h0bbel.p0ggel.org

Sadly I coudn't make the trip to VMworld 2009. If you're in the same predicament as I am, fear not as you can always try to follow the ever active and always interesting John Troyer of VMware as he does a series of interviews throughout the day. All live, and all VMworld 2009.

To see the whole stream interface, that includes chat and Twitter interaction, visit VMworld Live on Ustream

Also, Roger Lund is doing a great job of collecting blog posts regarding VMworld 2009! Be sure to visit to get the latest reactions and insights.

With VMworld 2007 nearing it's end, the virtualization world seems to be buzzing with all kinds of analysis and comments regarding VMware ESX Server 3i, VMware Site Recovery Manager and Open Sourcing VMware Tools as well as many other virtualization related topics that has been covered on VMworld this year.

I do feel that one thing has received a little bit less attention that it probably deserves: Open Virtual Machine Format (OVF). While technically not announced on VMworld, I would think most of the attendants would find this very interesting.

A new proposed format, which basically is a XML wrapper for the three existing virtual machine types (VMware, Citrix/XenSource and Microsoft) that will allow full interoptability for virtual machines between the different vendors. The format also includes integrity checks that should twart any tampering attempts.

The new specification is created by DMTF, and supported by Dell, HP, IBM, Microsoft, VMware and Citrix/XenSource sounds like a pipe dream, but apparently it looks like it could possibly end a lot of the current problems with moving virtual machines between different virtualization vendors.

I wish I was able to be there, VMworld 2007 seems to be great with a lot of new fun things happening. All I can do is follow the liveblogs and v12n

Over at VMworld, where I would have loved to be right now, Microsoft has announced the VHD Download Center and the accompanying "Run IT on a Virtual Hard Disk" Technet site.

As of this moment, Microsoft is offering Windows Server 2003 R2, Exchange Server 2007, SQL Server 2005 and ISA Server 2006 as downloadable, preconfigured VHD's for evaluation purposes. You no longer need to download and install the base Windows OS, and then install trial versions of the offered applications. What you get when downloading is a pre-configured environment that lets evaluate the products for a 30-day time period, unless you are a MSDN and/or TechNet subscriber. MSDN/TechNet subscribers gets up to 365 day evaluation periods, when using their existing subscribers license keys.

Microsoft also expects that over 20 partners will be distributing their software through the VHD Test Drive Program including Altiris, BEA Systems, Check Point, Citrix, CommVault, Dell, FullArmor, HP, Network Appliance, Platespin, Portlock, Quest Software, SourceCode Technology Holdings, Symantec and UGS. In fact, Citrix is already offering a developer edition of Presentation Server 4.0 on the mycitrix site. The developer edition is a fully featured version of presentation server, that includes two free licenses. I'm sure a pre-configured virtual machine will be available real soon.

Of course the VHD downloads require Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2, but I expect VMware Converter to be able to convert the VHD's to VMware images. I haven't looked at the VHD EULA, so I have no idea if Microsoft has put any limitations on the usage/conversion of the VHDs. I doubt it though, as Microsoft has opened up the VHD standard on their own, and offer that as the cure-all format for all virtualization needs. This is also the format that the planned hypervisor on Windows Longhorn will support natively. The VHD standard is a direct competitor to VMWare's VMDK format.

All in all, great move by Microsoft which can only be seen as a reponse to the VMware Virtual Appliances directory, which has a big, and still growing, set of Virtual Appliances ready for download.

The world of IT and IT management is getting better and easier on a daily basis now!