VMware vSphere 5 to add cloud virtualization support for Mac OS X Server
The upcoming release of VMware's vSphere 5 virtualization platform is reported to include guest OS support for Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, indicating new options for enterprise use of Apple's server platform without the now discontinued Xserve.
VMware's plans for the next release of vSphere, as discussed in February at the company's Partner Exchnge conference, have been detailed in a posting by Virtualization.info, including mention of support for Mac OS X Server.
The vSphere product allows companies to build a private of public cloud of pooled infrastructure, offering enterprise planners more flexible capacity management than if they were required to allocate dedicated hardware to every server instance.
The product also helps data center managers to automate disaster recovery plans and monitor and manage performance while accurately reporting the costs needed to provide IT services.
By pooling server hardware, VMware says businesses can reduce their requirements of power, cooling and server storage, cutting energy cost by as much as 80 percent.
Formerly named VMware Infrastructure 4, the cloud-enabled vSphere platform is built upon the company's core virtualization hypervisor called ESXi, which runs as a low level microkernel OS on actual server hardware, and facilitates flexible, virtual deployment of guest OS virtual machines on top, moving around virtual images to use available hardware as necessary.
The product currently supports Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Oracle Solaris 10, as well as enterprise versions of Linux from RedHat, SUSE and Ubuntu. By adding support for Mac OS X Server, VMware will give its enterprise customers an option for virtualizing the deployment of Apple's server features without having to dedicate rack space to Mac hardware.
While Apple has backed out of the dedicated server hardware market, first by discontinuing the Xserve RAID and then by terminating its Xserve rack mounted server, it continues to develop its Mac OS X Server product, with the next major version adding the formerly premium server features to the standard edition.
Mac OS X Server includes WebDAV-based calendar and contact management, easy to use wiki services for building group collaboration tools, and under Mac OS X Lion Server 10.7, will incorporate expanded support for iOS mobile devices, including WebDAV file sharing for iPhone and iPads, expanded Push Notifications for messaging services, and a new Profile Manager that provides setup and management features for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac OS Lion computers.
VMware's plans for the next release of vSphere, as discussed in February at the company's Partner Exchnge conference, have been detailed in a posting by Virtualization.info, including mention of support for Mac OS X Server.
The vSphere product allows companies to build a private of public cloud of pooled infrastructure, offering enterprise planners more flexible capacity management than if they were required to allocate dedicated hardware to every server instance.
The product also helps data center managers to automate disaster recovery plans and monitor and manage performance while accurately reporting the costs needed to provide IT services.
By pooling server hardware, VMware says businesses can reduce their requirements of power, cooling and server storage, cutting energy cost by as much as 80 percent.
Formerly named VMware Infrastructure 4, the cloud-enabled vSphere platform is built upon the company's core virtualization hypervisor called ESXi, which runs as a low level microkernel OS on actual server hardware, and facilitates flexible, virtual deployment of guest OS virtual machines on top, moving around virtual images to use available hardware as necessary.
The product currently supports Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Oracle Solaris 10, as well as enterprise versions of Linux from RedHat, SUSE and Ubuntu. By adding support for Mac OS X Server, VMware will give its enterprise customers an option for virtualizing the deployment of Apple's server features without having to dedicate rack space to Mac hardware.
While Apple has backed out of the dedicated server hardware market, first by discontinuing the Xserve RAID and then by terminating its Xserve rack mounted server, it continues to develop its Mac OS X Server product, with the next major version adding the formerly premium server features to the standard edition.
Mac OS X Server includes WebDAV-based calendar and contact management, easy to use wiki services for building group collaboration tools, and under Mac OS X Lion Server 10.7, will incorporate expanded support for iOS mobile devices, including WebDAV file sharing for iPhone and iPads, expanded Push Notifications for messaging services, and a new Profile Manager that provides setup and management features for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac OS Lion computers.
Comments
While Apple has backed out of the dedicated server hardware market, first by discontinuing the Xserve RAID and then by terminating its Xserve rack mounted server, it continues to develop its Mac OS X Server product, with the next major version adding the formerly premium server features to the standard edition.
This part I haven't figured out yet. There is apparently two separate versions in beta right now. Lion and Lion Server.
This part I haven't figured out yet. There is apparently two separate versions in beta right now. Lion and Lion Server.
There isn't, actually, only Lion. Lion Server is now an application suite included with Lion, for free.
