A Quick Look At VMWare Server 2.0

FIRST LOOK

So I after being mildly underwhelmed with the version 2.0 beta of VMWare Server, I decided to upgrade my primary instance of VMWare server with the production bits in order to start getting more used to the interface. For those that don't know, I've been running VMWare since its inception and was one of the first customers to implement VMWare ESX, helping bring virtualization to my last employer where we immediately saw a $50,000 savings on our deployment of Active Directory and Exchange 2000. Instead of having a standalone client for remote control, VMWare has finally moved away from it and now employs a browser-based plugin for remote access across all of its product lines. It seems that version 2 of VMWare Server was really meant to bring non-ESX customers more in line with the same user experience afforded to ESX/VI customers by providing a web/ajax based interface for configuring and accessing the virtual host. Their implementation seems to work well, but I have to say that performance of the interface is definitely slower using the web console as opposed to the old standalone client. Also of note is the addition of reporting and more granular security options for managing VMWare Server. 

INSTALLATION/UPGRADE

Upgrading the instance on my Ubuntu Hardy-based system was straightforward and consisted of downloading the .tar file, extracting it, then running the installation script. The script found the old installation, removed it, and installed the new version, keeping my old configuration. Certainly a lot easier than installing 1.06 on Ubuntu which required installing kernel header files and having to create symbolic links!

FINAL THOUGHTS

With low cost alternatives in Microsoft's Hyper-V, VirtualIron, and XEN, VMWare certainly has it's hands full trying to innovate, and although I still prefer the older standalone client (call me "old-fashioned!), the new web console certainly is a step in the right direction in terms of providing a more seamless migration path from VMWare Workstation/Fusion to VMWare Server to VMWare ESX Virtual Infrastructure.