each workload will run. It should be noted that VMware’s recently introduced vSphere product has increased capabilities to support up to 8 virtual CPUs per VM, anticipating the continued migration of more demanding, production-level applications to virtualized environments.
- o A good example of this is seen in a paper highlighting the best practices for deploying Citrix XenApp with XenServer for HP ProLiant servers, where scalability is shown to degrade if you assign more virtual CPUs than there are physical CPU cores.
- Larger memory footprint. The amount of memory available is particularly important for resource intensive workloads that process large amounts of information or stream data to many concurrent user sessions as is the case with a virtual desktop infrastructure. AMD OpteronTM processor-based 4-socket servers like the HP Proliant DL585 G5 and the Dell PowerEdge R905 can handle up to 256GB of memory per server while the HP Proliant DL785 and Sun Fire X4600 can handle up to 512GB of memory while 2-socket servers can only provide up to 144GB of memory.
- Additional headroom for peak workloads. Often more demanding workloads like transaction-based business applications have less predictable workloads that peak with high demand. The additional cores, memory, and I/O capabilities of 4-socket servers give you this scalability edge to handle these bursts.
- Consolidation of larger numbers of applications. While theoretically possible, most IT shops are currently not running hundreds of virtual machines on a single server. But, optimal virtual machine density is still a goal of many organizations implementing virtualization today. Four-socket servers provide a reliable and highly efficient platform for consolidation particularly for data intensive or more heavily utilized workload.
No discussion on the benefits of virtualization and 4-socket servers would be complete without addressing the aspect of ROI. There is a fantastic article recently posted by Collin MacMillan that shows Shanghai Refresh Delivers ROI in 2-months using Intel’s ROI calculations for a Nehalem server replacement that yields an ROI in eight months. Collin also references an Intel/IDC white paper that concludes, “Systems based on 4P platforms provide better consolidation ratios and scalability than 2P platforms.”
In the end it’s all about having the right balance of resources – CPU, memory, network and storage. As system utilization increases to 50% or more through virtualization, there is an increased demand for balanced systems with the potential for providing higher levels of CPU and memory resources.
One thing is for sure, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to virtualization. Customers are finding more and more workloads that are suitable for virtualization due to technology improvements like you see with AMD Opteron multi-core processors with AMD-VTM technology. So which one is going to get you to your destination, the convertible or the SUV?
Tim Mueting is a Product Marketing Manager at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Interoperable Management for Cloud Computing
Posted by Julie Lass in 2:54 PM
Today the DMTF (Distributed Management Task Force) announced it created a new group called the Open Cloud Standards Incubator to work on defining standards to help enable interoperable management of clouds. Many of the key leaders in the cloud computing space committed to collaborating in the Incubator to create standards that will be supported by the industry. You can read more about the announcement here.
This promising development in the cloud computing community helps address end-user concerns about cloud computing. Collaboration among cloud computing leaders can lead to easier management of cloud resources and improve interoperability between disparate private and public clouds.
DMTF is an industry standards group that brings the IT industry together to collaborate on the development, validation and promotion of systems management standards. Companies in the DMTF collaborate on management standards because our customers—IT customers—demand that we make our products easier to manage when they are deployed together in their environments. IT administrators do not want to be forced to use separate management tools and processes for each vendor’s product. That’s too complex and expensive.
The need for interoperable management is no different for a cloud computing environment. There are still multiple resources to manage from hardware systems and virtualized platforms to software and applications. In addition, clouds both within an enterprise and publicly available need to interoperate and, to some degree, be managed holistically. In order to make cloud computing easier to adopt and maintain, standards that simplify the management of these resources distributed among different clouds are needed.
Finally, I think the goal in the industry is to make cloud computing more cost effective, reliable and easier to maintain. We can help achieve this goal by putting good standards in place that we all support to simplify managing this complex environment. This standardization can help our customers significantly realize the full benefits of the cloud computing paradigm.
