Tools for managing virtual environments
Virtual Admin

This month we examine techniques for deploying and managing virtual systems.
Given the rapid pace of IT evolution, virtualization is already yesterday's news. IT managers around the world are working out strategies for how to meet the virtualization challenge. You've tried all the leading tools – Xen, VMware, KVM, VirtualBox – and now you're ready to take the next step. This month we examine some techniques for deploying, configuring, and managing virtual environments.
We start with a study of MLN (Manage Large Networks), a powerful open source virtual machine management tool that lets you "build sophisticated, dynamic virtual infrastructures using freely available virtualization platforms." We'll show you how to use MLN to deploy and manage Xen, VMware, and User Mode Linux virtual environments.
Next we examine the world of virtual appliances. You'll learn what a virtual appliance is and why more admins are turning to the virtual appliance as a simple, efficient solution for running network services in Linux. We'll also show you two easy tools for creating your own virtual appliances: VMware Studio and SUSE Studio.
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