On May 15th NVIDIA unveiled the NVIDIA® VGX™ platform that will be available later this year through NVIDIA's hardware OEM and VDI partners.

This new platform promises to deliver a desktop experience  comparable to a local PC, up to 100 VDI users for each single server equipped with a VGX board.

NVIDIA VGX represents a new era in desktop virtualization. It delivers an experience nearly indistinguishable from a full desktop while substantially lowering the cost of a virtualized PC.

said Jeff Brown, general manager of the Professional Solutions Group at NVIDIA.

This product is intended for those kind of users who work with 3D design softwares and simulation tools and is designed to be integrated into enterprise IT departments providing an integration layer for commercial hypervisors (the news only talks about Citrix XenServer) and a level of manageability that allows to configure the graphics capabilities delivered to individual users in the network, based on their demands.

NVIDIA describes as follows the three key technologies of this solution:

NVIDIA VGX Boards
NVIDIA VGX boards are the world's first GPU boards designed for data centers. The initial NVIDIA VGX board features four GPUs, each with 192 NVIDIA CUDA® architecture cores and 4 GB of frame buffer. Designed to be passively cooled, the board fits within existing server-based platforms.

The boards benefit from a range of advancements, including hardware virtualization, which enables many users who are running hosted virtual desktops to share a single GPU and enjoy a rich, interactive graphics experience; support for low-latency remote display, which greatly reduces the lag currently experienced by users; and, redesigned shader technology to deliver higher power efficiency.

NVIDIA VGX GPU Hypervisor
The NVIDIA VGX GPU Hypervisor is a software layer that integrates into a commercial hypervisor, enabling access to virtualized GPU resources. This allows multiple users to share common hardware and ensure virtual machines running on a single server have protected access to critical resources. As a result, a single server can now economically support a higher density of users, while providing native graphics and GPU computing performance.

This new technology is being integrated by leading virtualization companies, such as Citrix, to add full hardware graphics acceleration to their full range of VDI products.

NVIDIA User Selectable Machines
NVIDIA USMs allow the NVIDIA VGX platform to deliver the advanced experience of professional GPUs to those requiring them across an enterprise. This enables IT departments to easily support multiple types of users from a single server.

USMs allow better utilization of hardware resources, with the flexibility to configure and deploy new users' desktops based on changing enterprise needs. This is particularly valuable for companies providing infrastructure as a service, as they can repurpose GPU-accelerated servers to meet changing demand throughout the day, week or season.

Labels: NVIDIA, VDI

Microsoft announced this week the new Beta version of its capacity planning tool Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) 7.0 Beta.

The Beta program opened on May 15th and the review period will run through July 5th.

To download the beta materials on Connect follow this link: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=219165

To join the beta review program follow this link: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=171065

The new features introduced in version 7.0 include Windows Server 2012 Beta readiness assessment, VDI readiness assessment and the ability to plan for virtualization assessment of Linux server.

MAP 7.0 supports SQL Server 2012 discovery and migration planning and, along with Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter, simplifies the migration of VMware virtual machine to Hyper-V.

Key features and benefits of MAP 7.0 Beta help you:

• Understand your readiness to deploy Windows in your environment with hardware and device readiness assessments
• Determine Windows Server 2012 Beta readiness
• Investigate how Windows Server and System Center can manage your heterogeneous environment through VMware migration and Linux server virtualization assessments
• Size your desktop virtualization needs for both Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and session-based virtualization using Remote Desktop Services
• Ready your information platform for the cloud with the SQL Server 2012 discovery and migration assessment
• Evaluate your licensing needs with usage tracking for Lync 2010, active users and devices, SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 Beta

Labels: Capacity Planning, Microsoft, Release

Microsoft announced this week the new Beta version of its capacity planning tool Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) 7.0 Beta.

The Beta program opened on May 15th and the review period will run through July 5th.

To download the beta materials on Connect follow this link: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=219165

To join the beta review program follow this link: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=171065

The new features introduced in version 7.0 include Windows Server 2012 Beta readiness assessment, VDI readiness assessment and the ability to plan for virtualization assessment of Linux server.

MAP 7.0 supports SQL Server 2012 discovery and migration planning and, along with Microsoft Virtual Machine Converter, simplifies the migration of VMware virtual machine to Hyper-V.

