By VSM News Staff published: Monday, December 29 2003
With the virtualization market heating up, you may want to take LeoStream Controller for a test run.
Gartner Inc. recently advised clients :" Enterprises should start now to build a multiyear strategy for server virtualization". They also state that by 2008, enterprises that do not leverage virtualization technologies will spend 25 percent more annually for hardware, software, labor and space for Intel servers. Gartner is saying that 2004 will be the Year of Virtualization.
So if you currently are moving from the proof of concept stage of one or two Vmware servers to a serious expansion this year or you are planning a large rollout of Vmware or Microsoft Virtual Server during 2004; how would one manage multiple virtual servers? Well, it's not simple and your OEM doesn't give you the software to do it at no cost. To manage virtual machines software one should consider Leostream VMC 2.0 product. LeoStream is the only choice at this time for users that will deploy Microsoft's Virtual Server.
Vmware recently set the bar for controller software with its much anticipated announcement of Virtual Center. Virtual Center currently only works with Vmware ESX and not GSX, Workstation or the Microsoft product. The LeoStream VMC product works with all flavors of Vmware and Virtual Server. One can even manage a mix of Vmware and Microsoft virtual servers. This feature will become more important later this year as it is anticipated that enterprises will continue to use Vmware for production environments and probably mix in Virtual Server for test and development needs.
Microsoft Virtual will lower the entry price to virtual computing at the server level and it is expected that Virtual Server will be free to subscribers to Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN).
For Vmware users there are several options which include offerings by PlateSpin and Vmware's Virtual Center offers an add on module that LeoStream does not support at this time called Vmotion. Vmware touts Vmotion as : "Enables zero-downtime maintenance and ensures 100% service availability". Initial user feedback on Vmotion has been excellent. A SAN is required for Vmotion. Vmotion will allow users to move live, operating applications from one physical machine to another without disruption.
Enterprises requiring 100% uptime should consider Virtual Center and the Vmotion add-on. If 100% uptime is not paramount, then an evaluation of the LeoStream controller is suggested.
LeoStream's architecture allows scalability and its clean design offers users a simple product to install, maintain, and support. A network administrator can have VMC up and running within an hour.
Leostream VMC 2.0 is available as a software download from Leostream's Web site and has a base price of $2,800, plus a per-processor licensing fee of $300 for managed host systems. This is about half the price of Vmware's Virtual Center; although Vmware does offer attractive bundled pricing of ESX with some other products through it Virtual Infrastructure Node product. The LeoStream VMC also includes at no cost P2V software, a tool making it easier to take a physical machine and bring it over to a virtual system. By taking a snap shot of the physical system and moving it to a virtual system, the tool can save administrators from hours to weeks of time by reducing the time that it takes in what can be a labor intensive process.
Virtual Strategy Recommended Action:
Include LeoStream VMC in your plans to evaluate software to control and manage your virtual machines. Leostream, Inc. can be reached at 781 229 2298 (
info@leostream.com)
For a trail of VMC - http://www.leostream.com/signUp.html
