Windows IT Pro UPDATE, April 3, 2007: VMware Strikes Back Against Microsoft Virtualization
----------------| Windows IT Pro UPDATE |----------------
In This Issue * VMware Strikes Back Against Microsoft Virtualization
* From Windows IT Pro:
Voting Has Opened in the Windows IT Pro 2007 Community Choice Awards!
* From the Community:
FAQ: Extracting content from a MSU file
Featured Blog: An Exchange User's Lament
* Simplify AD Management
==================== THESE ADVERTISERS HELP US TO BRING YOU WINDOWS IT PRO UPDATE FREE OF CHARGE.
Hosted Security for Small/Medium Size Businesses
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepaper/stbernard/hostedsecurity/?code=WITPTop0403
NETWORK TESTING LABS COMPARES ARGENT TO MOM 2005
http://www.argent.com/w/whitepapers_mom.html?Source=WNT
FREE UTILITY: Disk Performance Analyzer for Networks
http://www.diskeeper.com/landing/landing.asp?RId=10345&APID=PPS0002080
====================
Sponsor: St Bernard Software
Hosted Security for Small/Medium Size Businesses Is effective security out of reach for your small or medium-sized business? Imagine having a team of IT experts who only focus on security as part of your staff. Download this free must-have white paper today and find out how you can eliminate your company's security risks. http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepaper/stbernard/hostedsecurity/?code=WITPTop0403
====================
***Commentary: VMware Strikes Back Against Microsoft Virtualization
by Paul Thurrott, News Editor, [email protected]
I can't put my finger on an exact date, but at some point in the past few years, virtualization changed from being marginally useful in certain scenarios for certain businesses to becoming a key piece of IT strategy for businesses of all types and sizes. The company we can and should credit for this transformation is, of course, VMware, which has been championing PC platform-based virtualization (by which I mean virtualization on the x86 and successor platforms) for more than a decade.
Recently, other companies have jumped on the virtualization bandwagon. One such company, Microsoft, got started in this market in humble fashion by buying the virtualization assets of a VMware competitor, Connectix, and rebranding its desktop-based product, Virtual PC. Since then, Microsoft has shipped various versions of Virtual Server as well. This product, which we can think of as a host-based virtualization product in that its virtual machines (VMs) sit on top of a virtualization layer that sits on top of a host OS (Windows Server in this case), was eventually made available to customers for free. But now, with its upcoming release of Windows Server Virtualization, a hypervisor-based virtualization add-on for Longhorn Server, Microsoft's been getting a lot of press. Virtualization, suddenly, is becoming mainstream.
I last wrote about Windows Server Virtualization back in November ("One Small Step for Virtualization, One Bigger Step to Come" --http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/94170/94170.html ), calling it out as a major advance in Microsoft's virtualization strategy. With this technology, virtualization will run on top of Longhorn Server's so-called Server Core install, a lightweight version of the OS that essentially gives the Microsoft hypervisor a near-bare-metal installation, which should result in dramatically better performance than customers get today with host-based products such as Virtual Server.
Mindful that Microsoft is sure to steal some market share, VMware has recently begun communicating a few facts that I think are of paramount importance to anyone considering virtualization solutions in their businesses. The first may or may not be obvious: Virtualization is already a mainstream IT technology that should be embraced by companies of all sizes. The question about virtualization is no longer "if." Instead, you should be asking "where?" and "what?"
You should also be asking "which?", as in, "on which virtualization technologies should we base our business?" Microsoft, as previously reported, is working to integrate its virtualization functionality into Windows Server, and I think there's a good business case to be made there for customers looking for the most integrated and inexpensive solution. Assuming, of course, that you're purely a Windows shop.
VMware offers another solution--one that, notably, also runs on non-Windows systems. The company also pointing out, rightfully, that VMware shipped its first hypervisor-based product about six years ago and has spent the intervening years improving its virtualization technologies with new product revisions and entirely new products, many of which are concerned with VM management, provisioning, and automatic resource allotment. VMware is, in other words, still at the forefront of virtualization today and is shipping the kind of products that Microsoft has yet to create, let alone ship to the public. What VMware is selling, really, is experience, reliability, stability, and the market penetration of an unmatched virtualization ecosystem.
