Microsoft cuts Windows virtualization features

REDMOND, Wash.-Microsoft said on Thursday that it is pulling features out of the initial version of its "Viridian" hypervisor to avoid having to delay the virtualization technology.

The company is changing three key features of the hypervisor technology to try to stick to its schedule of releasing the technology within 180 days of completing its Windows Server "Longhorn" operating system, due to be finalized before the end of the year. The features will be included in a future version of Viridian, formally called Windows Server Virtualization, the company said.

The first feature that is being taken out of the initial Viridian release is so-called live migration, which enables people to move a running virtual machine from one physical server to another. The initial release of Viridian also won't support on-the-fly, or "hot," adding of memory, storage, processors or network cards. And it will only support computers with a maximum of 16 processing cores--for example, eight dual-core chips or four quad-core chips.

The move limits Viridian's initial scope and gives more breathing room to competing projects--most notably Xen and VMware.

Those guys just can't get a product out the door to save their lives. Windows development is just broken.

--Gordon Haff, analyst, Illuminata

"Those guys just can't get a product out the door to save their lives. Not having live migrate a year from now--talk about 'behind the times.' Windows development is just broken," Illuminata analyst Gordon Haff said. "For a (version) 1.0 virtualization offering to be missing critical features a year hence puts Microsoft in a truly bad market position, perhaps to the point where they should seriously consider partnering with VMware."

In a blog posting, the general manager of virtualization strategy at Microsoft, Mike Neil, said the company is making some "tough decisions" to meet its schedule.

"Shipping is a feature too," Neil said.

In April, Microsoft delayed the first beta version of Viridian from the first half of this year to the second half. The company said on Thursday that a public beta of Viridian will be introduced with the release to manufacturing of Longhorn Server.

"We had some really tough decisions to make," Neil said. "We adjusted the feature set of Windows Server virtualization so that we can deliver a compelling solution for core virtualization scenarios while holding true to desired timelines."

With no live migration support, Viridian will be useful for a common early use of virtualization, replacing several underutilized servers with a smaller number of more efficiently used ones. But it means that Viridian won't be immediately useful for a more sophisticated virtual-computing environment in which tasks are shuttled from computer to computer to adjust to changing work priorities or faulty hardware.

VMware, the leading x86 virtualization company, has supported live migration since 2003 with its VMotion software. And the EMC subsidiary's Virtual Infrastructure 3 software--available for more than a year--enables much of the higher-level incarnation of virtualization that treats multiple servers as a pool of computing power.

Xen supports live migration with versions of Linux that have been specifically adapted for the virtualization software. The next version of the Xen hypervisor, 3.1, due within days, will add live migration support for Windows and unmodified Linux, said XenSource Chief Technology Officer Simon Crosby.

Capping Viridian support at 16 is a less significant change because the vast majority of x86 servers don't exceed that limit. That reality is likely to prevail, even after the second half of this year, when 16-core servers will become more common by virtue of new Intel and Advanced Micro Devices quad-core chips for servers with four processor sockets.

Being able to add new resources to servers as they run through "hot-add" capability significantly improves a server's reliability. However, it's not common for most administrators today.

Live migration can help reduce the need for hot-add technology because customers could move virtual machines to a second system while the first is upgraded or repaired.

Xen today supports hot-add capability for memory, disks, network cards and processors.

[virtman]

When will they announce cutting Viridian?

Common, I can't wait to hear them say "To meet the deadlines, we are cutting Viridian and will re-brand the Virtual Server as Viridian. Shipping is a feature too".

MS, stop being everything to everyone. When will you start competing with Nike? M$ Shoes!

[KonradK]

Sound familiar?

> removing three key features of the hypervisor technology
> to try to stick to its schedule

Where have we heard this before? Because of an unsustainable
desire to remain backwards compatible, the Microsoft stack-of-
cards will eventually crumble. Ironically virtualization should in
theory provide Microsoft a way out. What they need to do is
emulate Apple. Bight the bullet and start over from scratch and
use virtualization to provide backwards compatibility.

