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Microsoft Virtual Server 2005: Challenges and Controversies in the Server Virtualization Market

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Microsoft Virtual Server 2005, Microsoft's first foray into server virtualization, has raised concerns among some customers regarding the complexity of its technological, licensing, and support aspects. A key question is whether Microsoft can overcome these challenges to succeed in the server virtualization market. MassMutual Financial Group, a prominent customer, has expressed concerns about Microsoft's commitment to porting Linux on its platform, citing the need for a genuine commitment to multi-platform support.

Key Takeaways:

  • Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 requires Windows Server 2003 as the host operating system (OS) and supports Linux running as a guest OS inside a virtual machine.
  • However, Windows NT and 2000 are the featured guest OSs, with optimizations for Windows performance in a virtual machine environment.
  • MassMutual Financial Group will use the VMWare ESX virtualization platform to consolidate 80 Windows servers onto four eight-way IBM servers, but Microsoft's platform is not officially supported.
  • Microsoft will support versions of Windows that run on virtual machines with Virtual Server 2005.
  • Licensing costs are a significant issue in the industry, with Novell and IBM licensing SuSE Linux and IBM AIX respectively per server, and Red Hat Linux licensing its software per virtual machine.
  • Microsoft may be at a disadvantage due to its 'Microsoft-specific' approach, which could limit its appeal to customers who prefer Linux.

Statistics:

  • 80 Windows servers will be consolidated onto four eight-way IBM servers using VMWare ESX virtualization platform (Source: MassMutual Financial Group).
  • 4 eight-way IBM servers will be used to host the consolidated servers (Source: MassMutual Financial Group).
  • Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 supports Linux as a guest OS, but Windows NT and 2000 are the featured guest OSs.
  • GlassHouse Research estimates that by 2008, up to 75 percent of all new server deployments will be virtualized (Source: GlassHouse Research).
  • The virtualization market is expected to grow from $875 million in 2005 to $4.5 billion in 2009 (Source: IDC).

Sources:

  • Fontana, John (Microsoft Virtual Server 2005)
  • A spokesman for MassMutual Financial Group
  • A spokesman for Microsoft
  • "Virtualization: The Needs are Changing" by GlassHouse Research

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