Microsoft Corp. next month will release Virtual Server 2005, its first foray into server virtualization and a key element of the broad management platform the company is creating for Windows.
The oft-delayed technology from Microsoft allows multiple operating systems to run side-by-side on a single physical machine. The technology will ship on Oct. 1, according to Microsoft officials. A 180-day evaluation copy will be available on Sept. 13.
News source: InfoWorld Virtual Server 2005 runs on Windows Server 2003, which is called the “host” operating system and lets users create virtual machines that can run other operating systems, called the “guest” operating system, including Windows NT and 2000, Linux, Unix, and OS/2.
While users have been anticipating the release of the technology for more than a year, one burning question has been about the support policy for software running inside the virtual machine.
Microsoft said it is only offering support for Windows operating systems that run on the virtual machines and that virtual machines within Virtual Server will be optimized for Windows storage and networking performance.
