Can tools that come bundled with virtualization hypervisors do the job?
The consensus is that the management tools that come bundled with VMware or Xen hypervisors won’t cut it in a large virtualization deployment.

While the software provided with, say, VMware’s hypervisor enables management of the hypervisor and that environment, industry watchers say the capabilities don’t go much beyond availability to cover performance or other vendors’ products.

Additionally, most networks have more than one type of hypervisor running, so there is a demand for a heterogeneous approach to virtual server management.

Plus the technology available today from virtualization vendors won’t work as well when IT managers look to scale their virtualization deployments from dozens to hundreds of servers. While virtualization vendors are expected to differentiate themselves with management capabilities in the future, today’s tools aren’t up to snuff for large multivendor, multisite networks. Of course, that timeline doesn’t mean IT managers getting started with virtualization can’t put the tools to use.

Should I wait for Microsoft to deliver its virtualization hypervisor?
Whatever your opinion of Microsoft, you can’t deny the company knows how to generate excitement over products. The operating system vendor’s much-anticipated Windows Server Virtualization hypervisor technology, code-named Viridian, isn’t expected to be released until 2008 at the earliest – which has some wondering if they should hold off their virtualization investment until then.

“Microsoft may want you to wait, but why wait? Whatever Microsoft does will be Microsoft-specific,” Yankee Group’s Hamilton say. Others agree, saying that Microsoft’s product could make or break decisions in smaller Windows-centric shops but not for large heterogeneous environments.

“I’m unconvinced it is worth the wait for most large enterprises with a specific server virtualization project that they want done now,” Noel says.

But if you are a Microsoft shop, you should take into consideration the vendor’s plans. Waiting might be a bit counterproductive, but planning a short-term tactical approach until Microsoft reveals its bigger plans makes sense. While users question if Microsoft will broaden its reach to manage hypervisors other than its own, industry watchers are positive the vendor will couple its virtualization play with more management technologies.

Tags: hypervisors, virtualization, virtualization hypervisors