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Is Virtualization Becoming the Turducken of the IT World? VMs-within-VMs-within-VMs raise new virtualization promises and concerns. REVIEW: Windows 7 Support Boosts VMware Workstation 7 Version 7 of VMware Workstation adeptly virtualizes Windows 7, Windows XP Mode and enterprise VMware platforms. How to Use Virtualization to Accelerate Remote Backup and WAN Replication IT managers need to build efficient, cost-effective disaster recovery infrastructures within the enterprise. Virtualization initiatives are dictating that the amount of hardware supported in remote replication sites be reduced. Here, Knowledge Center contributor Shawn Cooney explains how to use software-based WAN optimization technology to accelerate remote backup and WAN replication and how, by embracing virtualization, efficient remote disaster recovery can be achieved. HP Expands Thin-Client, Desktop Virtualization Offerings Hewlett-Packard is rolling out new hardware, software and services designed to help businesses more easily adopt and implement desktop virtualization environments. The economic recovery and the release of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system are fueling interest in client virtualization among businesses looking to reduce costs and increase the manageability of their computing environments. Wyse, Sun Push Desktop Virtualization Strategies Wyse is announcing support for VMware’s new View 4 and Citrix’s new XenDesktop 4 desktop virtualization technologies, saying current and future Windows and ThinOS systems will support the offerings. Sun Microsystems is releasing the latest version of its Sun Ray Software, which gives customers the ability to use it with their Windows desktop and notebook PCs as alternatives to Sun Rays to access applications in virtualized environments. Sun Ray Software 5 also offers improved Adobe Flash performance. VMware Improves Desktop Virtualization Scalability, Costs with View 4 VMware is rolling out View 4, the latest version of its desktop virtualization offering that leverages the company's vSphere 4 virtualization platform and the strong partnership VMware has with EMC and Cisco Systems. View 4 is designed to let businesses run their desktop virtualization environment as a managed service model, which VMware officials say will increase the user experience and scalability of desktop virtualization deployments while cutting TCO costs by as much as 50 percent. With such features as the PC over IP protocol and a strong ecosystem that includes Cisco, HP, Dell and IBM, VMware is looking to drive the adoption of desktop virtualization into the mainstream enterprise space, where IT administrators can see the benefits but are worried about acquisition costs, scalability and user experience, according to VMware officials. VMware View 4 Leverages vSphere, Cisco-EMC Alliance VMware is rolling out the latest version of its desktop virtualization product, View 4, which is built atop the vendor’s vSphere 4 virtualization platform and benefits from VMware’s partnership with Cisco and EMC. VMware officials say View 4 will improve the scalability and user experience in desktop virtualization environments while reducing costs. eWEEK at 25: Virtualization's Impact Spans Decades Virtualization may seem new, but it was around when eWEEK (then PC Week) made its debut. The roots of today's data center virtualization are easily traced to early mainframe systems of the 1970s and '80s. eWEEK Labs' Cameron Sturdevant connects the dots between his current virtualization coverage and his network management past. Red Hat Takes on VMware, Microsoft in Server Virtualization Red Hat is rolling out its Enterprise Virtualization for Servers platform, which is aimed at heterogeneous server environments and cloud computing deployments. Red Hat officials said the platform—which includes a standalone hypervisor and management software—offers users better performance at a lower cost than competing products from VMware and Microsoft. A management solution for virtualized desktop environments will be available in early 2010, they said. CA Bulks Up Virtualization Offerings CA is rolling out new and enhanced management software for virtualized environments. The new capabilities are designed to make it easier to deploy and manage these virtualized environments, and come as enterprises continue to expand their use of virtualization technology. VMware Revenues Up but Profits Drop 54% Hypervisor maker VMware reports fiscal third-quarter revenues of $490 million with a profit of $38 million, or 9 cents per share of common stock. This compares with a profit of $83 million or 21 cents per share on $472 million in sales in the same period a year ago, an abrupt 54 percent year-over-year drop in earnings. Server Virtualization Adoption Growing Rapidly, Gartner Says Currently only about 16 percent of workloads are running on virtual machines, according to Gartner. But that will jump to 50 percent by the end of 2012, and a key driver of the move will be SMBs, which are seeing price points drop far enough to enable them to take advantage of virtualization, analysts say at the annual Gartner Symposium/ITxpo. The Gartner analysts also caution businesses of all sizes to start small, but to keep thinking ahead. 