New VMware ESX Server Manages Virtual Environments

Oct 08, 2007

Virtualization specialist VMware recently launched ESX Server 3.5, a management solution for virtual environments. ESX Server 3i is a 32MB light version.

Simple virtualization of individual machines is no longer the major concern; and infrastructure mechanisms that give administrators the ability to back up virtual machines, or migrate virtual machines between hosts, are no longer sufficient. Instead the focus is turning to managing virtual environments, and the recent ESX Server 3.5 release by market leader VMWare follows this trend.

The many functions that improve handling and availability, and automate routine tasks, include Distributed Power Management, a function that distributes virtual machines (VMs) within a VMware cluster to give administrators the ability to power off hosts with low usage levels after moving the VMs to another place. This saves power and helps the environment in line with the current Green IT campaigns. As load increases, the hosts are powered back on without the users noticing.

The update management feature for both >VMware hosts and VMs is also new. It also relies on infrastructure layer capabilities to clear hosts prior to patching, and to provide a snapshot-based rollback option for VMs. In addition to the familiar Vmotion technology for VMs, Storage Motion has been added to move disk images, rather than virtual machines, between storage systems on the fly, thus supporting I/O load balancing.

Large data centers that are distributed over multiple sites for security reasons can use the new Site Recovery Manager to migrate all VMs to a backup data center in case of disaster. Availability is further enhanced by new monitoring components (Enhanced HA).

VMware has also released a lean version of the product known as ESX Server 3i besides the ESX Server update. Weighing in at just 32MB, it can reside in Flash ROM or on a memory stick to support diskless, zero-installation, zero-maintenance virtualization servers, which many manufacturers are working on according to reports. Dell is expected to release a product this year with the aim of both removing barriers for newcomers to virtualization, and giving data centers an easy option for expanding capacities.

Related content

  • Virtualization Intro

    Good tools are half the battle – even if you are just managing virtual machines. This month we take a practical look at virtualization, and we show you a new threat to watch for in the virtual future.

  • Virtualization on IBM and Sun Servers

    The top players on the Unix server scene all include virtualization support with their operating systems. We compared two candidates from IBM and Sun.

  • VMware Monitoring

    Dynamic resource allocation and migration of virtual machines between hosts mean that VMware environments pose new monitoring challenges. A new version of the free OpenNMS network management tool now includes an option for monitoring VMware-based infrastructures.

  • Virtualization Tools

    Running server systems in virtual environments is a popular approach, but the technology offers benefits to desktop users. In this article, we investigate some virtual desktop alternatives.

  • VMware Presents vSphere Cloud OS

    Heralded as a leap into the new era, vSphere 4.0, which was introduced April 21 as the successor to VMware's Virtual Infrastructure 3.x, is at least a logical step in the right direction upon a more sober assessment: through consolidation and automation based on an infrastructure of virtual components, a solution to satisfy turnkey IT services.

comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News