Regardless of which virtualization solution wins in the market place--and I do believe that market is big enough for both Microsoft and VMware to be successful--the datacenter and server rooms of the future are going to be dramatically different places as a result. VMware sees companies essentially pooling hardware resources and dynamically allocating them as required between physical and virtual environments. There will be fewer but more powerful physical servers, running the energy-efficient multicore processors that seem to have been designed almost specifically for virtualization. And with iSCSI and other storage technologies bringing down the cost of shared storage, the final piece of the puzzle is already falling into place. When thinking about technology, it's hard not to become excited about future possibilities. But in this case, I think it's also wise to become grounded in what's possible today.
==================== Sponsor: Argent Software
NETWORK TESTING LABS COMPARES ARGENT TO MOM 2005 Network Testing Labs, one of the world's leading independent research companies, concluded that "Argent's suite had a smaller footprint, was more scalable, supported more platforms, had a more responsive and intuitive user interface and gave us more useful reports," the report says. "Argent's suite of monitoring products emerged from our testing with flying colors."
Download this FREE Comparison Paper now: http://www.argent.com/w/whitepapers_mom.html?Source=WNT
====================
***From Windows IT Pro
Voting Has Opened in the Windows IT Pro 2007 Community Choice Awards! Vote for your favorite products from the Buyer's Guides we published in Windows IT Pro over the past 12 months. The first three categories--Host-Based Intrusion Systems, KVM over IP Switches, and Ultra-Portable Laptops--are now open for voting on the Windows IT Pro forums. We'll open three new categories each week for the next three weeks, and voting will remain open for three weeks per category. To see the list of products in each category and place your vote, follow these links: Host-Based Intrusion Prevention Systems (http://forums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=42&threadid=84647 )
KVM over IP Switches (http://forums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=47&threadid=84644 )
Ultra-Portable Laptops (http://forums.windowsitpro.com/web/forum/messageview.aspx?catid=47&threadid=84643 ).
***From the Community FAQ: Extracting content from a MSU file
by John Savill, http://www.windowsitpro.com/windowsnt20002003faq
How can I extract the files from a Windows Vista Microsoft Update Standalone Package (MSU)?
Find the answer at http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/ArticleID/95608/95608.html
------
Featured Blog: An Exchange User's Lament In an open letter to Microsoft, an Exchange author and trainer voices his frustration. Find out whether you agree by reading Karen Forster's post to the Hey Microsoft! blog:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/95646/Windows_95646.html
-----
Results of Previous Poll:
The voting has closed in Windows IT Pro's nonscientific Instant Poll for the question, "Does your organization use or plan to use SharePoint document-sharing and collaboration technologies?" Here are the results from the 599 votes:
- 47% Yes, we already use it
- 14% Yes, we plan to deploy it within 6 months
- 8% Yes, we plan to deploy it within the next 2 years
- 25% We have no plans to deploy it
- 7% I don't know
(Deviations from 100 percent are due to rounding error.)
New Instant Poll
The next Instant Poll question is, "Does your organization plan to use virtualization technology within the next 12 months?" Go to the Windows IT Pro home page and submit your vote for a) Yes, we already use virtualization technology, b) Yes, we plan to roll it out within the next 12 months, c) We're looking into using virtualization technology in our environment, d) We have no plans to use virtualization technology within the next 12 months.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/magazine
~~~~ Hot Spot: ~~~~
FREE UTILITY: Disk Performance Analyzer for Networks Find disk-related performance bottlenecks on your networked systems now! This FREE utility remotely scans your systems and identifies systems with severe disk performance issues--so you can address them before they become help desk calls. Download this free utility now!
http://www.diskeeper.com/landing/landing.asp?RId=10345&APID=PPS0002080
====================
***New and Improved
by Blake Eno, [email protected]
Simplify AD Management
CNS Software announced WinRadar Reporter, a compliancy-reporting tool that simplifies Active Directory (AD) management, inventory control, compliancy, and auditing. WinRadar Reporter's out-of-the box reporting options include service packs and hot fixes, user permissions, event logs, daily account lock-out, and software inventory. You can also create custom reports based on AD or Windows Management classes. The software also includes a report scheduler that automatically creates and delivers reports via email at specified intervals. WinRadar Reporter is available under the WinRadar product suite. For more information, contact CNS Software at 866-344-6267. http://www.cns-software.com
Tell Us About the Products You Love! What products are you using that save you time or make your workload a little lighter? What hot product discoveries have you made that other IT pros need to know about? Let the world know about your experiences in Windows IT Pro's monthly What's Hot department. If we publish your story in What's Hot, we'll send you a Best Buy gift card! Send information about your favorite product and how it has helped you to [email protected].