There isn't, actually, only Lion. Lion Server is now an application suite included with Lion, for free.
Because I?m sure it will now be mentioned, the first Preview of Lion had the server installation along with it. If you choose to install Server you did have to be connected to the internet to allow that install to occur. I?m not sure what it verified or DLed.
Preview 2 was a little different. There is still just the one installation for the OS but the server tools are a separate download from Mac App Store. I assume they combine them for the final product.
There isn't, actually, only Lion. Lion Server is now an application suite included with Lion, for free.
Ok thanks. I saw the other download but I have not messed with server since I don't use that (any more). Good to know. It is interesting about VM supporting it. I wonder how Apple feels about it.
I'd really rather see Apple build their own server hardware again and license VSphere on it.
If Apple was smart (and sometimes they are), they would release an OVF template of Lion server. If Lion doesn't have the hardware check, that would open up the OS to other hardware solutions as well.
It's all very exciting indeed. VMWare owns the virtualization market and this way Apple could continue to creep into enterprise markets...
Furthermore, VMware should also provide Mac versions of their ESX and VSphere management tools.
Virtualization is where everything is going. I hope they do not fight allowing virtualization on hardware.
Yeah right. They just spent a couple years in court over this and now they are going turn around and let people run it on generic hardware. I don't understand.
Maybe:
MacBook with Mac OS X 10.7 = $1000
OS X 10.7 only no MacBook = $1000
Here we go with the serial numbers and the activation BS.
OS X isn't really any better than CentOS for 99.9% of serving tasks. I'm not sure why anyone would want to run it unless they are just Apple fans who only run Apple hardware. They are rumored to be working on a new rackmountable MacPro. This VMWare rumor sounds suspect.
Any news on the next version of VMWare Fusion?!
The next version of VMWare Fusion is in beta now. I am testing. Looking good.
The next version of VMWare Fusion is in beta now. I am testing. Looking good.
It better be a big improvement in performance. Parallels just trounces it right now. I liked Fusion's options and some features better than Parallels, however since Parallels 6 came out it's performance (especially in the graphics department) was well worth the move from Fusion 3.1. I rarely need to run anything via Windows anymore but I'm still happy to have that option directly in OSX for the things I do occasionally need to run in Windows.
VMWare owns the virtualization market and this way Apple could continue to creep into enterprise markets...
I'd agree that VMware owns the enterprise VM market right now. I don't think the same about the consumer market. Also with Virtuozzo & Plesk Panel they are starting to make headway in the enterprise market. A while back a nearly identical article was written about Parallels' Virtuozzo container's adding support for OSX Server which never "virtualized" (pardon the pun, I couldn't resist). I don't see Apple sitting idly by allowing VMware to spoof the TPM and run OSX Server on generic hardware.
The vSphere product allows companies to build a private of public cloud of pooled infrastructure, offering enterprise planners more flexible capacity management than if they were required to allocate dedicated hardware to every server instance.
Proof reading fail... sadly I've been seeing this more often on AI.
It's all very exciting indeed. VMWare owns the virtualization market and this way Apple could continue to creep into enterprise markets...
I doubt it. This offers a good solution to all the people that currently have their networks running off an Xserver praying it doesn't break as they can't buy a new one.
As for gaining new customers it doesn't make any sense. Your going to have to have techies skilled in Linux to look after the server hosting the virtual OS X server as well as techies skilled in OS X server. You might as well just not bother with OS X server and keep your staff costs down.
All Mac shops will now have a path to upgrade. One of them is my favorite CNBC! Happy days are back! Oh yeah Oh yeah!
Defender of the Mac,
IronTed
Wondering how licensing works. I thought you could only install OS X on Apple hardware.
That changed with Leopard Server.
That changed with Leopard Server.
I thought vSphere didn't run on "Apple-labelled computers"?
I thought vSphere didn't run on "Apple-labelled computers"?
I misread ddawson100?s post to assume that he didn't think OS X Server couldn?t be virtualized. Mea culpa.
First, vSphere 5 will only support Mac OS X Server on Apple-labeled hardware; vSphere 5 (aka ESXi) simply now runs on certain Apple hardware.
Second, since Lion Server is now a "part" of Lion, it is not yet known whether the Lion/Lion Server EULA will allow any form of virtualization at all.
Lastly, with the Xserve now gone, there really isn't any hardware suitable on which to even deploy this solution in an enterprise datacenter environment.
(And yes, I do know a bit about this topic...)