Filed under: Macworld, Enterprise, Software
Show floor video: Parallels Server virtualizes OS X Server
While VMware's OS X virtualization offering is described as a 'technology preview' (translation: still too buggy for beta), the team at Parallels is beta-ready with the new Parallels Server product, allowing you to virtualize OS X Server alongside your Windows, Windows Server and Linux VMs. The server version from 'Big Red' also features experimental support for Intel's VT-d directed I/O capability (present on the newest Mac Pro and XServe machines), lightweight and 'bare metal/headless' hypervisor modes, and 2-way SMP multicore in a VM (expected to support 4-way SMP in the final version).Feel the power of this mostly operational virtualization station in our brief video demo with Parallels marketing lead Ben Rudolph (video after the jump). Pricing and availability on Parallels Server aren't announced yet but as soon as they are we'll let you know.
Update: Commenters have suggested that 'too buggy for beta' was an unfair characterization of VMware's demo, and they're probably right -- I did not mean to diminish the incredible efforts of developers at VMware, who like the Parallels crew have been working very hard on this. Also suggested was the notion that Parallels Server beta is an inferior offering and it can't install an unmodified copy of Leopard Server (as VMware's demo did -- the video linked on Regis' blog was shot by me :-). I can't vouch for the install process, but I can say that the Parallels instance of X Server worked as expected when I had hands-on time with it. Parallels is not new, corporately, to the challenge of enterprise virtualization; the Virtuozzo product line is both reliable and well-regarded, and the engineering talent behind those products is now collaborating on the Parallels Server work.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
xservefan said 7:47PM on 1-20-2008
Actually I was on the show floor, and am totally not convinced.
"Too buggy for beta" is a pretty naive way to put this with respect to VMware. I was there, and the VMware guys were demoing installs to a virtual machine of Mac OS X Leopard Server all day long, from an Apple retail DVD.
The Parallels guys only had a running instance of OS X Leopard Server to show...people have been running hacked OS X in virtual machines for more than two years. From what I've heard, their beta can't install it unmodified yet. Notice they weren't demoing it on the first day of the show? And then they brought out a new machine the following day with the demo? They certainly didn't demo an install in from of anyone, using a DVD. Any surprise there?
If these guys ship Parallels Server with the same terrible quality issues that Parallels Desktop for Mac 3.0 had on launch, there's no IT professional in his right mind that will take them up on it.
Just like Parallels Desktop 3.0 launched with "3d support" which ended up being total BS, and then VMware actually did push a product with 3d hardware acceleration, I will be totally unsurprised when Parallels hits the market first, but VMware does it right.
It's one thing to have random crashes and CPU race conditions on your MacBook Pro running Parallels--big deal, your Outlook session crashes.
It's another thing ENTIRELY when your Xserve hosting mission critical apps crashes because the virtualization engine you're using is driven more by marketing agendas than technology. Parallels is about huff and puff, and VMware does virtualization engineering right. Have been for a decade.
I will be shocked when Parallels Server ends up being something I will even let in the lobby of my datacenter. I'll wait for VMware to do it right, either with ESX for Xserve, or VMware Server / Fusion Serve.
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Mister Flagada said 8:58PM on 1-25-2008
"It's another thing ENTIRELY when your Xserve hosting mission critical apps crashes because the virtualization engine you're using is driven more by marketing agendas than technology."
If it's really "mission critical" you don't virtualize it, period.
Virtualization is not a silver bullet nor the holy Grail, it's more like the Holy Handgrenade of Antioch : useful, but able to just blow in your hand if you count to more than Three...
Ryan said 8:39PM on 1-20-2008
@Mister Flagada
Sorry, but you are totally misinformed on enterprise virtualization technology.
Rboyett said 11:59PM on 1-20-2008
@Mister Flagada
That is one of the most ignorant statements I've read on Virtualization. Come back when you actually get some knowledge.
As a Perot Systems and EDS consultant have built up multiple Vmware ESX environments for 4 different large companies. The largest of which had over 1000 virtual machines (many of which were mission critical). VMware Vi3 not only is incredibly solid (when done right) it provides a large amount of redundancy and is a fantastic platform for disaster recovery.
xservefan said 7:59PM on 1-20-2008
Also, Rudolph is lying when he says that their Leopard Server in a virtual machine is an industry first. Neither VMware or Parallels can claim that really. Alex Graff got it running on QEMU at the end of December: http://alex.csgraf.de/self/?qemu/
If you would like some information on Leopard Server in a VM, one of the VMware engineers has an intellectually honest, non-marketing fluff, analysis on his own blog, here: http://compfusion.blogspot.com/2008/01/true-leopard-server-virtualization.html
Also, anyone notice that Rudolph didn't have the virtual machine do anything? Just sat there with the "About this Mac" window up? Great demo...must be really stable...
Go watch the VMware demo, and then let's talk virtualization.
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xservefan said 8:01PM on 1-20-2008
Also, Rudolph is lying when he says that their Leopard Server in a virtual machine is an industry first. Neither VMware or Parallels can claim that really. Alex Graff got it running on QEMU at the end of December: http://alex.csgraf.de/self/?qemu/
If you would like some information on Leopard Server in a VM, one of the VMware engineers has an intellectually honest, non-marketing fluff, analysis on his own blog, here: http://compfusion.blogspot.com/2008/01/true-leopard-server-virtualization.html
Also, anyone notice that Rudolph didn't have the virtual machine do anything? Just sat there? Great demo...
Go watch the VMware demo, and then let's talk virtualization.
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xservefan said 8:02PM on 1-20-2008
@misterflagad: Totally not true. Ask Wells Fargo, eBay, BEA, JP Morgan, and other massive IT organizations that run mission critical apps in VMs all day long, providing excellent failover, disaster recovery support and more. Go head over to VMware's website and check out the 100 of the Fortune 100 that run VMware ESX.
Go do some reading on the topic, then let's talk.
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jc said 9:48PM on 1-20-2008
How long before I can use xserve to run a virtualized Blackboard / MS SQL environment?
I need to upgrade our university's equipment this spring.
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michael said 12:18PM on 1-21-2008
NO ONE CALLS RUDOLPH A LIAR AND LIVES TO TELL ABOUT IT -- chuck norris
do some research people before you start blabbing on highly read blog articles.
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John Laur said 5:33PM on 1-21-2008
I really enjoy all the love Parallel's gets from Mac people just because they shove their products out the door first.
In any case though, both companies were obviously pushing to show something working at the show. And while I am sure that VMware will support OS X server inside of Fusion, I suspect they also understand that the market asking for virtualized OS X server (ie not fanboys; the market actually willing to put up hard cash) will absolutely not buy an OS-hosted product either. Parallels unfortunately seems to bet their product on this notion. I think that in the wings you probably have VMware silently working to get ESX 3i certified on the Xserve: ie buy an Xserve, install ESX and recycle the OS X server license you got with the Xserve to create a VM.
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Victor Agreda Jr said 12:59AM on 1-22-2008
Just to note, VMWare will get a turn later this week when we show their interview/demo. Stay tuned, then commence the ongoing battles.
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