Despite the virtual server software has been popular for the more mainstream and common platform, virtual server software remains a premium feature: price. While virtualization promises through the integration of multiple servers to one physical server to reduce the cost of purchasing hardware, but, until recently, virtual server software, prices are still high, each server virtualization software licenses typically require thousands of dollars. This day will soon end.
Research firm Info-Tech Research senior analyst John Sloan noted that he and his colleagues are expected to partition a physical server to virtual machine management software, many will be a free product. In 2007, Info-Tech also forecast 2008 global virtualization software market will see fierce competition. Both forecasts are reasonable. He said the price rise to rebuild the virtual machine is Microsoft's most recent event as part of Windows Server 2008 software is released Hyper-V virtualization management software. Microsoft's pricing of the initial 28 dollars per server, with industry leaders to stir up price war between VMware. Rapid introduction of the free VMware ESXi virtualization management software to Microsoft's counter-attack. ESXi is VMware's ESX product of a high-level features limited version.
Of course, no amount of free lunch, even in the field of open source software project support and ad-supported Web services as well. On a single physical server, the ability to create multiple virtual systems has become a commodity and can be downloaded free of charge at the same time, the number of virtual machines with explosive growth may bring confusion to the virtual environment, virtual environment management has become the latest company competitive battleground. In fact, virtualization has taken a familiar business model. This business model was first used razor and blade industry, and then from the inkjet printer to the online application, and many businesses are adopting this business model. That is: giving the basic product, and then in the relevant choice, accessories, consumables and services, and money.
Basic management procedures: server consolidation tool
Hosted on a server the ability for multiple operating systems on a comprehensive virtual environment is a necessary step, however, is not a comprehensive solution. Citrix virtualization and management company's chief technology officer Simon Crosby said management procedures should be used as an engine, not a car. Crosby has been created to commercialize and expand the company XenSource open source Xen virtualization platform. He now believes that a free open source software management program is a development platform, not suitable for production applications. This is like buying a car needs its own assembly.
Although the free open source software management program for Linux experts to understand technology is attractive, but most businesses can not rely on their ability to run such a production platform and seek commercial alternatives. Fortunately, as Sloan predicted, the virtual machine following the "engine" of management procedures, indeed, become an almost no cost of goods. Free product that allows the server hardware does not affect the performance of almost the case of multiple guest operating systems hosted. However, this management process can only manage a free virtualization environment, server management flexibility fraction.
Sloan pointed out that in fact there are two management procedures. The first is the so-called bare metal management program that can run on the server directly, without intermediate operating system. The second is a hosted management process, requires an underlying operating system support. The first management program can provide better performance and higher integration of proportion, but the software has always been very expensive. Recently, however, Microsoft Hyper-V technology-induced price war has removed the software's high prices. Still, Sloan warned that, despite free management process software license for each virtual machine is still a cost, because the Windows client operating system running on the server, or RedHat Linux and other commercial software licenses are required of non- .
Crosby认为，免费的管理程序是吸引IT部门熟悉虚拟化技术的诱饵，是在少量的和功能更强大的服务器中进行服务器整合的一种载体。遗憾的是，这种最简单的服务器虚拟化方式无助于改善管理效率，尽管你也许能够在一台物理服务器上运行10个虚拟机系统，你仍需要管理这10个系统。Sloan指出，这种情况对于正在升级老式硬件的中小企业仍是有益的，因为虚拟化能够让现有的10台或者20台服务器整合为1台或者2台新的服务器。
使用虚拟机管理软件创建一个虚拟化的环境
一旦IT部门适应了在一台服务器上运行多个虚拟机，增强可靠性、容量管理和灾难恢复的可能性就出现了。这正是商业虚拟化软件厂商目前努力的重点。据市场研究公司Forrester Research的分析师Galen Schreck称，除了管理软件本身，要成功地部署和管理虚拟环境你还需要两种额外的工具：迁移/容量规划工具和一个系统管理平台。虽然他说大多数厂商提供的在物理服务器和虚拟服务器之间进行迁移的工具都是免费的，但是，负载平衡自动化、虚拟服务器灾难恢复、高级容量规划和管理软件等产品肯定不是免费的。
Sloan说，随着管理程序更像是一种商品，虚拟机基础设施管理软件将成为一种差异化因素。随着竞争从管理软件领域发展到全面的虚拟化管理领域，免费的或者接近免费的管理程序与免费的虚拟化不是一回事。虽然每一家厂商的免费产品对于基本的服务器整合项目是够用的，但是，企业如果要得到灾难恢复、灵活的容量管理和负载平衡等其它虚拟化好处，就需要购买商品化的产品。