Microsoft reveals more Hyper-V for free

Microsoft began a major virtualisation push on Monday, with the introduction of new virtualisation tools and by making its core hypervisor product free of charge.

The new Hyper-V Server 2008 will be available via the web at no charge, Microsoft said on Monday. The download, which will go live in 30 days, supports virtual machines running Windows or Linux. The software comprises Hyper-V itself plus a cut-down Server Core installation of Microsoft's Windows Server 2008, and as such is a standalone version of the virtualisation solution.

Microsoft had previously said it would charge $28 for the standalone Hyper-V product.

As expected, Microsoft announced its new System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SVCMM) 2008, which will also be released within 30 days. The software allows companies to centrally manage their virtual infrastructure, whether their virtual networks run on Microsoft's Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, Server 2008 Hyper-V or Virtual Server 2005 R2; or on VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3.

Also on Monday, Microsoft said it had demonstrated that for the first time it could run Live Migration in a virtualised environment. Usually when a system is migrated from one system to another (physical or virtual), the system in use must shut down before it can restate in its new location or in its new environment. With live migration, no shutdown should be required.

Live Migration is not available just yet, explained Neil Sanderson, head of virtualisation at Microsoft UK. "For now we have Quick Migration [standard migration involving a stop and then a restart], but Live Migration should be available in 30 days," he said.

The changes to Microsoft's virtualisation strategy are part of a series of shifts. Microsoft came under a lot of pressure recently to make its virtualisation strategy more flexible.

Previously the company had imposed financial penalties on companies that had virtualisation strategies and wanted to be able to shift between different virtual operating systems. In August, the company relaxed the restrictions, saying organisations were no longer restricted to move from one operating system to another only once in a 90-day period.

Monday's announcement signals a further relaxation of those rules.

Original article: Microsoft offers more of Hyper-V from ZDNet UK