[m.o.t.u.]

That explains it..........

If most Managers / Dept. Heads {at Microsoft} use a paragraph of words instead of a single sentence, delays should be expected.

[chris__anderson]

typical vaporware tactics

VMWare is running the market and so MS annonces that it's virtualization product will ship, for free, with the next version of server. VMWare has to cut prices and start giving products away for free, loses revenue, then MS quietly cuts the feature.

they have done this for years, just ask citrix who got hit with it in 1997 when they announced terminal services would be built into NT server 5. term server wasn't available free until 2000.

[bobby_brady]

Ballmer needs to go

He's done nothing positive at Microsoft. I believe there is a lot of tallent there, but Ballmer impedes it.

[shivagarl]

What about security?

Is MSFT releasing any feature to provide out of box security for the VMs running on its hypervisor. Security in Virtual world is the single most important topic to think about now. Traditional methods of HIPS/IDS/IPS doesnt work in virtual world. You need real server security that can work at the hypervisor layer.

[Thrudheim]

"Shipping is a feature too"

Wow, there's a rationalization.

This seems to be theme for Microsoft lately. Cut key promised
features just to get something out the door. Vista is just a pale
shadow of what it was supposed to be. But, I guess, shipping is a
feature too . . .

[MSSlayer]

LOL

Typical MS BS. There are missing features from Vista that are 10 years in the making and no release date in sight.

I guess the only question to ask is: "Is anyone surprised that MS had to drop features just to get it out the door, and how are you, the eternal MS defender going to defend this?"

It would be news if MS did something right AND on time.

[MSSlayer]

Best quote ever

""We had some really tough decisions to make," Neil said. "We adjusted the feature set of Windows Server virtualization so that we can deliver a compelling solution..."

What is compelling about a product that won't be out for a year and can't compete with VM solutions that exist today?

[MadKiwi]

No, he should stay

He is contributing nicely to the destruction of MSes monopolies which is good for the overall industry.

[rcrusoe]

Over promise, under deliver

It's amazing that anyone believes anything coming out of Redmond.

Microsoft: Bringing you today's technology - tomorrow

[lemuel777]

Wow, how long can this business model go on???

Microsoft cut features as a feature for shipping.
Apple not only keeps features they promise, they add features in
their software as surprise features and still ship in a reasonable
amount of time.

[ralfthedog]

Why does MS need virtualization?

You guys should get off of Microsoft's case. I don't see why a video game company needs needs virtualization in the first place.

I do understand that Viridian will come with several cool new features that VMWare does not have.

Viridian will have a feature that lets you run fake X box games that ring up extraordinarily high scores on a side monitor. "By running VD-BS (Viridian X Box simulator), you can appear to be playing Halo III while managing your databases or running backups. Everyone will think you are 1337 and you will get all of the girls."

Don't forget that Viridian will come with Longhorn, which will also have lots of cool new features.

The box that Longhorn will come in will be much better this year. It will have lots of cool new security features. One of the holographic labels will have an animated picture of Bill Gates waving at the buyer (Yes, they are having to edit the picture because it looks like he is giving the one fingered salute, but that is just a feature anyway).

It will also come with Windows Conflict Manager, that will search for and delete any competing products elsewhere on the network, thus prevent conflicts.

I think that everyone will agree that Longhorn and Viridian will be some of the most interesting products ever produced by Microsoft.

[jgaskell]

You need to learn...

...to make an argument without resorting to personal abuse. Just because someone does not agree with you does not make them an idiot. Your arguments will be far more persuasive if you can learn that lesson.

[Fil0403]

Nothing unusual here

It's the usual Microsoft bashing whatever they do: if they take too long to release something, they suck because they should cut features and release earlier; if they release earlier, they suck because they had to cut features in order to do that.