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Server Virtualization - Windows Server 2008

Server virtualization [hardware virtualization] enables multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine as virtual machines [VMs].

The key beneftis of virtualization include:

Consolidate workloads of underutilized server machines onto a smaller number of fully utilized machines.
Fewer physical machines - reduced costs through lower hardware, energy, and management overhead,
More dynamic IT infrastructure

Windows Server 2008 Virtualization

Windows Server 2008 fully supports server virtualization with everything needed built right into the operating system as Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V.

Hyper-V and simple licensing policies make it easy to take advantage of the cost savings of virtualization through Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V

Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, the next-generation hypervisor-based server virtualization technology. It allows companies to better utilise server hardware investments by:

Consolidating multiple server roles as separate virtual machines [VMs] running on a single physical machine

Efficiently run multiple different operating systems—Windows, Linux, and others—in parallel, on a single server

Fully leverage the power of x64 computing

Server Consolidation

IT goals of reducing management and costs whilst retaining and enhancing competitive advantages [flexibility, reliability, scalability, and security] benefit from a lower total cost of ownership [TCO], from both lower hardware requirements and lower power, cooling, and management costs.

Server virtualization supports infrastructure optimization through asset utilization s as well as the ability to balance workloads across different resources.

Improved flexibility allows free integration of 32-bit and 64-bit workloads in the same environment.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Hyper-V promotes business continuity by minimizing both scheduled and unscheduled downtime through powerful features, such as live backup and quick migration.

Disaster recovery is a key component of business continuity. The geographically dispersed clustering capabilities of Windows Server 2008, Hyper-V provide support for disaster recovery [DR] within IT environments and across data centers. This helps ensure minimal data loss and provides remote management capabilities.

Testing and Development

Using virtual machines, development staffs can create and test a wide variety of scenarios in a safe, self-contained environment that closely resembles the real world operation of physical servers and clients.

This reduces testing costs, improves life cycle management, and improves test coverage.

Dynamic Data Center

Hyper-V, contribues towards attaining a dynamic data center, providing self-managing dynamic systems and operational agility. Automated virtual machine reconfiguration, flexible resource control, and quick migration, allows a dynamic IT environment to meet both current and future demands.

Key Features of Hyper-V

Architecture - 64-bit micro-kernelized hypervisor provides wide device support in terms of both improved performance and security.

OS Support - for multiple operating systems [32-bit and 64-bit] across different server platforms, such as Windows and Linux.

Symmetric Multiprocessors [SMP] Support - up to four multiple processors in a virtual machine environment to suport multi-threaded applications in a virtual machine.

Network Load Balancing - virtual switch capabilities means virtual machines can be easily configured to run with Windows Network Load Balancing [NLB] Service.

Hardware Sharing Architecture - virtual service provider/virtual service client (VSP/VSC) architecture, Hyper-V provides improved access and utilization of core resources, such as disk, networking, and video.

Quick Migration - migrate a running virtual machine from one physical host system to another with minimal downtime.

Virtual Machine Snapshot - take snapshots of a running virtual machine to restore state, improving overall backup and recoverability.

Scalability - vertically scale to support a large number of virtual machines within a given host.

Extensible - standards-based Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) interfaces and APIs in Hyper-V supports rapid build of custom tools, utilities, and enhancements for the virtualization platform.

Microsoft Application Virtualization

Microsoft Application Virtualization [formerly SoftGrid Application Virtualization] is a more fine-grained virtualization solution that complements Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V.

Instead of virtualizing an entire operating system, MAV virtualizes only the applications, even applications that normally conflict, multiple versions of the same application, and many applications that previously could not run in parallel.