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Virtualization Software for Server?

Depending on your hardware, and storage it could differ.
What all do you want to virtualize?
What is the storage setup?
Does the CPU have virtualization technology feature?
Some more info on your setup would generate better advice, but ill kinda cover the generalities and add in some personal bias.

If its for VM's only then I would use ESXi or Server2008 with Hyper-V.

If your already using Server 2008 then I would definitely just use hyper-v.
ESXi is good, but it has some quirks that make it not the most user friendly.
Such as the HCL(its not linux, its not windows, so your hardware particularly raid controllers must be supported), and the VMFS does not like large storage. 500gb is the recommended size.
IMO that stinks because if you want to setup Sharepoint, or some sort of filserver with a lot of local storage, you really cant unless you are using an iscsi SAN, but in that case why not just access the san directly from the workstation?

All the free products have their pros and cons.

If your running an 03 box and what to put some vms on it then I would recommend either VritualBox(free) if your doing any non windows guest like linux/BSD etc. or if its windows only then the other free one I like is microsoft VirtualPC. I dont recommend VMware server because its clunky, and just a PITA to use.
The other option is VMware Workstation and it is a great product; however its not free.

VMware workstation is my hypervisor of choice on my Desktop.
Server2008 x64 with Hyper-v on my Servers. ESX is great but hyper-v just makes virtualization stupid simple.
 
I'd be running Server 2008 x64.

It'd have a couple VMs for proprietry business apps, and one VM to run SQL Server in.
They'd be running on a RAID10 SAS probably.

Hyper-V then?
 
Yea definately, if your already running 08 x64 then it should work well.
Hyper-V is better then all the free options, and really the only other option is VMware Workstation, but it really doesnt offer more, and its expensive. Also its kind or a resource hog IMO, lot of services.

Give Hyper-V a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Also you get the hyper-V MMC addin and manage the VM's from your vista workstation, eliminates the need to remote desktop. Kinda cool.
 
Its part of Server2008 x64 editions.

Its a Role that you install.
 
I would actually recommend ESXi, if your hardware is supported. It comes with the Virtual Infrastructure client, the same one used for ESX. If you don't like VMware Server's web interface (I don't either), just use VIC - it works too (connect to <servername>:8333).

ESX, ESXi are both derivatives of Red Hat I believe, so while it is a private distro and shouldn't be treated as linux - it very much is linux.

Also, to get around any size limitations (ESX/i support 2 TB datastores w/4MB blocks) you can software raid (in the VM) smaller vmdk disks. Then your limitation is what the guest OS supports. With 1MB blocks, 256GB is the max size. That's what I use with a JBOD array to avoid increasing disk contention on the SAN. The only issue then is if you need to P2V to a 1MB block datastore, then a single disk can't be larger than 256GB. But you could temporarily P2V to a 2/4 block datastore, create disks/array on a 1MB block datastore and juggle the data over to it. In that situation it is a bit clumsy.

Datastore sizes are generally recommended to be around 500GB, but if you carve your SAN/luns and datastores carefully, and think about how to use them best you shouldn't have any issues.

OP, I would try both and use what suits you best and what you feel most comfortable with - you will be supporting it after all.
 
I was by no means knocking vwmare ESX, it is great.
But my experience for a single instance, server 2008 is just easier, and when you are the guy that has to support it, I say take the easiest road that gets you to your destination.
 
nitrobass24 said:
I was by no means knocking vwmare ESX, it is great.
But my experience for a single instance, server 2008 is just easier, and when you are the guy that has to support it, I say take the easiest road that gets you to your destination.
Click to expand...
This is my philosophy. I want something pretty simple. I'm not running dozens of VMs across many servers, so simple is better for me...

So HyperV has no licensing to screw with then? Are there limitations in Server 08 how many I can run or something though?
 
TechieSooner said:
So HyperV has no licensing to screw with then? Are there limitations in Server 08 how many I can run or something though?
Click to expand...

