Microsoft Opens the Door to Linux Server Virtualisation
Microsoft Opens the Door to Linux Virtualisation
July 19th, 2006: Microsoft has announced plans to enable its forthcoming server software to run virtually under Linux.
The announcement links Microsoft's upcoming Longhorn server architecture using its virtualisation hypervisor, codenamed 'Viridian' with Linux systems running XenSource's virtualisation technology, 'Xen'. In short, if your Linux system is 'Xen-enabled', the plan is that will also be able to run Longhorn.
This announcement can also be seen as Microsoft pushing the fact that Longhorn is very much still a live project - with a release due in 2008. XenEnterprise - the 'weapons grade' version of the Xen virtualisation system, is already available to for current Windows server systems, as well as Linux and Sun's Solaris systems.
From XenSource's perspective, the move comes five months after the company replaced its founding partner, Nick Gault, with new CEO - and former Veritas executive - Peter Levine.
The partnership also signals the end of a technological period during which enterprises were forced to view their infrastructure in single operating system terms. This in term should enable application and even file system developers greater flexibilty in the creation of management tools.