Slashdot Mirror
Longhorn Server Will Stress Virtualization
Rob writes in with an article from CBROnline based on an interview with Microsoft's UK server director. He says the timing of the release of the next version of Microsoft's server OS, dubbed Longhorn, depends on the company getting virtualization ready to go. Microsoft has apparently decided to embed its hypervisor technology into Windows, an OS-centric approach to virtualization shared by XenSource Inc., its open-source rival and partner. This contrasts with the model of virtualizing the hardware layer being pursued by VMWare. The Microsoft spokesman is coy about a release date for Longhorn, saying it could be earlier or it could be later (but it should be in 2007).
Is it Long and Horny, or is it Micro and Soft?
This will work fine if all the servers you want to run on a given machine are MS. I like VMWare for the fact that you can load Windows on one VM, Linux on another, and Solaris on yet another. The folks at PACCAR are running massive numbers of systems on a single Blade.
What I would like MS to give us is a Virtual Platform OS, much like VMWare's ESX server. Give me an extremely lightweight OS geard towards Virtualizing the HW layer, then let me load anything into each VM.
As far as I know, VMWare is the only one doing that.
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong fix.
Microsoft seems to be TERRIFIED of VMware (EMC). Why? Is is because VMware allows the use of Windows UNDER Linux? (Whereas, it seems, Microsofts preferred approach will be Linux under Windows?).
Of course, having Linux as the HOST OS means that driver vendors will have to support Linux more in the enterprise. And, I believe that Linux is the "better" OS in that the kernel has gone through a more stringent review process.
But all of these statements -- that the Windows Virtualization Technology will be stunning, that Virtualization belongs in the OS, etc. seems to be thowing FUD directly at VMware (and, I assure you, the VMware product is "stunning" -- I particularly like the Server product running on Linux).
To my knowledge (or my opinion, if you prefer), Microsoft ONLY reacts this strongly if their platform is being threatened. And I don't see what the introduction of a bit more enterprise driver support does to threaten Windows.
Ok, I have a guess: It could be that Linux is so good that it makes for a more solid OS base. This then provides a compelling platform to begin virtualizing Windows Servers on. But, if the enterprise is ALREADY basing on Linux, why not start transitioning to native Linux? After all, its stable enough to host Windows, right? A chink in the platform.
But that implies that Microsoft believes that Linux is that good...
Just another "Cubible(sic) Joe" 2 17 3061
Where did this story come from? 2005?
I'm pretty sure Longhorn Server will stress just about everyone who comes into contact with it.
Awesome! Here's how it will almost be implemented.
Beta 1 will have it. It will totally destabilize the OS.
Beta 2 will not have it, but it will be replaced with shiny graphics.
Beta 2.5 will have to remove the shiny graphics, because these too will destabilize the system.
Beta 3 will put it back, working perfectly.
Rc 1 will be totally unstable and also have gaping security holes.
Rc 2 will look like Server 2000
Rc 3 will look like "longhorn" but without the virtualization. However, the shiny graphics will be there.
Anyone signing up for the "upgrade"? I hope you like vapour.
blah blah blah