Virtualfuture.info

Microsoft released the resource kit tool for App-V. The Resource kit is a selection of tools that can be used to help you manage your App-V 4.5 estate. So if you are using App-V, you might need these tools: 

• Application Virtualization Application Listing Tool
• Application Virtualization Cache Configuration Tool
• Application Virtualization Client Log Parser Utility
• Application Virtualization SFT Parser Tool
• Application Virtualization Dynamic Suite Composition Tool

Today Microsoft released their Hyper-V Server 2008 product. This is Microsofts attempt to compete with VMWare ESX 3i so it’s free and you want it! They say…

Microsoft is aiming at the following use cases:

• Test and Development
• Basic Server Consolidation
• Branch Office Consolidation
• Hosted Desktop Virtualization (VDI) Read the rest of this entry »

We (Matthijs Haverink and I) have updated our application virtualization chart with the latest release of Citrix XenApp 5.0, Microsoft App-V and Xenocode 2008 SP1. We also changed Symantec Appstream in the chart by combining it with SVS pro, a more commonly used combination. Read the rest of this entry »

That Virtualization is going strong and still growing more and more mature are showing VMware and Microsoft. So during the past few days major changes happened on the licensing front:

VMWare joined Microsoft in their Microsoft Server Virtualization Validation Program Program (SVVP), this is great news because it makes virtualization even more attractive

and

Microsoft changed their License agreements for running their software in a virtualized environment and most surprisingly not only their own platform (Hyper-V) but others as well. Read all about the changes here.

Yesterday VMWare announched that founder and CEO of VMWare Diane Greene is replaced immediately by ex-Microsoft executive Paul Maritz. It needs to be said that Paul Maritz, wasn’t working at Microsoft for over 8 years, but nevertheless it’s an interesting move.

For those who keep close track on VMWare’s public activities and announcements it’s known that the CEO of EMC and the CEO of VMWare had some differences in opinion [understatement].

The direct effect at this point is Read the rest of this entry »

After reviewing VMware’s ThinApp I thought to myself:
How about the other application virtualization solution’s features? I know a couple of application virtualization products, but I don’t know exactly what the differences are.

OK, let’s google for an Application virtualization comparison chart… mmm, not there. Why not make one?
So we did. My colleague Matthijs Haverink and I have written a comparison chart with the following products:

• Microsoft Softgrid *
• VMware ThinApp
• Installfree Bridge
• Citrix Application streaming
• Symantec Appstream
• Xenocode Virtual Application Studio

* This is Softgrid 4.2. From version 4.5 it’s called App-V. When App-V is released, this chart will be updated.

This comparison chart will be expanded with other solutions in the near future, but this is a good start.
Over the next few weeks, we will publish a review of all products in the chart, starting with Installfree by Matthijs.

Feel free to comment on this chart and when neccesary, we will correct the chart.

Download the Application virtualization comparison chart. (pdf)

Update September 9th 2008: Download the updated chart.

Microsoft announces that that App-V 4.5 Release Candidate is now available. Some of the new features are:

• HTTP streaming
• virtual application interaction

Anyone may download the RC via the Microsoft Connect site.

You probably already knew that starting with version 4.5 the official name for Softgrid will be Microsoft Application Virtualization. Microsoft now announced that there will also be a new official short name: App-V.

App-V and Hyper-V, I must say, that doesn’t sound so bad. What’s next? Terminal-V, Mail-V, DB-V?

Read the article on the App-V blog.

At Microsoft Tech-Ed 2008 a new training and certification program was announced. It looks like Microsoft is taking this virtualization-thing seriously ;-).

A prime example of a cutting-edge technology with tremendous potential to cut costs and increase efficiency is virtualization.

Microsoft Learning has created a series of training and Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification programs that focus on Hyper-V and the forthcoming Windows Server Virtual Machine Manager, both of which are part of Microsoft’s virtualization strategy.

Available later this year.

For the ones that don’t know what this Hyper-V is all about and what to expect from it, here’s a video I found on Youtube: