Connectix App Eases Server Consolidation

Connectix App Eases Server Consolidation
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The native Windows-based server app enables users to run a broad range of operating systems.Connectix Corp., which provides virtualization software for Intel-based computers, on Tuesday will release its Connectix Virtual Server product for partner and customer testing.

This new product is an enterprise-grade virtualization solution for server consolidation. It is a native Windows-based server application that enables users to run a broad range of operating systems, including Windows, .Net, Linux, Unix and OS/2, concurrently and on a single physical server.

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David Atlas, vice president of enterprise products at Connectix, told eWEEK on Monday that there were no plans to have the product run on non-Intel enterprise server platforms, as the Intel/Windows space is the "pain point". This is where 50 percent of all installed servers sit, running some 25 percent utilization with Exchange or file and print or domain or Internet services.

"The bulk of the servers needing consolidation—simpler, more cost-effective management—are indeed Intel servers. But, that said, we very much look forward to an IA-64 market place," he said.

Virtual Server is an extension of the same code base as the current Connectix Virtual PC product. "Basically we took our code and server-hardened it, added a new virtual networking paradigm and a whole array of server resource allocation switches and then also added in the COM support so that our application is essentially clientless," Atlas said.

The final product is expected to be available between December 2002 and mid-January 2003, with a list cost of $1,000 per processor. But it will probably be available through the retail channel for about $700 for a one-way server box, he said.

Server management software vendors, including BladeLogic, LeoStream and ProTier would use the Connectix technology to provide next-generation server management applications, and these third-party solutions would be integrated with the core virtualization capabilities of Virtual Server.

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