Re: [Xen-users] Xen alternatives

[Mark Foster <mark@xxxxxxxxx>]

Pierre "Le Pierrot" wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I am sending this email out because I would like to know which are the
> free alternatives to Xen. The requirements are: Stability/Performance,
> preferably free but it can be commercial (like VMWare and Simics), can
> support vast amount of virtualized machines running systems Linux and
> Windows (XP/2000/2003) for an x86 computer (like a DELL PowerEdge
> 2850)

I have worked with Xen, VMware ESX and qemu. Since you need to run
Windows and VT technology is not widely available yet, your choices are
reduced to full virtualization via VMware or qemu. VMware ESX is costly
but well supported. It is actually based on Red Hat 7.x. It has good SAN
support, training, add ons like VMTN and Virtual Center add up a pretty
solid product that you can use for a corporate or institutional
environment. Performance is not as good as Xen but probably on par or
better then qemu (haven't tried the qemu-accelerator myself).

qemu on the other hand is mostly open source, supports a wider variety
of (emulated) platforms, runs on more platforms (e.g. FreeBSD and
Windows versions are available) and also "supports" more platforms
although it has a more limited scope of peripheral emulation (sound
cards and such). qemu is better for labs and skunkworks-type projects,
non-profits & startups with tiny budgets, and of course tinkerers and
hackers.

That's all the spew I have time for now, but good luck in your decision.
HTH.

-- 
Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints...
Mark D. Foster, CISSP <mark@xxxxxxxxx>  http://mark.foster.cc/


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