Virtualization software tool is available to customers who pre-packaged, and the application layer with a small operating system, most of them are server-level. In essence, the virtual machine is independent software vendors or system integrators to create, not by IT managers to create, and virtual software applications and hardware to help reduce the host virtual machine operating system or other applications of potential conflicts, reducing the possibility of system crashes, and improves system security.
Many companies have virtual software tools are very enthusiastic. They include the mainstream virtualization vendors, such as rPath, and VMware, Linux vendors such as Red Hat, Canonical and Novell, application vendors such as Oracle.
For example, Novell is currently working on SUSE Studio tool suite, the suite allows manufacturers to SUSE Linux Enterprise 11 for JEOS (minimum of resources, the operating system) version of the above is very easy to set up their version of the application virtualization. This conclusion is based on last week with Novell senior vice president and general manager of Open Platform Solutions's Markus Rex dialogue to get.
Market research firm IDC also like to see a long-term virtual software tools development. Although IDC expects this is only part of the market is 156.3 million U.S. dollars, but in 2012, IDC expects the value of the virtual software applications will reach 1.2 billion U.S. dollars. The Linux-based applications and the Windows-based applications of these have the same momentum, which is a tool for each platform will account for half of the market; and Unix-based applications that were far off into the third position .
And with server virtualization and application of pre-configured hardware into the mainstream (think about LAMP Web Servers, or Oracle, the database machine), allows the company has gradually accepted the virtual software tools.
According to IDC survey released by the month, 302 U.S. companies 20% of IT managers believe that they have in the manufacturing process to run some virtualization software tools, compared to last year's 7% rate of increase of 3 times. And medium-sized companies are doing the most to this deployment, the use of network management tools and business applications, such as the most popular ERP.
IT managers can not accept the concept
Despite the various virtualization vendors have clear support, virtualization applications are still not sure whether to keep up with the pace of the market, according to Illuminata Inc. analyst Gordon Haff said.
"Virtualization software tools are indeed very interesting idea, but I am afraid that IT managers do not plan to buy," he said.
One of the reasons is the virtualization of data center software tools trying to get some of the content of the work to more smoothly, through the priority being placed on the operating system. For most people, this is an unacceptable result, Haff said.
"Frankly would, IT has been used to the operating system is very important to this thinking. They are used to verify a specific operating system version of the software usability," he said, "so that the operating system as part of their application in terms of is a mental leap. "
There are other companies point of view, such as Peter Schmidt said, they are more willing to control the establishment of a virtual machine, rather than obtain from other manufacturers.
"We made a lot of things within the company", Schmidt said he is planning a media company located in Chicago, director of operations.
Haff said the agreement, he pointed out, Linux operating system such as Red Hat and Novell's SUSE Linux Enterprise have been a very modular. You can already choose not to install Linux in all of the packages, which results in soft JEOS, large IT vendors have already done so.
Similarly, while Linux vendor virtualization and virtualization software tools are all very keen, but Windows-centric companies, such as Citrix Systems and Microsoft are of a different attitude. Especially Microsoft, which operating system to ensure that the entire role of computer architecture that is still very keen, some company also application virtualization as another kind of thinking, Haff said.
Independent software vendors who will choose to put their applications into the cloud or virtual software tools, they tend to be delayed and the current choice of the latter.
For example, this Monday, Pentaho has released an open source its commercial functions of the software, which is based on the cloud technology. However, the company has not yet seen a customer in a virtual software tools have this need.
Pentaho's vice president of marketing Lance Walter, said: "There are many elements need to discuss, but I have not seen it for now a virtual software application needs, so let us invest in this area."