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Top 10 Server Virtualization platforms
October 21, 2024 | Editor: Michael Stromann
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Server virtualization platforms allow to setup virtual servers with needed operation system, port and run business applications. They also allow to create virtual desktop infrastructure and software-defined storage.
1
Build your own cloud infrastructure in your datacenter and remote sites on VMware vSphere the world’s leading server virtualization platform. Virtualize your x86 server resources and aggregate them into logical pools for allocation of multiple workloads. Get network services optimized for the virtual environment, along with simplified administration and management. Reduce the complexity of back-end storage systems and enable the most efficient storage utilization in cloud infrastructures.
2
KVM (for Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a full virtualization solution for Linux on x86 hardware containing virtualization extensions (Intel VT or AMD-V). It consists of a loadable kernel module, kvm.ko, that provides the core virtualization infrastructure and a processor specific module, kvm-intel.ko or kvm-amd.ko. KVM also requires a modified QEMU although work is underway to get the required changes upstream.
3
Proxmox Virtual Environment is a complete server virtualization management solution, based on KVM virtualization and containers. Powerful and easy to use - Complete server virtualization management with KVM and containers.
4
Citrix Hypervisor (formerly Citrix XenServer) is a leading virtualization management platform optimized for application, desktop and server virtualization infrastructures. Consolidation and containment of workloads on Citrix Hypervisor enables organizations of any vertical or size to transform their business IT compute infrastructures.
5
Microsoft Hyper-V provides enterprise-class virtualization for your datacenter and hybrid cloud. Bolster IT efficiency and flexibility with the faster application deployment and maintenance that Microsoft virtualization solutions deliver. Reduce costs by consolidating more workloads on fewer servers and increase agility using the same virtualization platform on-premises and in the cloud.
6
The industry’s most popular hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) solution. Effortlessly leverage cloud-like agility and ease of use, coupled with on-premises security and control, as you leave behind the complexity and cost of legacy solutions.
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Xen Project is a type-1 hypervisor, providing services that allow multiple computer operating systems to execute on the same computer hardware concurrently.
8
Oracle VirtualBox is a powerful virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2. See "About VirtualBox" for an introduction.
9
Red Hat Virtualization is an open, software-defined platform that virtualizes Linux and Microsoft Windows workloads. Built on Red Hat Enterprise Linux and the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM), it features management tools that virtualize resources, processes, and applications—giving you a stable foundation for a cloud-native and containerized future.
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OpenVZ is container-based virtualization for Linux. OpenVZ creates multiple secure, isolated Linux containers (otherwise known as VEs or VPSs) on a single physical server enabling better server utilization and ensuring that applications do not conflict. Each container performs and executes exactly like a stand-alone server; a container can be rebooted independently and have root access, users, IP addresses, memory, processes, files, applications, system libraries and configuration files.
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Virtuozzo Containers is an operating system virtualization solution that maximizes your investment in server hardware. Virtuozzo Containers is uniquely suited to Cloud server virtualization, enabling near instant provisioning and on-the-fly modification of hosting and Cloud server plans while delivering maximum density, cost efficiency and application performance.
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HiveIO's Hive Fabric enables customers to deliver virtual desktops, virtual servers, and software defined storage, in a single install, within 45 minutes, and without the need for specialists.
Important news about Server Virtualization platforms
2022. Broadcom to acquire VMware in massive $61B deal
In a universe where corporate acquisitions are as common as slightly disappointing cups of tea, Broadcom has decided to hitch its wagon to the virtualization behemoth VMware for the galactically staggering sum of $61 billion. VMware, you see, was rather unceremoniously ejected from Dell's orbit last year, and now Broadcom is picking up not just the core virtualization tech that put VMware on the map, but also an impressive array of other baubles it gathered along its journey—like Heptio for containerization (buzzword alert!), Pivotal for herding companies into the modern era, and Carbon Black for fending off digital nasties. Mind you, this isn't Broadcom's first rodeo; it previously splashed $18 billion on CA Technologies to collect some old-school enterprise software and another $11 billion on Symantec's security relics, proving that in the world of acquisitions, Broadcom is the kind of entity that orders the entire menu just to see if it likes anything.
2022. Citrix to be acquired for $16.5B, merged with Tibco
Citrix, the established virtualization behemoth that has been gradually shifting towards cloud computing, is being acquired by private equity firms Vista Equity Partners and Evergreen Coast Capital for $16.5 billion. Vista intends to merge Citrix with Tibco, which it purchased in 2014 for $4.3 billion. Before this deal, Citrix spent $2.25 billion to acquire project management platform Wrike. Integrating it with TIBCO's analytics software could provide real-time access to more rapid and intelligent insights from the ever-growing volumes of data at their disposal.
