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This is simply a check-the-features-list work and, as the virtual machine softwares are very actively developed and the supported features can vary rapidly, it should be really done against the latest released virtualizer version. Or you do you need live migration? Remove the incapable virtualizers from the list. For example, do you need the capability to do many snapshots? Good, simply remove from the list the virtualizers who don't have it (anyone said VMware server?). Speaking about the feature level, the choice is very straightforward: simply discard the virtualizers that do not meet your level. It should met the required performance level To simplify the situation, let define three requirements that a good virtual machine software must satisfy, in relevance order:
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So, be prepared to a furious battle between VMware vs Virtualbox vs KVM vs Xen! As the remaining commercial, non-free virtualizator are designed for the upper end of the market (datacenters or large-sized corporates), this article will focus on available, free virtual machine softwares. While it has its set of problems and complications, when used correctly this technology can really please you with some great advantages over the one-operating-system-for-one-server paradigm vastly used in the x86 arena.īut, assumed that virtual machines make sense in your environment, what is the best virtualization software to choose? There are many virtualizer and paravirtualizer available today, and some once-commercial virtualization softwares are now freely released (for examples, think to VMware Server and Citrix XenServer).
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Why? Simply stated, this technology promise better server utilization, better server management, better power efficiency, and, oh yes, some other random pick of better things! The obvious question is if virtual machines technology really provide this better experience. Today, “Virtual machine” seems to be a magic words in the computer industry.
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