If you are attending Microsoft Management Summit this week you can stop by the DMTF booth (#437) and find out more about the organization and its standards. You can also visit AMD in booth #517 where we’ll be showing you some real-life examples of interoperable management with DMTF DASH.
Valerie K. Kane (@valeriekane) is a senior marketing manager at AMD and VP of Marketing for the DMTF. Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Saving the Best for Last
Posted by Julie Lass in 1:30 PM
Hello AMD community, and Happy Virtualization Ecosystems Month! We’re very excited to have been invited to take part in AMD’s celebration of all things “virtualization.” We’ve been technology partners for a long time and it’s great to have this relationship reflected in our blogs and social networking groups. You can see AMD blogging for Parallels here.
As you know, Advanced Micro Devices is all about developing the next generation of computing. Parallels leverages these continued advances in computing power in our innovative software. For instance, there are thousands of web hosters using our server virtualization software, Parallels Virtuozzo Containers, because it’s the most efficient method for virtualizing on a wide-scale. These hosters are now more fashionably called cloud providers; a market in which AMD and Parallels have been collaborating since, well… before “cloud computing” was cool.
Containers consume far fewer resources than other virtualization technologies, granting servers higher density and optimized performance: happy servers make for even happier IT professionals. The solutions we provide today wouldn’t be possible without working closely with top technology partners to take advantage of the latest innovations – without the right horsepower and processing architecture, virtualization would never achieve its full potential.
The success of recent industry events such as WebhostingDay 2009 and Parallels Summit 2009 has demonstrated the growing relevance of and interest in cloud computing. This is an exciting prospect for both AMD and Parallels with our long experience with the cloud; we look forward to helping customers evolve their IT infrastructure to be more powerful, easier to manage and – in a struggling global economy – very cost effective.
Here’s to continued success alongside our friends at AMD! Again, don’t forget to check out Margaret Lewis’ guest post at http://blogs.parallels.com/betweenthelines
Bryan Goode is
Vice President of Business Development at Parallels, located in Seattle, WA. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Any claims made herein have not been independently verified by AMD. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Virtualization Itself Is Not the End-Game – Making Enterprise Software Easier to Deploy, Manage, and Support Is
Posted by Julie Lass in 12:47 PM
As development partners, AMD and Oracle collaborate to take full advantage of industry-leading virtualization technologies which help customers reduce complexity, lower costs, and provide greater levels of flexibility. As part of Virtualization Ecosystem Month, I’m posting on AMD’s blog today to provide real-world examples of how Oracle VM Templates make enterprise software easier to deploy, manage, and support. Likewise, Margaret Lewis of AMD can be found on Oracle’s blog about industry virtualization drivers beyond consolidation.
It is all too easy to get caught up in virtualization itself as the ultimate goal when, in reality, the focus should be on the larger objectives you are trying to accomplish: virtualization is a means to an end, not a solution in- and of-itself. So what should be the goal then? You should be creating a data center where applications are radically simpler to deploy, manage, and support; where as much of the complexity is handled for you. And you should be able to do this without having to compromise on the level of sophistication or power of that solution: you should not have to accept a “dumbed-down” solution just to make deployment easy.
Over the last couple of years, the concept of the “virtual appliance” has been floating around with the idea that you just download software, packaged as a VM, start it up and use it without having to worry about the complexities of making sure all the dependencies are in place and that parameters are all configured, etc. Instead of spending weeks trying to figure out how to install and configure powerful software, you could just start using it. Until recently, the idea has been popular but actual use – at least in the Enterprise – has been fairly limited. Why? Because a complete solution requires virtualization software, operating systems, and applications that are all enterprise class and that can be packaged and distributed as a single, ready-to-go solution. In the absence of comprehensive standards, very few companies or communities have all the necessary components that they can legally distribute, so what has been created to date has mostly been made up of “demo” appliances that have not been suitable for enterprise use, certainly not in production. But that is finally changing.
