The long-awaited Microsoft Virtual Server dubbed Hyper-V has now been released. At $28 a license, versus $7, 000 – $14,00 for VMware ESX, it should be well received with the economy possibly suffering from a recession.
Should you install Hyper-V instead of VMware VI? Let’s see, one of the many purposes of virtualization is to consolidate physical servers, especially those on old hardware that is out of warranty, to new hardware still in warranty. Granted VMware VI has quite a few whistles and bells such as HA, DRS, and vMotion but I’m sure Microsoft will soon be able to duplicate these features and at $28, it might be worth the risk to consolidate those files, print, or web servers to Hyper-V.
Here’s what Microsoft has to say about Hyper-V
Introducing Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V
Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, the next-generation hypervisor-based server virtualization technology, allows you to make the best use of your server hardware investments by consolidating multiple server roles as separate virtual machines (VMs) running on a single physical machine. With Hyper-V, you can also efficiently run multiple different operating systems—Windows, Linux, and others—in parallel, on a single server, and fully leverage the power of x64 computing. Read more…
Where’s the catch Microsoft?
Here’s the catch, I think… I searched around and couldn’t find a version of Hyper-V that installs on Windows Server 2003, so you’ll need Windows 2008 to run Hyper-V. Does that mean more Microsoft license fees? This may not be a problem if you’re a Windows shop already headed in this direction and the money’s already in your IT budget, but what about shops that can’t upgrade due to strict compliance rules? Are they out of luck until Windows Server 2008 is approved for production? These are just a few questions I’ll have to research.
VMinstall.com Hyper-V Trials
I decided to download Windows Server 2008 and get started learning Hyper-V. More blogs to come on this subject. Here’s a link to Microsoft’s Hyper-V downloads (actually for Windows Server 2008 with Hyper-V) if you’re interested in testing out Hyper-V. Download Hyper-V
Also, here’s a step-by-step guide and instructions for how to install Hyper-V.
Hyper-V Installation Prerequisites and Requirements
VMware Virtual Infrastructure Vs. Microsoft Server 2008 Hyper-V
It’s too early to call a winner but I would definitely suggest checking out Hyper-V. I know first hand how expensive VMware renewals are so maybe if you don’t need all the whistles and bells that VMware offers, setting up a couple of Windows Server 2008 machines with Hyper-V might save you some money. Don’t get me wrong, I love VMware but I’ve supported it long enough to have formed an opinion on some of the downside (support and costs).
Here’s where I cut you loose to decide for yourself and please remember to recommend VMinstall.com to your friends.