2021. Microsoft launches Windows 365 - simple virtual desktop service
Microsoft today introduced Windows 365, a service that allows businesses to easily enable their employees to access a Windows 10 desktop from the cloud (with Windows 11 to be available once it’s fully launched). Microsoft already provides Azure Virtual Desktop, which lets businesses offer their employees access to a Windows PC in the cloud. However, Windows 365 is designed to be much simpler to use and avoids the complexity of setting up a complete Azure Virtual Desktop environment in the Azure cloud. Windows 365 caters to smaller businesses and is available through a straightforward subscription service.
2020. Microsoft makes it easier to get started with Windows Virtual Desktops
Windows Virtual Desktop is Microsoft’s service for providing employees with access to a virtualized desktop environment on Azure, allowing IT departments to run multiple Windows 10 sessions on the same hardware. Now Microsoft is introducing a completely new management interface for this service, making it much easier for administrators to get started. Along with simplifying the management experience, Microsoft is also enabling the use of Microsoft Teams for video calls within these virtual desktop environments, thanks to a feature called ‘A/V redirection’ that lets users connect their local audio and video equipment to virtual machines with minimal latency. However, this feature will take another month or so to fully roll out.
2019. HiveIO Hive Fabric 7.4 allows to deploy virtualization technology without vendor complexity
HiveIO launched version 7.4 of Hive Fabric, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled solution that allows organizations to implement virtualization technology without vendor intricacies or the need for experts. Users can now add an extra layer of security to the desktop broker by activating two-factor authentication (2FA). This requires end-users to use both a password and an additional form of verification to access a desktop. With the new Gateway Mode, users can position a server or virtual machine (VM) running Hive Fabric in a demilitarized zone. This improves the security of an environment by separating roles and responsibilities for each server. Additionally, administrators can now upload an update or new version and automatically apply it to the entire cluster with a single click.
2019. Parallels RAS 17 makes it easy to deliver apps, desktops and data
With Parallels’ new RAS 17, IT teams can enable employees to access their corporate applications and virtual desktops from virtually any device. A productive user experience (UX) provided by Parallels RAS supports users on Windows, Linux, Mac android, iOS, Chromebook, thin clients, as well as HTML5 browsers. Users with an iPhone, iPad, or Android device can even utilize familiar native touch gestures to seamlessly interact with virtual files and be truly efficient from anywhere. Additionally, with a redesigned console, Parallels RAS promises to allow administrators to deploy and manage their entire infrastructure from a single interface. Parallels RAS is compatible with various types of infrastructure—on-premise, hybrid, or multicloud, including Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services, for example. This flexibility enables IT teams and organizations to be more adaptable.
2019. Microsoft launched own Windows Virtual Desktop service
Virtual desktop services have been long provided by Microsoft's numerous cloud partners and now the company has realized that it can do it alone. The new Windows Virtual Desktop service (which is now available for companies on Microsoft Azure cloud platform) allows to install Windows, Office and other software licenses on the cloud, but not on employees' computers. And employees will be able to work with their software via a virtual desktop. What is the sense of this? First, it allows even an old Win7 computer to work fast and provide Windows 10. Second, it is more convenient for the administrator to create new workplaces, maintain them and ensure security. The service itself is free. You only pay for the additional Azure resources (memory, CPU time) that you consume.
2017. Microsoft Azure shifts its focus to Kubernetes
When it comes to container orchestration, Kubernetes is rapidly becoming the standard, even though Docker Swarm and Mesos/Mesosphere DC/OS are still carving out their own spaces. For a long time, Microsoft emphasized that one of the benefits of its managed Azure Container Service (ACS) was its compatibility with various orchestration tools. However, this is changing and Microsoft is rebranding the Azure Container Service to AKS, with K standing for Kubernetes. AKS itself is free, but you still incur costs for the VMs that actually run your containers. This differs from the Google Container Engine, which charges users a fixed fee per hour and cluster on its service. It’s a nominal fee, but it’s not free.
2017. Docker offers native Kubernetes support
Kubernetes, the open-source tool developed by Google, has triumphed in the container technology arena. So Docker has announced native support for Kubernetes. The company hasn’t entirely abandoned its own orchestration tool, Docker Swarm, but by incorporating native Kubernetes support for the first time, it is acknowledging that the tool is used widely enough to warrant built-in support. To mitigate the impact of supporting a competitor's tool, Docker is providing an architecture that allows users to choose an orchestration engine at runtime. This can be either Swarm or Kubernetes each time, without needing to modify the code.
2017. Pivotal, VMware and Google forge container partnership
Pivotal, VMware and Google have collaborated on a containerization initiative that the companies claim will simplify the creation, deployment and management of container projects at scale. Google contributes Kubernetes, the open-source container orchestration tool. Pivotal adds the Platform as a Service component with Cloud Foundry, while VMware introduces a management layer to integrate everything. Google will offer it as part of the Google Cloud Platform. Pivotal and VMware will have their sales teams promoting it and Dell-EMC (which owns Pivotal and VMware) may bundle it with their hardware offerings.