Oracle is leveraging virtualization as part of a broader strategy to make your entire data center better. Oracle distributes an enterprise-class operating system with Oracle Enterprise Linux along with the broadest portfolio of enterprise software available, all of which is officially certified and supported on Oracle VM server virtualization and management software. This means all of it can be distributed to users packaged as pre-configured virtual machines. We call these Oracle VM Templates and they are packaged and licensed for use in the production enterprise today, not just proof-of-concept VMs comprised of limited functionality components. How would you like to be up and running with a Siebel CRM instance or an Oracle Real Application Cluster (RAC) in about an hour after you download the Template? And how would you feel knowing you were deploying software installed and configured by the experts at Oracle so you know it is complete and reliable (but that you can still fully customize it and save it as an updated Template)? And finally, how would you feel knowing it is all officially supported by a single call to the largest enterprise software company in the world and not simply by a collection of miscellaneous vendors and user forums? A better way to get going faster, easier, and with low risk.
But Oracle VM Templates are not just for Oracle to use. It is technology for users and for the software development community as well. Oracle VM and Oracle Enterprise Linux from Oracle are not only open source they are also free and free for redistribution without a contract from Oracle. That means you can build your own Oracle VM Templates, including Oracle Enterprise Linux configured as you like, with your own software and distribute the whole solution at will. No longer are users stuck trying to find an OS that is Enterprise class AND has a free license AND is re-distributable for free AND that has 24×7 global support. Suddenly, enterprise class “appliances”‘ seem real and practical for everyone.
This is what virtualization is about: making your applications easier to deploy, manage, and support up and down the stack. For more on Oracle VM and Templates, see the website at oracle.com/virtualization.
Adam Hawley is Director of Product Management at Oracle and has contributed this guest blog. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
Rapid Virtualization Indexing with Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V
Posted by Julie Lass in 4:10 PM
Hello, my name is Bryon Surace. I’m a senior program manager on the Windows virtualization team within the Server & Tools Business at Microsoft. Today’s announcement by AMD highlighting our two companies’ cooperative development efforts marks another milestone in Microsoft and AMD’s continued efforts to deliver an industry-leading virtualization platform that matches processor enhancement with Hyper-V technology advancements.
Hyper-V, as a feature of Windows Server 2008, relies upon hardware-assisted virtualization, such as AMD-Virtualization (AMD-V). The use of this technology is a design principle of Microsoft’s virtualization architecture that is continuing with the upcoming Windows Server 2008 R2 (now in beta).
Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V, builds upon the solid foundation laid in Windows Server 2008. Of the many virtualization enhancements being made in Release 2, a few of the key features take advantage of advancements included in the newest generation processors.
Specifically Hyper-V, as part of Windows Server 2008 R2, will take full advantage of Second Level Address Translation such as AMD’s Rapid Virtualization Indexing (RVI) (formerly known as Nested Page Tables). Through RVI, the AMD processor provides two levels of address translation. This additional page table is used to translate guest physical addresses to system physical address allowing the guest to control its own page tables. This negates the need for the hypervisor to intercept the guest’s modifications of the page tables. This model provides virtualization overhead improvement as compared with traditional software shadow page tables.
In Windows Server 2008 R2, Hyper-V can use the AMD RVI technology to increase performance of the virtualization platform and results in system resource savings. These savings include a drop in Hypervisor CPU time as well as a reduction in memory overhead.
The continued cooperative development efforts between Microsoft and AMD are highly valued and critical in delivering great virtualization technology.
If you have more questions about Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V, or about other Microsoft server, desktop, or management virtualization products, check out Edwin Yuen’s web chat on March 31. It’s 8am-noon PST. Register and submit questions ahead of time here.
Thanks to AMD for allowing me to post a guest blog.
Bryon Surace a senior program manager on the Windows virtualization team within the Server & Tools Business at Microsoft. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Any claims made herein have not been independently verified by AMD. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.