Re: [Xen-users] differences between shipped and free xen

[Mark Williamson <mark.williamson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> > This is open source and supported by community. This doesn't come with
> > a management interface by default, but if you use fedora or other
> > distros you can use the tools shipped with the distribution - like
> > virt-manager and virt-install -  to manage the virtual guests.
> >
> > --Sadique
>
> ok, but what about performance? Such as network or disk I/O, cpu and
> memory access?
> What is the real value of the PV drivers that Igor mentioned?

Raw performance should be mostly the same, I'd think, but with the particular 
caveat that you only get XenSource's PV drivers for Windows if you buy 
XenEnterprise.  I don't know of any other optimisations in the product; much 
of the benefit of XenEnterprise is in the management tools and the 
integration of licensed technologies from other vendors (e.g there was an 
announcement about backup technology being integrated a while back).

The PV drivers for Windows implement higher performance block and network 
devices using the same techniques used by paravirtualised Linux.  These 
should result in better IO performance - massively better, for some tasks.

James Harper has been working on GPL'd Windows PV drivers and describing his 
progress on the xen-devel mailing list.  He's got an experimental block 
device driver up and running.

Cheers,
Mark

-- 
Dave: Just a question. What use is a unicyle with no seat?  And no pedals!
Mark: To answer a question with a question: What use is a skateboard?
Dave: Skateboards have wheels.
Mark: My wheel has a wheel!

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