There is not an additional license its like active directory. Its part of Server2008.

Limitations? I havent come across any. Im sure there is some limit on how many VM's but I dont think its a reachable number.
 
nitrobass24 said:
There is not an additional license its like active directory. Its part of Server2008.

Limitations? I havent come across any. Im sure there is some limit on how many VM's but I dont think its a reachable number.
Click to expand...

Sweet. Reason I ask is I had my Dell rep configure this up and they were talking about licensing... I didn't think it had any. Before I knew it, the dumbass had configured it with Datacenter edition saying that's what I needed for 5 VMs ;)
It's a new girl, I guess they laid the old, knowledgeable one off or something.

I've got a section question, using HyperV, the guest running on the VM should be able to access other hardware like fax boards, serial ports, and the like that are in the host OS?

But that helps. I'll plan on going that route then. Thanks!
 
I bet they were thinking datacenter because if you buy a datacenter license. You can virtualize that 2008 license unlimited times. Meaning you can run that license one 1 physical, and unlimted VM's.

Since you said 5 he was thinking Datacenter is gonna be cheaper then 5 Standard licenses of 2008.

But hyper-v does not have a license.
 
Fax boards, im not sure.
Serial ports should definitely work.
 
nitrobass24 said:
I bet they were thinking datacenter because if you buy a datacenter license. You can virtualize that 2008 license unlimited times. Meaning you can run that license one 1 physical, and unlimted VM's.

Since you said 5 he was thinking Datacenter is gonna be cheaper then 5 Standard licenses of 2008.

But hyper-v does not have a license.
Click to expand...

So I can just use the same Server 2008 key over and over? That might be cheaper in the end ;) Especially whenever I upgrade my Server 2003s over to 2008 at some point.
 
TechieSooner said:
So I can just use the same Server 2008 key over and over? That might be cheaper in the end ;) Especially whenever I upgrade my Server 2003s over to 2008 at some point.
Click to expand...

If you have Datacenter Edition.

Im 99% sure on that, I dont have Datacenter but I remember that from when I did research but I would check just to be sure.
 
There's got to be some sort of limitation. Otherwise a huge company like Dell could just buy 1 copy and install it on their thousands of servers.
 
from the microsoft website
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/2008-dc.aspx

Large-Scale Virtualization
Server virtualization technology lets you optimize system utilization and resources and realize significant infrastructure and management cost savings. Windows Server 2008 Datacenter provides an ideal platform for enterprise-scale virtualization.

Windows Server 2008 Datacenter features Hyper-V™, a flexible high-performance hypervisor-based virtualization technology.

In addition, Windows Server 2008 Datacenter licenses include unlimited virtualization rights, meaning that you have rights to run an unlimited number of Windows Server instances on servers licensed with Windows Server 2008 Datacenter. This gives you the benefits of virtualization while helping to reduce license management headaches and costs, thus helping you:
Click to expand...
 
TechieSooner said:
There's got to be some sort of limitation. Otherwise a huge company like Dell could just buy 1 copy and install it on their thousands of servers.
Click to expand...

They probably do, however you have to have a license for each physical box.
So 2 boxes with 20 VM's each for 40 VM's you would only need 2 licenses.
 
nitrobass24 said:
They probably do, however you have to have a license for each physical box.
So 2 boxes with 20 VM's each for 40 VM's you would only need 2 licenses.
Click to expand...

So to me, it looks like you can run unlimited VMs on each physical Datacenter license.

However, what about on Standard license? What's your VM limit on that?
 
TechieSooner said:
So to me, it looks like you can run unlimited VMs on each physical Datacenter license.

However, what about on Standard license? What's your VM limit on that?
Click to expand...

Enterprise is 4, and I couldnt find anything about Standard so I'm assuming that its zero.
Meaning One license per Instance, whether it be physical or virtual.
 
Is that just a function of the key activation? Or it flat out won't let me run more than one VM at a time?
 
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