10 Things You Should Know Before VMs Take Over Your Data Center The tech equivalent of urban sprawl is virtual machine sprawl. As cloud computing begins to get a real, day-to-day foothold in enterprise IT systems, ad hoc cloud services are being deployed more and more frequently for short-term results. Many times these are used by employees without company sanction to get a short-term result, and the services are kept around longer than is necessary. Without a comprehensive strategy or formal program in place and without anyone having a handle on what exactly is going on or where corporate data resides, this can lead to big problems. In this slide show, Accenture's Chief Technology Architect, Paul Daugherty, shows how this sprawl takes root and what a CIO or data center managers can do to ward off these potential problems. Citrix Entices VMware Customers to Choose XenServer, Microsoft Hyper-V Citrix is announcing Project Open Door in hopes of luring VMware customers to its own XenServer virtualization platform or Microsoft’s Hyper-V technology. The common thread in the migration pitch is the Citrix Essentials management software that integrates with both XenServer and Hyper-V. Citrix officials touted the management software while also arguing that XenServer and Hyper-V are cheaper alternatives to VMware’s vSphere 4 or ESX platforms. 10 Things You Need to Know Now About Data Deduplication The value of data deduplication storage technology that is good for everything inside-and even outside-an IT system cannot be overstated. As it eliminates redundant data from disk storage devices, it lowers storage space requirements, which in turn lowers data center power and cooling costs and lessens the amount of carbon dioxide produced to generate power to run the hardware. There is nothing bad about dedupe; no wonder it is the most asked-for feature in new storage system purchases. Several companies have been providing this for several years, and FalconStor-mostly known as an OEM & dedupe& partner for EMC, Sun, IBM, Acer, Pillar Data Systems, 3PAR, Isilion, and several others #151has been been a busy producer. FalconStor's brand of dedupe works cross-platform, and users say it is fast and efficient. Still, there is much to be learned by potential buyers about how it works and what benefits it brings. To this end, FalconStor Director of Marketing Fadi Albatal offers a list of key facts about dedupe that an IT manager should know before the buy is made. Pano Logic Rolls Out Latest Desktop Virtualization Offering A day after Citrix and VMware showed off new capabilities in their desktop virtualization products, Pano Logic is announcing Version 2.8 of its Pano System. Pano Logic’s desktop virtualization offering centralizes all the processing, memory and software on a central server, and leaves only a zero-client Pano Device on the employee desktop. Pano System 2.8 enhances scalability and management, and includes the ability for users to connect the Pano Device to two monitors. VMware Fusion 3 Offers ‘Snow Leopard,` Windows 7 Support VMware is planning to release its updated Fusion 3 virtualization software for Apple’s Mac and the Mac OS X. The latest version of VMware Fusion offers support for Apple’s recently released Snow Leopard and supports the upcoming Microsoft Windows 7. Fusion 3 also supports graphics such as OpenGL 2.1 and DirectX 9.0c. Citrix Unveils XenDesktop 4 Virtualization Offering Citrix is looking to tie together the disparate elements of desktop virtualization under XenDesktop 4, an offering that is designed to let businesses deliver any virtual desktop to any user through any model, including VDI and streaming. At the heart of XenDesktop 4 is Citrix’s FlexCast delivery technology, as well as the integration of Citrix’s XenApp application virtualization product. Enterprises Understanding Need for Virtualization Management: CA A recent study sponsored by CA and VMware backs up what officials there are hearing from customers--that management and automation tools are becoming more important as enterprises are moving their virtualization implementations from test and development to production environments. A CA official said a key finding in the study was that businesses are being more proactive in pursuing greater management capabilities for their virtualized environments. Microsoft Touts Virtualization Management for Smaller Businesses Microsoft may be blocked from advertising its virtualization offerings on the convention floor at VMworld 2009, but Redmond has nonetheless announced a virtualization management package for SMBs along with partners Fujitsu and Lenovo. As the virtualization market increases and becomes the scene of fiercer competition, Microsoft, VMware and Citrix could all benefit financially.