Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix Essentials and StorageLink

Microsoft Hyper-V Virtualization Overview

Microsoft Hyper-V is a virtualized server computing environment using a technology that is part of Windows Server 2008. It’s the next-generation hypervisor-based server virtualization technology available as an integral feature of Windows Server 2008.

Hyper-V enables server virtualization. It provides a simplified, reliable and optimized virtualized computing environment to improve the efficiency of your computing resources by utilizing more of your hardware resources. Each virtual machine is a virtualized computer system that operates in an isolated execution environment. This allows you to run multiple operating systems simultaneously on one physical computer.

When to Use Microsoft Hyper-V in your Company

Hyper-V provides software infrastructure and basic management tools that you use to create and manage a virtualized server computing environment. This virualized environment can be used to address a variety of business goals aimed at improving efficiency and reducing costs.

• Reduce the costs of operating and maintaining physical servers by increasing your hardware utilization. You con reduce the amount of hardware needed to run your server workloads.
• Increase development and test efficiency by reducing the amount of time it takes to set up hardware and software and reproduce test environments.
• Improve server availability without using as many physical computer as you would need in a fail-over configuration that uses only physical computers.

They Key Features of Microsoft Hyper-V

• 64-bit native hypervisor-based virtualization.
• Ability to run 32-bit and 64-bit virtual machines concurrently.
• Uniprocessor and multiprocessor virtual machines.
• Virtual machine snapshots, which capture the state, data, and hardware configuration of a running virtual machine.  Being able to revert the virtual machine to a previous state.
• Virtual local area network (VLAN) support.
• Microsoft Management Console (MMC) management snap-in.
• Documented Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) interfaces for scripting and management.

Citrix Essentials to Manage Hyper-V Virtualization Environments

Citrix Essentials for Microsoft Hyper-V provides you with a powerful set of advanced virtualization management capabilities that extend the enterprise management capabilities of  Hyper-V and system center to help make virtualized environments more scalable, more manageable and more agile.
Unlike basic hyperviosrs that have been free for years, XenServer sets an entirely new standard for free virtualization with powerful features such as centralized multi-node management, built-in storage and full live motion.

With the new 5.5 release of Citrix Essentials for XenServer and Hyper-V, providing advanced Server virtualization managementcapabilities for us using Citrix XenServer. Citrix Essentials 5.5 enhances high-growth virtualization platforms by adding expanded storage intergration , automated lab and provisioning and dynamic workload balancing.

“The new XenServer 5.5 release is a clear demonstration that Citrix will continue investing heavily in makeing XenServer the most compelling open virtualization platform on the market today. ”

“We see Citrix Essentials as a powerful extension that enables customers to accelerate their Hyper=V adoption in the enterprise in much the same way Citrix XenApp has extended the Windows Server platform for nearly 20 years in the application delivery arena.”
- Mike Neil, general manager, virtualization strategy at Microsoft Corp.

By combining the free XenServer with the advanced management capabilities in Citrix Essentials, you now have a proven alternative that meets all the requirements for enterprise-class virtualization at a fraction of the cost.

Citrix StorageLink for XenServer

StorageLink is available to you as part of the Citrix Essentials for XenServer and Hyper-V product line, which offers a broad range of advanced virtualization management capabilities for both XenServer and Hyper-V environments.

“With the StoragLink capabilities in Citrix Essentials for Hyper-V, Microsoft customers will be able to obtain even more value from their existing investments.”
“By enabling our customers to use higher performance storage array capabilities with System Center Virtual Machine Manager and Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, it makes it even easier for them to integrate virtualization into their existing IT framework, and allow them to create more scalable, manageable and agile virtual infrastructures.”
-Zane Adams, senior director of virtualization and System Center, Microsoft Corp.

Citrix Going Above and Beyond

In addition to the availability of the 5.5 product release, Citrix also has a XenServer Central community website, a new resource for all things XenServer to help users like us enhance their use of the free enterprise-ready virtualization platform. The XenServer Central website features the latest product information , tips and tricks.

DedicatedIT Implements and Supports Virtualized Networks

We currently have several clients that are hosted using virtualization with Windows Server 2008 and XenServer. Give us a call and we’ll preform a complete network assessment and see if it would benefit your company to move into the next generation of computing. Virtualization and cloud computing is coming, why not get on the boat now and be in-front of the crowd?

Give DedicatedIT a call today: 561-491-5725.

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