Key features and benefits of MAP 7.0 Beta help you:

• Understand your readiness to deploy Windows in your environment with hardware and device readiness assessments
• Determine Windows Server 2012 Beta readiness
• Investigate how Windows Server and System Center can manage your heterogeneous environment through VMware migration and Linux server virtualization assessments
• Size your desktop virtualization needs for both Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and session-based virtualization using Remote Desktop Services
• Ready your information platform for the cloud with the SQL Server 2012 discovery and migration assessment
• Evaluate your licensing needs with usage tracking for Lync 2010, active users and devices, SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 Beta

Labels: Capacity Planning, Microsoft, Release

Today VMware announced VMware vFabric Suite 5.1, expected to be generally available in Q2 2012.

vFabric Suite 5.1 includes vFabric Application Director, to automate the deployment and management of vFabric applications on VMware cloud infrastructure and SQLFire Enterprise Edition, an in-memory distributed SQL database that will enable application data to meet cloud scale with the needed performances.

vFabric Suite leverages Spring development framework, inherited from SpringSource acquisition in 2009, vFabric application services and a per-VM licensing model to provide a comprehensive infrastructure oriented to the deployment of cloud-ready applications.

Part of this broader shift in application infrastructure was the move to cloud and application deployment on virtual infrastructure. Traditional application servers simply weren’t designed, optimized or licensed for this new world. These legacy systems are too cumbersome, too costly, and definitely not cloud-ready. We saw the need for a new breed of application infrastructure to support this new world of applications.

said Jerry Chen, vice president, Cloud and Application Services, VMware.

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Labels: vFabric, VMware

Today VMware announced VMware vFabric Suite 5.1, expected to be generally available in Q2 2012.

vFabric Suite 5.1 includes vFabric Application Director, to automate the deployment and management of vFabric applications on VMware cloud infrastructure and SQLFire Enterprise Edition, an in-memory distributed SQL database that will enable application data to meet cloud scale with the needed performances.

vFabric Suite leverages Spring development framework, inherited from SpringSource acquisition in 2009, vFabric application services and a per-VM licensing model to provide a comprehensive infrastructure oriented to the deployment of cloud-ready applications.

Part of this broader shift in application infrastructure was the move to cloud and application deployment on virtual infrastructure. Traditional application servers simply weren’t designed, optimized or licensed for this new world. These legacy systems are too cumbersome, too costly, and definitely not cloud-ready. We saw the need for a new breed of application infrastructure to support this new world of applications.

said Jerry Chen, vice president, Cloud and Application Services, VMware.

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Labels: vFabric, VMware

On April 4 Stephen Herrod, VMware's CTO, has attended, as guest speaker, at a VMUG meeting in Italy.

One of the key point of the speech, documented in one hour-long seven-part video series, was the need to increase the automation and integration between VMware's various products, topic about which Herrod reassured those present confirming VMware's awareness of the problem.

Of this long speech the statement that has inflamed internet is

VMware Cloud Infrastructure Suite is really more of a marketing term. Those of you know our products deeply know that they don't fit this well together as they need to. Some of them have multiple databases, some don't look the same, some install differently, and what I can't stand that is Site Recovery Manager doesn't currently work with vCloud Director. So, what we are basically able to say is that we created and acquired companies that led to a lot of individual products that don't work well enough together yet.

as reported by Dave Northey on Microsoft's TechNet blog.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Re-inserted in the context and completed with the last assertion

So a huge focus for the company is really how we make it become a suite.

as cleverly noted David Marshall in his article, this confirm the awareness of VMware and the will to solve the problem, as mentioned before.

What Herrod said simply describes the reality of a company that has acquired a variety of technologies from different companies and now is struggling to reunite them together in one or more suites, what we can certainly say is that the new position of prominence of vCOPS and the new integrations provided by VMware's partners are a signal of a new path towards the light.

Labels: VMware

Last week Citrix announced a new tech preview for Hosted Server VDI technology that allows cloud providers to leverage Microsoft SPLA to host VDI-style desktops obtaining a pay-as-you-go monthly subscription licensing to offer costumers the ability to install applications and usb peripherals.

As discussed before for other companies, service providers are unable to cost-effectively offer these virtual desktop capabilities, to multiple costumers, with VDI based on Windows 7 because client operating systems are not covered by Microsoft SPLA program, Hosted Server VDI Tech Preview, targeted at nearly 2.000 Citrix Service Providers, bypass the problem using Windows Server 2008 R2 instead of Windows 7 making the solution fully enabled for multi-tenenacy in the Microsoft program.

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Labels: Citrix, Microsoft

On May 7 Atlantis Computing announced the general availability of its Atlantis ILIO Diskless VDI 3.2, this product, tailored in particular for VMware View 5.1, enables virtual desktops deployment with no storage.

Atlantis claims to lower the cost of virtual desktops below $200 per desktop with its product that performs IO traffic processing and inline duplication of images to run all desktops from local server memory.

In particular release 3.2 includes advanced compression and Fast Cloning technologies for VMware View 5.1 and seems to be able to reduce the size of VMware View linked-clones to around 500MB per desktop using a combination of inline reduplication and compression technologies.

