If you attended my Virtualization session at the CCH User Conference then you know I cited numerous resources online. You may not have had time to write them all down so I thought I would through them up on the blog for you. If you didn’t attend the conference that’s okay too . I’ll  be adding more as time allows but this is a nice list to start with! You can subscribe to the blog or follow me on twitter for up to the minute updates.

Free Virtualization Software: I would have loved to thoroughly reviewed and written articles on each piece of software… unfortunately that didn’t happen but maybe one day. So, I’ll just include a few things about each.

I mention the hypervisor type for each software which you’re going to need to understand when implementing a virtualization solution. In my class we talked about the hypervisor tpyes (Bare-Metal Type 1 and Hosted Type 2) so if you’ve forgotten or just want to know more just click on the word Hypervisor and you’ll be directed to WikiPedia for some e-learning.

1. Sun VirtualBox: Its a great free alternative to fusion if you’re using a Mac and want to run Windows.
2. Citrix XenServer: A type 1 Hypervisor and is way under estimated in my opinion. XenServer include a robust feature set right out of the box.
3. MS Virtual Server 2005 & MS Virtual PC 2007: Are both type 2 hosted Hypervisor’s, They’re a good starting point for Windows virtualization. As well one of the things I love about the MS products in general is the pre-made virtual machines available for download from MS! Just take a gander (Run IT on a Virtual Hard Disk)
4. Windows Virtual PC: Have Windows 7? Heard of XPMode? Yeah that's Windows Virtual PC doing the behind the scenes work. Virtual PC is used to install an run applications that are incompatible with with W7. However, it has many uses outside XPMode and a number of advantages over MS Virtual PC 2007 like USB support and clipboard sharing.
5. MS Hyper-V Server 2008 R2: Hyper-V server is a Type 1 hypervisor and provides all the essentials for server virtualization. Hyper-V server is a great way to start vitalizing your servers with support for up to 8 proc’s, Large Memory Support, and Live Migration for free you’ll be creating VM’s in no time.
6. VMWare Server 2 & VMPlayer: Type 2 Hypervisor and VMWare’s hosted virtualization software for Windows and Linux virtualization. VMWare Server and Play can run and create 64bit guest operating systems. On the VMware side they have something call Virtual Applications which you can check out at the Virtual Appliance Market Place. As well with the new release of VMPlayer you can now create virtual machines as well before this required VM Workstation.
7. VMWare ESXi 4.0 -  A type 1 hypervisor with a robust feature set. Probably one of the best options for vitalizing your servers. VMWare ESXi packs a powerful punch supporting up to 64 Logical Processors, 256’s virtual cpu’s, and 1TB of RAM per host.

Virtualization Planning Assistance:

1. Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit
2. Windows Server Virtualization Calculators
3. VMWare - Capacity Planner (You have to contact a reseller..)
4. VMWare - Green Calculator

Information on Virtualizing SQL:

1. SQL Server Performance in VI3 - VMWare
2. Simple, Efficient Microsoft SQL Consolidation -VMWare
3. TechNet Webcast: Microsoft Virtualization Best Practices for SQL Server (Level 300)
4. Microsoft Running SQL Server 08 in Hyper-V Best Practices and Performance Considerations

Information on Virtualizing Exchange:

1. Simple, Efficient Microsoft SQL Consolidation – VMWare
2. Support Policies and Recommendations for Exchange Servers
3. Should You Virtualize Your Exchange 2007 SP1 Environment? - MSExchange Team

 

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