==== Events and Resources ==== http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/researchit
Do you have visibility and control over your software licenses? Most organizations face serious challenges, including complex and confusing vendor licensing models, cost overruns, missed deadlines and business opportunities, and lost user productivity. Learn to address these challenges and prepare for audits. Register for this free on-demand Web seminar, available now!
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/seminars/macrovision/softwarelicensing/?partnerref=0402e&r
Having customers depend on your IT services in order to communicate, purchase, or manage orders is great for your business. But what happens when your applications or Web sites become unavailable? Download this free white paper and learn how to eliminate application downtime disruptions and ensure the continuity of your business.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/whitepaper/neverfail/businesscontinuity/?code=0402e&r
Are all your malware definitions completely up-to-date? If they are, then you're halfway home to total malware protection. Windows Vista might be the most secure Microsoft OS ever released, but malware is constantly evolving, and sometimes out-of-the-box security just isn't enough. In this exclusive podcast, Windows IT Pro Editorial and Strategy Director Karen Forster interviews Microsoft Product Manager Josue Fontanez about Forefront Client Security, Microsoft's unified malware protection package.
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/podcast/coresecurity/forefrontclient/?code=0402e&r
You know you need to manage your email data, but how do you do it? What steps do you need to take? What additional measures should you enact? What shouldn't you do? Get answers to these and other questions and get control of your vital messaging data. Download this free eBook today!
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/ebooks/ilumin/discovery/?code=0402e&r
==== Featured White Paper ====
How do compliance regulations really affect your IT infrastructure? You need to design your retention, retrieval, privacy, and security policies to ensure that your organization is compliant. Download this free eBook today and make certain that your organization complies with regulations!
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/ebooks/sherpa/compliance/?code=0402featwp
===== Announcements ====
Introducing a Unique Security Resource Security Pro VIP is an online information center that delivers new articles every week on topics such as perimeter security, authentication, and system patches. Subscribers also receive tips, cautionary advice, direct access to our editors, and a host of other benefits! Order now at an exclusive charter rate and save up to $50!
https://store.pentontech.com/index.cfm?s=1&promocode=eu2574us
Grab Your Share of the Spotlight! Nominate yourself or a peer to become IT Pro of the Month. This is your chance to get the recognition you deserve! Winners will receive over $600 in IT resources and be featured in Windows IT Pro. It's easy to enter--we're accepting May nominations now, but only for a limited time! Submit your nomination today:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/go/itpromonth
==== Contact Us ====
About the newsletter -- [email protected] About technical questions -- http://www.windowsitpro.com/forums About product news -- [email protected] About your subscription -- [email protected] About sponsoring UPDATE -- [email protected]
====================
This email newsletter is brought to you by Windows IT Pro, the leading publication for IT professionals deploying Windows and related technologies. Subscribe today!
https://store.pentontech.com/index.cfm?s=1&promocode=eu205xwb
Subscribe to this newsletter at
http://www.windowsitpro.com/email
Make sure your copy of Windows IT Pro UPDATE doesn't get mistakenly blocked by antispam software! Be sure to add [email protected] to your list of allowed senders and contacts.
Manage Your Account You are subscribed as %%$email%%
You are receiving this email message because you subscribed to this newsletter on our Web site. To unsubscribe, click the unsubscribe link:
http://list.windowsitpro.com/u?id=%%SUBSCRIBER_ID_TAG%%
View the Windows IT Pro Privacy policy at
http://www.windowsitpro.com/aboutus/index.cfm?action=privacy Windows IT Pro is a division of Penton Media, Inc. 221 East 29th Street, Loveland, CO 80538, Attention: Customer Service Department Copyright 2007, Penton Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