Atlantis Computing says that its Fast Cloning technology, integrated with Diskless VDI, is able to clone virtual desktop images in five seconds per desktop enabling the deployment of 100 VMware View 5.1 virtual desktops per server in 8.5 minutes.

Atlantis ILIO has been tested with VMware View, VMware ThinApp® Linked-Clones and Persona as part of the “VMware View, Atlantis ILIO and Trend Micro Reference Architecture”. To read the document, visit
https://solutionexchange.vmware.com/store/products/7611/files/2489

Atlantis ILIO is certified as VMware Ready and can be found within the VMware Solution Exchange at
https://solutionexchange.vmware.com/store/products/7611

What’s New in Atlantis ILIO Diskless VDI 3.2?

• Advanced Image Compression – Reduces the amount of memory needed per virtual desktop image.
• Fast Cloning for Diskless VDI – Atlantis ILIO Fast Cloning can clone virtual desktop images in 5 seconds, making it possible to deploy 100 VMware View 5.1 virtual desktops in less than 8 1/2 minutes.

Atlantis ILIO Diskless VDI Benefits Include:

• Unmatched Performance – Dramatically improves all aspects of desktop performance including boot, login, application launches, patching and anti-virus scanning.
• Lower Cost – Atlantis ILIO reduces the cost per desktop from both a CAPEX and OPEX perspective: - CAPEX – The upfront cost per desktop can be decreased to under $200 per desktop including the server hardware, Atlantis ILIO license and storage. - OPEX – Diskless VDI architectures mean that IT organizations can lower operating expenses by eliminating rack space for SAN/NAS storage, lower power consumption and cooling costs, and eliminate the operational expenses of maintaining disk-based storage including replacing failed disks.
• Increased Lifespan – Memory does not suffer from the lifespan issues SSDs have when dealing with write-intensive VDI workloads. Diskless VDI architectures have lower operational costs as disk failure and replacement have been completely eliminated.

Labels: Atlantis Computing, Release, VDI, VMware View

On May 7 Citrix announced a technology preview of Project Aruba that extends Citrix VDI all-in-one proposal for the SMB market, VDI-in-a-Box, with personal vDisk technology.

VDI-in-a-Box, inherited from Kaviza acquisition in May 2011, already eliminates  much of the traditional VDI infrastructure, including shared storage and dedicated load balanced connection brokers, with a simple deployment of the virtual appliance on the hypervisor of choice.

Project Aruba uses vDisks layering technology, obtained with Ringcube acquisition, to manage end-user applications and preferences allowing Virtual Desktops personalization and flexibility.

Project Aruba provides the following key features:

• Personalized virtual desktops: You no longer have to choose between consolidating management using desktop pools versus delivering end-users the flexibility to install their own applications and data.  Project Aruba eliminates the need to create separate static desktops to carry forward end-user customization by coupling single-instance management with the ability to have individual user workspaces for their applications and data.
• Single instance management: Rather than juggling many persistent desktops, IT can maintain one master copy of desktop images while preserving the personalization of user applications and data. This dramatically reduces maintenance efforts and cuts datacenter storage costs up to 90 percent.
• Support for Windows 2008 R2: Project Aruba manages Windows 2008 R2, Windows 7 and Windows XP –based virtual desktops – enabling customers to select the ideal virtual desktop environment based on compatibility and costs.
• Cost-effective Windows-as-a-Service with VDI: Project Aruba extends the Citrix vision of enabling Windows-as-a-Service and adds a simple yet highly cost-effective VDI option based on Citrix VDI-in-a-Box to the already successful Citrix Service Provider (CSP) portfolio of hosted-shared desktops with XenApp, and enterprise-class desktop virtualization with XenDesktop.  The newly released reference architecture for Desktops-as-a-Service provides a validated blueprint for service providers looking to deliver VDI-based Desktops-as-a-Service at a fraction of the costs of other alternatives while complying with Microsoft licensing.
• Windows 8 support (Beta): Project Aruba runs Windows XP, Windows 7 and Windows 8 virtual desktops.  All features of Windows 8 including the new Metro interface are fully supported.  Since Windows 8 is not yet generally available, this feature is currently in Beta.
• Simpler, more flexible: Project Aruba makes management even simpler and more efficient with added features such as access to multiple data stores for optimizing storage, and a touchless DTAgent that updates the desktop agent on all golden images and their desktop instances  automatically when the VDI-in-a-Box software is upgraded.

Labels: Citrix, Release, VDI

On May 7 Cloud Sidekick announced the Early Access Program release of Cato Enterprise Edition (EE) which extends the Community Edition (CE) with Storm Deployment Automation and support for High Availability management server configurations.

With these new features Cato further abstracts AWS API providing the ability to write automation workflows for both AWS public cloud service and private clouds based on Eucalyptus.

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