...the x86 architecture, they put no support for virtualisation in it because everybody thought that was something for the mainframes. VMware looked and said CPUs have gotten so fast, memory and disks have gotten so cheap, and there's full distributed networking and file systems, so the time is right to revisit this. In fact, the first project we called Disco because it, too, was something from the early '70s, but we modernised it and invented a lot of new functionality and brought it to commodity systems.
With VMware's software, an operating system or higher-level software thinks it's talking to a processor, but VMware software intercepts those commands and juggles the demands of multiple partitions?
Yes, the operating system thinks it owns the whole machine, it thinks it's talking to an x86 processor. Wherever we can, we let the instructions go directly to the hardware. Where we have to, we intercept them and [share hardware] resources.
For a long time, x86 chips couldn't do this. Now, all of a sudden Intel and AMD are putting in virtualisation features — Virtualisation Technology in the case of Intel, Pacifica in the case of AMD. How does that change things?
I'll just say we went to those companies right when we started and said, "Would you please add this support?" We knew it would make [VMware software] run better. So this is something we're very excited about and very supportive of. They're adding support for virtualisation so it will run even faster and be a little bit simpler to do.
But with VMware, there's a performance hit?
It varies on the workload. If it's a very CPU-intensive thing it can be as little as 1 percent to 2 percent. On average maybe it's 15 percent.
We now have some open source competition for you guys through the project of Xen, and Microsoft has arrived on the scene through its acquisition of Connectix. What's changed for you?
It's a huge testament to the value of having this virtualisation layer, and in that sense we find it really exciting. Microsoft, right now, is on a hosted product where you already have an operating system sitting there. They've said that they're going to move to an architecture, like our ESX Server, that's hypervisor-based. We hope to partner with Microsoft. We think we do great things for Windows and helping them bring Windows into the data centre, and we think this is a big universe. Then there's the open source [Xen]. For customers, it's not something you can use.
With all this industry interest, you need to bring...
For more, click here...
Talkback
Me thinks that the future of virtual machines (as in virtual workspace) is in being able to function as a gadget for web-based portals. Meaning, someone connects and authenticates to a web based portal and that makes it possible to open up a virtual machine (within the web browser) in which a (not web based yet) application can do its thing.
Me also thinks that as the price for hardware and software licences goes down the business case for virtual machines (as in virtual servers) will become less attractive. Given also that, like it or not, virtual machines do add to the complexity and risk management factors by violating the proven rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid. As in: favour the option that lets you achieve the same with less components. Murphy can tell you why. On the other hand: working fallback capabilities and diversity help ensure business continuity in the longer run.
Other things to keep in mind: there are always more ways then one to achieve goals. Including options that would enable to use existing hardware for a couple of more years and just add what you're lacking in one creative way or the other..
My advise would be to know what you have overall and how it works (A), know what you need overall and working how some time from now (B), figure out at least two ways to get from A to B in a certain level of detail (because certain details matter in IT and most of those are not technical in nature), choose, plan the work, work the plan and stick to it.
If however you find along the way that things don't work out as pictured then don't be afraid to rediscover A and B again because most organizations learn the most along the way. Seldom do they get it right the first time. So build in room for such events beforehand.